The Great Lakes Water Authority is expected to vote Wednesday on whether to hire Jeffrey Collins — an attorney, former judge and former U.S. attorney — to oversee its investigation of flooding in June that resulted in damage to thousands of homes in Detroit, Michigan. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210723-flooding
Robert Priefer, 99, captained the Milwaukee Clipper from 1960-1969. He can recall the ship’s hay-day like it was yesterday, including his unique rise to the top. Read the full story by WZZM-TV- Muskegon, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210723-o-captain-my-captain
Over the last several years, the H. Lee White Maritime Museum has hosted tours out to New York’s Oswego West Pierhead Lighthouse, and these journeys have returned for the summer. Read the full story by Oswego County Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210723-tours
The White Shoal Lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse on the Great Lakes, standing at 121 feet. You’ll find it, still operating, about 20 miles east of Mackinac Point in Michigan. Read the full story by WKFR – Battle Creek, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210723-white-shoal
A survey conducted by the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative has found that it will cost two billion dollars over the next five years to repair and shore up coastlines in the Great Lakes region. Read the full story by WTTW – TV – Chicago, IL.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210721-repair-funds
U.S. Great Lakes ports and the St. Lawrence Seaway are reporting a surge in cargo shipments to feed domestic construction and manufacturing activity and global export demand, according to the latest June figures. Read the full story by Work Boat.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210721-shipping
The Ontario government selected 44 community-based projects that will receive C$1.9 million in funding through the Great Lakes Local Action Fund, which supports projects that protect and restore the Great Lakes. Read the full story by the Global News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210721-gllaf
The proposed PolyMet copper-nickel mine in northern Minnesota encountered a setback when the state Court of Appeals ordered regulators to revisit a critical air emissions permit given to the project. Read the full story by the Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210721-polymet-mine
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced the beginning of a public comment period on its draft environmental impact statement and management plan for the proposed marine sanctuary in eastern Lake Ontario, the next step toward official designation. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210721-ontario
A batch of Arctic grayling salmonid eggs were transported from Alaska to Michigan as the carry-on luggage of a researcher as part of an initiative to repopulate the native fish. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210721-arctic-grayling
Since 1914, RMS Empress of Ireland, Canada’s Titanic, has rested at the bottom of the St. Lawrence River. For the next two summers, though, her artifacts will rest on Manitoulin Island, at the top of Lake Huron. Read the full story by the Toronto Sun.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210721-shipwreck
The Lake Erie Guardians, a select group of like-minded citizen scientists who keep a watchful eye on Lake Erie and its watershed is receiving $49,955 from the Ontario government to help protect the precious body of water. Read the full story by CTV News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210721-erie-guardians
Water samples taken last week by the Erie Health Department showed high toxin levels from harmful algal blooms at nine different waterside locations in the Erie area. Read the full story by WJET – TV – Erie, PA.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210721-algae
Working with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has a construction contract out to create a corridor along the sea wall at Broderick Park along the Niagara River in Buffalo, NY. Read and listen to the full story by WBFO -TV – Buffalo, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210721-niagara
A recent rainstorm that closed highways and damaged thousands of homes and businesses in Metro Detroit was a dramatic example of how unprepared the region is to handle extreme weather. Read the full story by Mlive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210719-floods-michigan
The return to regulation plan flows means an increase in Lake Ontario outflows. As a result, Lake Ontario will increase or decrease depending on natural weather conditions; lake levels will increase if there continues to be above average rainfall and decrease if dry conditions return. Read the full story by Lockport Union-Sun & Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210719-ontario-lake-levels
A new full-length documentary charts the story of Chicago’s beloved piping plovers, from their hatching in 2017 to their improbable courtship on Chicago’s lakefront to their status as standard bearers for shorebird habitat conservation efforts. Read the full story by WTTW–TV – Chicago, IL.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210719-piping-plover
What started in 1898 with just five boats has grown as the 112th edition brings together 240 boats and 2,100 sailors to compete in the 333-mile course up Lake Michigan. The event is the oldest annual freshwater distance race in the world. Read the full story by WLS–TV – Chicago.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210719-boat-race
On July 15th the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network was launched as a group of concerned citizens, scientists, and community leaders with the goal to regulate PFAS use and connect impacted communities with information and resources. Read the full story by WGTQ–TV – Traverse City, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210719-pfas
Michigan’s conservation success stories, including the comeback of the lake sturgeon, have attracted national attention and prompted state legislature proclaiming July 2021 as Michigan Wildlife Conservation Month. Read the full story by the Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210719-wildlife-michigan
Forest Service and firefighting personnel in the U.S. are stepping up their response to wildfires burning in Ontario that threaten to cross the international border into Minnesota’s Boundary Waters. Read the full story by MPR News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210719-wildfire
Theodore has been travelling across Lake Ontario lately, making several stops to promote water conservation before settling into his new permanent home in the Hamilton Harbour. Read the full story by the St. Catharines Standard.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210719-shipping-tugboat
This week, state senators adopted a resolution calling for equitable treatment among ports that deal in cargo imported and exported abroad. Titled Senate Resolution 74, the document calls on U.S. Customs and Border Protection to lift restrictions on ports in the state that have been in effect since 2016. Read the full story by The Monroe News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210719-ports-shipping
The Great Lakes Islands Alliance, a voluntary, bi-national network of leaders from 15 populated islands in the Great Lakes, now has dedicated staffing with the hire of a project manager Peter Hudson. Read full story by The Sault News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210719-islands
Manure from confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) is spread onto farm fields in the Lake Erie basin as fertilizer. The debate continues regarding the amount of nutrients that spreading manure contributes to Lake Erie. Read the full story by The Columbus Dispatch.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210716-poop-problem
Before traveling to the beach in Michigan, it is important to check the State of Michigan’s Beach Guard system to see an up-to-date map of the red-flagged beaches and details on water quality tests. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210716-beaches-closed
Each summer, an all-women cleaning crew has the strenuous and spider-filled job of cleaning the remote DeTour Reef Lighthouse before tourist arrive. The cleaning crew stays overnight and spends the days power washing the exterior and cleaning the interior as well as conducting maintenance. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210716-michigan-lighthouse
New York State Sea Grant published a suite of lake sturgeon educational resources that will help support student and public awareness about one of the Great Lakes’ largest and longest-living native fish. Read the full story by WWTI-TV- Watertown, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210716-disney-sturgeon
You may want to think twice before you release your pet goldfish into a local pond or lake. Officials in Burnsville, Minnesota, south of Minneapolis, shared images of football-sized goldfish discovered in a local lake, warning residents to refrain from letting their goldfish swim free in the water. Read the full story by WBUR- Boston, MA.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210716-goldfish
A broad group of natural resource professionals are setting out to ensure that the Great Lakes are properly appreciated by lawmakers. The group of American and Canadian institutions includes the Great Lakes Fishery Commission and The Nature Conservancy, as well as economists, social scientists and conservationists. Read the full story by The Alpena News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210716-great-lakes-research
With staffers on duty “24/7,” a network of contractors standing by and backup power sources handy, the Great Lakes Water Authority said Thursday it will be ready for the storms expected to hit southeast Michigan through Saturday. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210716-rain
Wildlife officials are moving to rename the so-called Asian carp —a group of four species originating in that continent but brought to the U.S. on purpose decades ago — with a moniker that doesn’t have racist overtones. Read the full story by New York Daily News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210716-carp
Over the last few years, the number of drownings has increased. In order to try to reverse the trend, the director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has proposed an order to essentially ban swimming at state-run beaches when conditions are too dangerous. Read the full story by The Legal Examiner.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210714-swimming-ban
An interactive article published In the New York Times shows how erratic water levels in Lake Michigan, on top of Chicago’s stressed water management system, have left the city and its infrastructure vulnerable to potentially catastrophic damage. Read the full story by WTTW – TV – Chicago, IL.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210714-chicago
The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) is hosting a series of virtual informational meetings for farmers to learn about Governor DeWine’s H2Ohio Initiative in the newly added 10 counties. Read the full story by the Portsmouth Daily Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210714-h2ohio
Cuyahoga County planners are proposing a public-private partnership that would give the public access to the lakefront in exchange for using state and federal dollars to shore up private properties along the lakefront. Read the full story by WOIO – TV – Cleveland, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210714-cuyahoga
A replica tugboat named Theodore Too will be on display at the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes in Kingston, Ontario to promote Great Lakes protection and restoration. Read the full story by The Whig Standard.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210714-tugboat
Experts say it’s important to stay vigilant about our plastic use because a lot of what’s hurting our beaches is smaller than we can see. Read the full story by WZZM – TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210714-plastic-pollution
At the end of June, Detroit experienced its second 500-year flood in seven years. A new preprint of a study by researchers at the University of Michigan and Wayne State University found that recurrent flooding is more prevalent than previously thought in Detroit and that primarily African-American neighborhoods are at risk. Read the full story by Grist.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210714-detroit-floods
The DNR’s Lake Michigan Coastal Program will host a public meeting on July 21 seeking public input regarding funding for Lake Michigan’s watershed program. Read the full story by the Indiana Environmental Reporter.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210714-michigan-funding
Grosse Pointe Park homeowners who had nearly 8 feet of wastewater surge into their basements June 26 sued the Great Lakes Water Authority on Tuesday, saying officials were aware of the “dangers” posed by two Detroit pumping stations that partially broke down during the summer storm. Read the full story by The Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210714-grossepointe
The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa hopes to reintroduce elk to northeastern Minnesota by 2025, according to a proposal it submitted last week to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Read the full story by StarTribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210712-minnesota-elk
For decades a mill in Terrance Bay, Ontario sent polluting effluent containing endocrine disrupting chemicals into the bay, delaying sexual maturity and reducing hormone levels, fat storage, gonad size, and population size of the fish there. Now, in a recent review of cleanup efforts for one of the original Areas of Concern, results have shown improved conditions for white sucker, a native fish. Read the full story by Environmental Health News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210712-fish
Ten more counties have been added to the H2Ohio farmer incentive program in the new state budget. The H2Ohio program helps farmers reduce their nutrient runoff by installing limiters, plant cover crops during non-growing seasons, and will help purchase new equipment that distributes fertilizer beneath the surface instead of on top. Read the full story by WTOL–TV – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210712-ohio-nutrient-pollution
Nineteen wolves were transplanted on Isle Royale’s national park between 2018 and 2019 to bolster its nearly vanished wolf population and counterbalance the island’s swelling numbers of moose, and are now settling in. During the annual survey by Michigan Technological University researchers found evidence of least two litters of wolf cubs. Read the full story by Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210712-wolves-isle-royale
Four piping plover chicks have hatched at Sandy Island Beach State Park in Oswego County, marking the second time this summer that a pair of the rare birds successfully nested on the beach and the first time in about 50 years that two breeding pairs were present on Lake Ontario’s eastern shore. Read full story by Syracuse.com.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210712-piping-plover-ontario
Restoration specialists with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources are at work to bring back 200 acres of globally rare, forested wetland at the 2.5-mile-long island park in the Detroit River. Read the full story by The Voice.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210712-restoration-michigan
State biologists and outside experts say wolves are not driving the low deer numbers in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Instead, they have reported that weather, habitat availability, hunting and other factors have greater influence over deer population trends. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210712-wolves-michigan
A doctoral student and aerosol researcher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has published a study about airborne toxins from algal blooms. The study has evidence to suggest harmful toxins and algae itself are found in the air, indicating that airborne algal toxins may be more of a threat in the Great Lakes than previously thought. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210712-algae-pollution
According to a report about 60% of Great Lake beaches were potentially unsafe on at least one day in 2020, and some locations with 20% or more unsafe beach days. Read the full story by the Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210709-beaches-ecoli
