All the salt used to treat pavement during the winter ends up in our local waterways: streams, rivers, lakes, Lake Michigan, and even groundwater, which makes the water toxic for fish and other aquatic life. Read the full story by WISN-TV – Milwaukee, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250120-less-salt
Abstract, colorful ice formations, known as blue ice, are already forming in the Great Lakes near Mackinac Island, Michigan. Blue ice, typically found in glaciers, often forms in Michigan lakes during the winter season. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250120-blue-ice
With temperatures dropping in typical mid-January fashion, many anxious ice anglers were finally able to strap on their cleats and pop up shanties. Yet, both Ohio’s Division of Wildlife as well as Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources stress “there is no such thing as safe ice.” Read the full story by The Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250120-ice-safety
It is officially free fishing weekend in Wisconsin. Wet a line without a fishing license, trout stamp, or salmon stamp January 18th and 19th in most waters, thanks to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Read the full story by WLUK-TV – Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250120-free-fishing
Imagine a fishery where, in one year, 6 million pounds of fish were hauled in—only to plummet to a mere 400 pounds just four years later. What caused this devastation? A new documentary recounts how the Great Lakes were brought to their knees by the sea lamprey. Read the full story by Sports Illustrated.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250120-fish-thief
The Canadian petroleum pipeline company Enbridge was granted a permit by the Michigan Public Service Commission in 2023 to burrow a tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac. In an appeals court hearing Tuesday, tribal nations, environmental groups, and some businesses challenged the permit, saying the commission did not allow all the evidence to be heard. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250115-enbridge-case
The Great Lakes Fishery Commission has supported a new documentary, set to be released at the end of January, about the sea lampreys’ devastation across the Great Lakes region. Read the full story by the CBC.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250115-lamprey-documentary
The Great Lakes Commission recently released its annual water usage report, providing hydrological and environmental insights for the region. In total, water usage from the Great Lakes supply was down in 2023 in comparison to 2022. Read the full story by WTOL-TV – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250115-water-use
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources stocked seven species of fish at 78 locations across Michigan this past fall, bringing the year’s stocking total to 9.7 million fish. While most fish are stocked in the spring, and some in the summer, the final stocking round of 2024 included 590,504 fish during the fall. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250115-fish-stocked
During their winter offseason, lakers operating in the Great Lakes typically undergo maintenance. The work done after the Soo Locks close in Michigan is important for an aging fleet of lakers. Read the full story by KBJR-TV – Duluth, MN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250115-aging-lakers
Ship enthusiasts have until Wednesday night to track the big freighters heading upbound and downbound on the Soo Locks, then the locks will close for several weeks for annual maintenance work. Once the locks close, they will remain closed to ship traffic until reopening on March 25. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250115-locks-closing
With its heritage buildings and cobbled streets, Montreal’s picturesque Old Port on the St. Lawrence River is destined to become the gateway to a new waterfront neighborhood. The estimated $2.5-billion project will take seven to 10 years to complete, with construction slated to begin in 2025. Read the full story by The Globe and Mail.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250115-montreal-waterfront
The St. Marys River channel that handles downbound shipping traffic south of the Soo Locks closed temporarily on Sunday after a 497-foot cargo vessel briefly ran aground when it had a mechanical failure. There were no injuries reported, and no pollution seen after the grounding. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250115-freighter-aground
Work on the riverwalk in Manistee, Michigan, was planned for summer 2024 but was delayed when no bids came in for the work. With a $400,000 budget bump, the project is now expected to go forward this year. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250115-manistee-riverwalk
On Wednesday, a Michigan senate committee declined to vote on $50 million in grant funding for a massive mining project in the Upper Peninsula, leaving the money in limbo. Environmental activists argue the project would threaten the surrounding wilderness at the Porcupine Mountains and Lake Superior. Read the full story by WJBK-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241220-copper-mine
For the last two winters, historically low ice coverage on the Great Lakes made ice-fishing trips impossible for Wisconsin charter companies. This year, with winter just days away, Lake Michigan and Lake Superior are unseasonably warm again. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241220-warm-lakes
Passing the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2024 is urgently needed to maintain the successful work helping restore and protect the Great Lakes – work that is benefiting the environment and economy. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241220-glri-bill
A U.S. District Judge is allowing the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to become a defendant in the landmark Lake Erie Total Maximum Daily Load lawsuit in Toledo, Ohio. The decision was made at the Ohio EPA’s request. Read the full story by The Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241220-epa-defendant
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources recently collected nearly 6.5 million wild coho salmon eggs in less than three weeks. The collection was part of a fall effort to accumulate eggs to stock fish in Michigan waters. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241220-coho-eggs
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources recently revealed the results from the annual Lake Erie fish surveys with mixed hatch results. The annual trawl surveys revealed that walleye hatches were below average and yellow perch hatches were above average in two of three management zones. Read the full story by WKBN-TV – Youngstown, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241220-erie-walleye-perch
One of the Great Lakes’ famous locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, has closed for the season to allow maintenance, but visitors can still see the system’s larger lock in action until January. Read the full story by the Lansing State Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241220-locks-closed
The Theodore Too tugboat, a giant replica of a popular character on a CBC children’s series, is currently sitting at the bottom of the Welland Canal in St. Catharines, Ontario. The vessel started sinking Wednesday at a shipyard where it is docked for the winter. Read the full story by the CBC.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241220-tugboat-sinking
“Beyond the Sea: The Hidden Life in Lakes, Streams, and Wetlands,” presents the lesser-known facts of freshwater ecosystems and how they affect our everyday lives. While celebrating their abundance of life the book doesn’t shy away from the serious threats and challenges that inland waters face. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241220-inland-waters-book
The Tim S. Dool was re-floated Monday and taken in for inspection. The ship was carrying a load of wheat grain through the St. Lawrence River on November 23 when it ran aground in U.S. waters near Waddington, New York. Read the full story by WWNY-TV – Carthage, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241220-ship-freed
Under a portion of the state’s environmental protection laws, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy has been banned from updating rules to deal with certain kinds of water pollution. Bills to restore the agency’s authority are before the lame duck session of the legislature. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241209-michigan-environmental-laws
It’s a fish story with a big, unexpected plot twist. A native Great Lakes whitefish thought extinct for nearly 40 years has been rediscovered by scientists in Lake Superior. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241209-cisco-found
This is the last November anglers casting from some popular fishing spots along Lake Michigan can catch whitefish using a wide range of tackle. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241209-whitefish-limits
Michigan has debated for decades but never passed a uniform statewide septic code and remains the only state without one. Whether the latest push can get over the finish line seems unlikely after a state Senate panel adjourned without voting on legislation this week. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241209-michigan-septic-legislation
The clock is ticking in a legal battle over a Minnesota mining project that some warn could inflict catastrophic damage on Lake Superior and nearby communities. Environmental advocates argue that the risks posed by the project’s tailings dams could have dire consequences for the Great Lakes ecosystem and residents living downhill. Read the full story by Newsweek.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241209-minnesota-tailings-dam
Last Friday, a large part of the Detroit River’s waterbed was exposed as strong winds pushed the water to the northeastern banks of the Great Lakes in a seiche event. The Windsor Harbor Master said mariners have to take extra caution navigating the river due to the lower water level and strong winds. Read the full story by the CBC.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241209-detroit-river-seiche
Water bottler BlueTriton announced it will cease operations in Puslinch, Ontario, in January 2025. Activists said their exit could be due to issues with the well from where water is drawn, and the company was getting pressure to exit from the Indigenous Six Nations who claim the land. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241209-ontario-bottled-water
Michigan looks to get $700 million to clean up contaminated sediment in the Detroit River, but according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, decades of unchecked pollution from BASF’s Wyandotte facility could stand in the way. Read the full story by Planet Detroit.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241209-detroit-river-pollution
The U.S. Senate has approved the reauthorization through 2031 of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Now the measure moves to the U.S. House of Representatives for a vote. Read the full story by WTTW-TV – Chicago, IL.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241209-glri-house-vote
The historic tugboat Robinson Bay was officially handed off to the Great Lakes Maritime Academy in Traverse City, Michigan, in a ceremony last month. The Robinson Bay will allow maritime cadets to learn towing, ship handling, and engineering processes onboard the historic vessel, built in 1958. Read the full story by WPBN-TV – Traverse City, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241209-maritime-academy-tugboat
Canadian environmental officials hope a new funding program will entice farmers around London, Ontario, to do more to reduce the algal bloom-causing phosphorus that leaves their farmland. The new Thames River Phosphorus Reduction Program is backed by $17.4 million in federal funds. Read the full story by the CBC.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241118-london-nutrients
When former President Donald Trump last held office, he rolled back more than 100 environmental rules, and as he prepares to re-enter the White House, experts anticipate he’ll draw from the same playbook. That could have ripple effects in Wisconsin, which in recent years has received close to a billion dollars from a landmark climate law Trump seeks to unwind. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241118-trump-wisconsin
Some Great Lakes politicians believe that Trump will continue to back funding for Great Lakes cleanup efforts, even as he tries to make good on his campaign pledges to roll back U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rules and regulations intended to fight climate change. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241118-trump-lakes
Fisheries and Oceans Canada, along with partners in the U.S., keep a watchful eye for grass carp. Breeding populations of the invasive fish have been found on the American side of Lake Erie and could devastate the Great Lakes ecosystem. Read the full story by The Narwhal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241118-grass-carp
In a name-your-poison twist, a new study from the University of Illinois adds to the evidence that Chicago-area waterway pollution is slowing the relentless advance of the invasive silver carp. Read the full story by The Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241118-chicago-carp
Michigan and Ohio are both struggling to reduce the fertilizer runoff getting into Lake Erie which feeds harmful algal blooms. Both states are working toward a 40% reduction goal set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. So far, the efforts are not meeting the goals. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241118-erie-nutrients
Three Michigan lawmakers led a letter to the authors of the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, asking them to include an amendment opposing the permanent storage of nuclear waste in the Great Lakes basin in the final bill. Read the full story by Michigan Advance.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241118-nuclear-waste
It’s no surprise the Great Lakes are warmer than normal since our air temperatures have been warmer than normal for quite some time. Western Lake Erie has a pocket of water that is still 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241118-warm-water
After seven years of planning, a new marine sanctuary now protects a portion of Lake Ontario rich with history and shipwrecks. The community-driven designation aims to benefit the area through preservation, economic development, and conservation. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241118-marine-sanctuary
When passengers from Victory Cruise Lines voyages on the Great Lakes visit the National Museum of the Great Lakes next year, they’ll reach Toledo, Ohio, by bus, not boat. But Toledo-area leaders believe the Detroit-based shore excursions can be a stepping-off point toward bringing passenger cruises to the city. Read the full story by The Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241118-toledo-cruises
Dozens of Wisconsin communities will receive more than $273 million from the state for drinking water projects that include removing lead pipes and addressing PFAS contamination. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241106-wisconsin-water
Public comment about a proposed copper mine in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula focused on how special the area was: many said it should be evaluated differently because of its old-growth forests, proximity to Lake Superior, and other environmental factors. Read the full story by Interlochen Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241106-copper-mine
The 2024 western Lake Erie algal bloom has become the second in modern history to linger into November with about 10 square miles of the bloom remaining. Read the full story by The Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241106-algal-bloom
Currently, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource’s process for setting new fishing limits can take years. The agency says that a new rule would allow it to better respond to changes in the lake trout and cisco populations. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241106-fish-rule
Northwest Ohio municipalities could soon hear regional planners being more vocal in their support of a stronger and more robust management strategy for western Lake Erie, such as one that has become a hotly debated issue in U.S. District Court. Read the full story by The Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241106-erie-recommendations
The impending closure of North and South Manitou islands during a multi-year infrastructure project at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in northern Michigan may spell the end for a 107-year-old Michigan ferry service. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241106-manitou-ferry
