Little yellow buoys that monitor weather and wave action are being deployed in Green Bay, Wisconsin, so people can check real-time conditions before they head out on the water. Read the full story by WBAY-TV-Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/202607010-green-bay-buoys
After hearing 90 minutes of public opposition to data center development, Michigan’s Garfield Township Planning Commission voted unanimously this week to advance a zoning amendment that could pave the way for a moratorium on the facilities. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/202607010-data-cetner-pause
Late-season snowmelt and weeks of steady rain caused lakes Michigan and Huron to rise 13.4 inches, the largest April increase on record. As of early July, lakes Michigan and Huron have returned to ideal conditions. Read the full story by the Benzie County Record Patriot.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/202607010-lake-michigan-water-level
A coastal geomorphologist at Michigan State University breaks down what’s happening where the land meets Great Lakes water and how lakeshore residents can use this summer’s calmer conditions to prepare for the future. Read the full story by the Huron County View.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/202607010-great-lakes-shoreline-outlook
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Bird Conservation Commission recently granted numerous partners $9 million in North American Wetlands Conservation Act funds. The money will benefit three programs in Great Lakes states. Read the full story by The American Hunter.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/202607010-waterfowl-funding
For more than 20 years, 21 beaches across five counties in Michigan have been monitored weekly throughout the summer months. Beach monitoring tracks factors that affect water quality and results are posted publicly allowing residents and visitors to check water quality before heading to their favorite swimming spots. Read the full story by the Keweenaw Report.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/202607010-beach-monitoring
Two sailors with Great Lakes roots are preparing to compete in the prestigious Admiral’s Cup, an elite international yacht racing competition returning in 2026 after a long hiatus. The pair, who learned to sail on the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair, will represent the United States as part of a team competing against some of the world’s top sailors off the coast of the United Kingdom. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260708-greatlakes-sailors-prestigious-yacht-races
Two former biologists from the EPA’s Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division in Duluth, Minnesota, have joined five other fired EPA employees in federal lawsuits alleging they were unlawfully terminated for signing a public letter criticizing the Trump administration’s environmental policies. Read the full story by the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260708-duluth-biologists-epa-filed-lawsuit
Eight New York State Park beaches were closed to swimming due to water quality concerns, including elevated bacteria levels, harmful algal blooms, and impacts from recent rainfall. State officials continue to monitor beach conditions through regular testing and advise visitors to check water quality updates before swimming. Read the full story by the Democrat & Chronicle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260708-newyork-beaches-closed-bacteria-algae-rainfall
The Black River in northern Ohio has moved a major step closer to being removed from the U.S. EPA’s Great Lakes Areas of Concern list after federal regulators approved the removal of its final environmental impairment, known as “Degradation of Benthos,” which measures the health of bottom-dwelling aquatic organisms. The milestone reflects decades of cleanup and restoration work that transformed a river once heavily polluted by industrial activity, with formal delisting expected after final state and federal review processes are completed. Read the full story by Spectrum News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260708-black-river-us-epa-greatlakes-area-of-concern
Michigan Department of Natural Resources officials say the Fisheries Division faces ongoing financial challenges despite receiving one-time funding in the new state budget, because most of its budget comes from fishing license revenue that has not increased in more than a decade while operating costs continue to rise. Agency leaders warn that without a long-term funding solution, staffing cuts and reductions in fish stocking programs—including salmon and walleye efforts that support both Great Lakes ecosystems and local economies—may be necessary. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260708-michigans-fisheries-division
The 77-foot schooner Inland Seas will visit Two Rivers and Manitowoc, Wisconsin, on July 28–29, offering public sails and hands-on educational programs that teach participants about Great Lakes ecology, maritime history, and sailing. Operated by the nonprofit Inland Seas Education Association, the vessel gives residents and visitors a chance to experience Lake Michigan while learning about the region’s freshwater resources and environmental stewardship. Read the full story by the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260708-schooner-sails-two-rivers-manitowoc
After a year-long pause caused by low Lake Huron water levels and the retirement of the previous operators, Turnip Rock boat tours in Port Austin, Michigan, are returning under new owners. Favorable spring rains raised lake levels by about 20 inches, allowing the popular excursions to resume, and the new operators have added online booking while continuing to offer scenic trips past Turnip Rock and the nearby lighthouse. Read the full story by the Huron Daily Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260708-turniprock-boat-tour-port-austin
A new study highlights how the endangered black-crowned night heron has adapted to urban life, with its largest remaining Great Lakes-region colony now nesting on the grounds of Lincoln Park Zoo in downtown Chicago. Researchers found the birds are successfully using city parks, the Chicago River, and even structures along Lake Michigan for feeding and breeding, making the urban colony a critical refuge for a species that has declined due to widespread wetland loss. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260708-windycity-wetlandbird-chicago
As part of the annual Great Lakes Landing Blitz education campaign at boat launches across the region, boaters and anglers are being urged to help stop the spread of aquatic invasive species by following simple practices such as cleaning, draining, and drying boats and gear. The campaign highlights the importance in preventing the spread of invasive species like zebra mussels and other harmful aquatic organisms. Read the full story by the Duluth News Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260708-editorial-boaters-anglers-invasive-species
Eighty years ago, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources created the Northern Highland Fishery Research Area. For decades, anglers on the five lakes in the research area have reported catch rates, what they were fishing for and lures they used, to help inform research. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260706-wisconsin-research-lakes
In mid-June, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy held a final hearing on Enbridge’s request to discharge up to 5 million gallons of water per day into Lake Michigan as part of the construction process for a tunnel to bury its Line 5 pipeline. A decision on the permit, one of three needed from the agency, is expected in early July. Read the full story by Northern Express.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260706-line-5-updates
Two biologists who were fired from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lab in Duluth last year after signing a public letter criticizing the Trump administration are suing to get their jobs back. Read the full story by Minnesota Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260706-duluth-epa-lawsuit
The U.S. Coast Guard has delayed deploying some lighted buoys in the Great Lakes due to unanticipated maintenance needs. Read the full story by Up North Live.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260706-uscg-buoys-delay
With a full day of Fourth of July celebrations, July 5th marks the dirtiest day for beaches and shores across the country. Read the full story by WDIO-TV – Duluth, MN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260706-superior-beach-clean
A shared lake level and the Straits of Mackinac are two reasons that Lake Huron and Lake Michigan could be considered “lobes” of one big lake. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260706-michigan-huron
A coalition of more than 200 business owners from throughout the Great Lakes region is calling on the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy to reject permits for Enbridge’s Line 5 tunnel pipeline, urging other business owners to sign on to a joint letter opposing the project. Read the full story by Michigan Advance.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260706-businesses-line-5
A retired Great Lakes Michigan Department of Natural Resources research vessel tells the story of the Great Lakes’ struggle to overcome decades of overfishing and the introduction of invasive species. Read the full story by the Alpena News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260706-chinook
Michigan spent millions of years either submerged underwater or buried under ice. As the glaciers began to melt and water moved, this allowed marine animals like whales to travel far inland. Read the full story by WDIV-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260706-whale-remains
Submerged in Lake Michigan, Milwaukee’s new storage facility will hold millions of cubic yards of contaminated sediment scheduled for removal from the city’s waterways. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260701-storage-facility
Officials with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration predict that western Lake Erie’s algal blooms will be moderately harmful and should be visible in mid-July. Read the full story by Spectrum News 1.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260701-habs-outlook
Researchers working to recover the endangered Great Lakes piping plover are using DNA analysis to determine the sex of captive-reared chicks, allowing them to better balance the number of males and females released at nesting sites, thus improving the odds that returning birds will find mates in future breeding seasons. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260701-dna-analysis
A new study from the University of Notre Dame analyzed 42 years of studies and combined nearly 2,500 samples of algae, fish, birds and other organisms to identify trends in how PFAS moves through the food web in the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Interlochen Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260701-pfas-study
The newest cohort of “Freshwater Fellows,” a group of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, high school students, are taking part in the second year of the Freshwater Institute – a county-led initiative to help create the next generation of freshwater stewards. Read the full story by Spectrum News 1.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260701-stewardship-education
Federal regulators have approved a Wyandotte, Michigan, chemical manufacturer’s plan to keep chemicals that have leached from contaminated soil into groundwater from reaching the Detroit River. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260701-cleanup-approval
During Wisconsin’s Great Lakes Landing Blitz, participants will greet boaters and anglers at boat landings and access points across the state. They’ll be sharing information and simple steps that can help prevent invasive species from spreading. Read the full story by WXPR – Rhinelander, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260701-invasive-species-awareness
A new report shows some fish in the St. Lawrence River are contaminated with high levels of pollutants, including PFAS or “forever chemicals.” The report, published every three to five years by the Province of Québec, monitors levels of toxins such as mercury in fish. This is the first time PFAS levels have been included in the analysis. Read the full story by CTV News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260701-pfas-found
Ferry crossings, international bridges, and thousands of miles of shoreline are all part of what will one day be a continuous trail spanning the entire Great Lakes known as the U.S. Great Lakes Waterfront Trail. Read the full story by WJBK-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260701-future-trail
Parasitic invasive sea lampreys were on display during the 46th annual Governor’s Lake Erie Fish Ohio Day on June 23. Read the full story by the Port Clinton News Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260701-lamprey-display
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has proclaimed June 28 to July 4 to be Aquatic Invasive Species Awareness Week in Michigan. Biologists say there are three important words boaters should know to help stop invasive species: clean, drain and dry. Read the full story by WLUC – TV- Neguanee, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260629-ais-awareness
After two and a half months of the Cheboygan Lock being closed to the public due to widespread flooding issues in northern Michigan, the lock has finally reopened. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260629-cheboygan-lock-open
Over decades, waves of the Great Lakes transform discarded trash into brightly colored gems. Among the five Great Lakes, Lake Erie is the premier destination for beach glass due to its numerous shipwrecks and rough shallow waters. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260629-erie-beach-glass
Tree swallows at a Lake Erie bird observatory are shrinking, a troubling finding that researchers say is tied to crashing insect populations in the region and world. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260629-bird-insect-declines
For more than a century, Lake Superior water has been piped into the town of Superior, Wisconsin by a private, for-profit company, but Superior Mayor Jim Payne would like to change that. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260629-superior-water-supply
In Michigan Public’s new podcast Beyond the Shore, host Rebecca Williams uncovers the shipwrecks, remarkable wildlife and hidden ecosystems beneath America’s Great Lakes. Read the full story by NPR.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260629-great-lakes-podcast
The William A. Irvin museum ship in Duluth will debut a new exhibit exploring the stories of vessels lost on the Great Lakes, and highlighting the human drama behind each sinking and how these events shaped modern maritime safety and industry practices. Read the full story by WDIO – TV – Duluth, MN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260629-shipwreck-exhibit
The Great Lakes are the defining force behind Michigan’s history, economy, and identity, shaping everything from where people settled to how the state is viewed today, according to Dave Dempsey, author and senior policy advisor at For Love of Water (FLOW). Read the full story by the Huron Daily Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260629-great-lakes-influence
A new book, “The Great Lakes Ships of Frank E. Kirby”, explores the life of a prolific Midwestern naval architect whose vessels once carried passengers who are still alive today. Read the full story by The Alpena News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260629-ship-architect-book
A person looking to buy or rent a boat in Illinois doesn’t need a license nor do they need to complete safety training; This contributes to boating crashes on Lake Michigan. Read the full story by the Chicago Sun Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260629-boating-rules
Water quality scientists predict Lake Erie’s harmful algal bloom will be moderate this summer, comparable to bloom levels seen in 2022 and 2024. Federal, Michigan, and Ohio university researchers presented the forecast Thursday at The Ohio State University’s Stone Lab in Put-In-Bay, Ohio. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260626-erie-bloom
Water quality scientists predict Lake Erie’s harmful algal bloom will be moderate this summer, comparable to bloom levels seen in 2022 and 2024. Federal, Michigan, and Ohio university researchers presented the forecast Thursday at The Ohio State University’s Stone Lab in Put-In-Bay, Ohio. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260626-erie-bloom
A new 2026 report from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency shows more than 2,000 lakes, rivers, streams, and ditches fail to meet water quality standards in Minnesota. About 6,518 impairments were found across 2,250 Minnesota waterways. Read the full story Northern News Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260626-mn-water
Researchers are testing whether Lake Michigan’s waves could someday help generate electricity for Beaver Island, offering a potential new source of power for the island community. Read the full story by WPBN-TV – Traverse City, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260626-beaver-island-waves
Some of the busiest ports in the U.S. are around the Great Lakes, and last weekend, a group of people who understand just how important Great Lakes shipping is gathered to pray for calm seas and safe voyages. Read the full story by Marketplace.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260626-cargo-ships
Since a toxic algal bloom left hundreds of thousands of Toledo-area residents without safe drinking water in 2014, scientists have been working to curb the yearly threat. And now, researchers have developed another tool to prevent the blooms: a system of algae-busting buoys. Read the full story by The Ohio Newsroom.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260626-bloom-buoys
