For the first time in more than two decades, Lake Erie is nearly completely frozen. As a result, surrounding communities could see a number of impactful side effects. Read the full story by The Cool Down.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260216-frozen-erie
A stretch of above-normal temperatures and fast-melting snow is making released pollution hang around longer in many parts of Michigan triggering air quality alerts within the state. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260216-air-quality-alerts
Researchers say the world has entered an era of global ‘water bankruptcy’—a point where many rivers, lakes, aquifers, and glaciers have been pushed past their capacity to recover. This finding has implications on the Great Lakes system as each year, only about one percent of Great Lakes water is replenished through rain, snow, and groundwater. Read the full story by the Welland Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260213-water-bankruptcy
A six-decade history in the Great Lakes region of ecosystem and water protection is being put to the test as a dynamic era of energy investment, rising electricity demand, aging assets and political intervention dawns across the basin. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260213-energy-water-nexus
A bill that would redesignate the Apostle Islands as Wisconsin’s first national park advanced out of the House Committee on Natural Resources in a narrow vote this week. Read the full story by KBJR-TV – Superior, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260213-national-park-bill
The City of Duluth’s Engineering division will launch a new Private Stormwater Best Management Practice (BMP) Inspection and Maintenance Program for certain properties starting this spring. These BMPs help control stormwater runoff, reduce flooding risk and protect water quality in local resources including Lake Superior, the Saint Louis River Bay Estuary, wetlands and 60 streams. Read the full story by WDIO-TV – Duluth, MN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260213-stormwater-management
A coalition of environmental advocates introduced state legislation in Illinois Wednesday to guard against data centers causing water shortages, groundwater conflicts, increased water prices and pollution without proper planning and management. Read the full story by the Daily Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260213-data-center-legislation
Construction on a new reservoir designed to maintain a secure water supply in London, Ontario is nearly complete. The new addition, fed from Lake Erie and Lake Huron where the water is treated before being pumped to the reservoirs, will be nearly double the capacity of the previous reservoir. Read the full story by CTV News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260213-water-storage
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is reminding ice fishermen that there are only a few times and locations where it’s legal to catch lake sturgeon — and they should take care to quickly release any fish they catch by mistake this winter. Read the full story by the Lansing State Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260213-sturgeon-protections
Several efforts are underway in Erie, Pennsylvania, to address sediment problems and the lack of holding water for steelhead and bass in tributaries of Lake Erie. Read the full story by Erie Times-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260213-sediment-removal
Lake Superior State University is expanding its Great Lakes research capacity through a $3 million donation to support the university’s Center for Freshwater Research and Education in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The funding will be used to create an Excellence Fund for student research, acquire advanced equipment, and purchase a larger research vessel for applied fieldwork. Read the full story by WWTV-TV – Cadillac, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260213-research-donation
The annual walleye run on the Maumee River is expected to be historic this year, thanks to Lake Erie’s extensive ice coverage during the winter months which could be exceptional for walleye spawning. Read the full story by WTVG-TV – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260213-walleye-run
The White House says President Donald Trump has the right to amend a permit for a new bridge between Canada and Michigan, prolonging the latest dispute between the U.S. and its northern neighbor hours after its prime minister signaled there could be a detente. Read the full story by the Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260211-brigde-brouhaha
A new Michigan Senate bill would address the regulation, inspection, and re-evaluation of septic systems. If passed, Michigan would become the last state with a comprehensive septic code intended to prevent contamination of drinking water. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260211-septic-code
The state of Michigan wants more detail from Enbridge about the impact its proposed oil pipeline tunnel may have on archeological sites and coastal wetlands as federal regulators clear a path to permit the long-delayed project under the Straits of Mackinac. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260211-line5-decision
After a population crash around 2015, Chinook salmon numbers have rebounded, but recent data suggests another shift may be occurring. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260211-chinook-salmon
Didymosphenia geminata — “didymo” for short — also has another, much less scientific, nickname: rock snot. Researchers say it’s native to North America and may have been in Michigan longer than previously thought, but now it is spreading in the state’s waterways. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260211-rock-snot
Two tech companies want to make northern Minnesota a destination for research and testing of autonomous vehicles, including unmanned underwater submarines in Lake Superior. Read the full story by Minnesota Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260211-superior-auvs
Despite a colder-than-average winter in the Great Lakes and across the country, climate change may reduce ice cover on the Great Lakes over the long term. Declines in ice cover could impact fish populations. Read the full story by WPBN-TV – Traverse City, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260211-climate-fish-impacts
The Ohio Lake Erie Commission announced the second round of funding is open for a grant program to help communities restore habitats, combat invasive species, and clean or divert storm water with infrastructure techniques. Read the full story by Spectrum News 1.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260211-erie-funding
Five more solar-powered signs will help alert beachgoers to rip currents and dangerous conditions at Muskegon, Michigan beaches starting summer 2026. The warning system uses red, yellow, and green lights similar to a traffic signal to indicate swimming conditions. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260211-beach-warnings
An 80-mile-long ice crack runs along Lake Erie from Cleveland to the north shore of Lake Erie near Port Bruce in Canada. In addition to photos from satellites, there are now drone images from right on top of the crack. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260211-erie-crack
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released the final version of its Environmental Impact Statement on Enbridge’s proposed Line 5 tunnel project, starting a 30-day waiting period before making its final decision on whether to grant the pipeline company a permit to move forward with the proposal. Read the full story by Michigan Advance.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260209-line5-report
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Canadian officials met in Chicago last week to discuss shared priorities and success stories throughout the Great Lakes watershed following the 2025 State of the Great Lakes Report. Read the full story by Ideastream Public Media.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260209-state-of-greatlakes
A proposal to build an underwater line to transmit electricity from Canada to Erie County is once again seeking government approvals. Read the full story by the Erie-Times News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260209-erie-electricity
Although Lake Erie’s surface had been nearing a complete freeze — a state it has not reached in 30 years — the chances of it reaching 100 percent have now waned after strong north winds over the weekend disrupted the amount of ice coverage. Read the full story by The Chronicle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260209-erie-freeze
The 2026 lake sturgeon fishing season on Black Lake in Michigan’s Cheboygan County lasted only 48 minutes for 679 registered anglers — 31 minutes longer than last year. The harvest limit for the 2026 season on Black Lake was six lake sturgeon. Read the full story by the Alpena News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260209-sturgeon-fishing
Concerns over data centers in Michigan have led to advocates pushing for the Michigan Legislature to enact a one-year moratorium on the construction of new data centers until more comprehensive regulations can be put into place. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260209-mi-data-centers
The Edsel & Eleanor Ford House received a $7 million NOAA grant in 2023 to restore Michigan’s Ford Cove, improve wildlife habitat along Lake St. Clair and improve visitor access. Now, the restoration project has entered its second phase featuring a “highly visible shoreline transformation.” Read the full story by the Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260209-ford-house-restoration
Using historical temperature records from weather stations around the region, researchers improved their understanding of where ice might have formed and for how long it lasted spanning the last 120 years. Researchers said this new data record could help with efforts like research on fish in the winter, regional climate and improving safety on the ice. Read the full story by Interlochen Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260206-ice-data-insights
A new study published last month in the Journal of Great Lakes Research shows that PFAS levels in Great Lakes fish are on the decline as manufacturers have phased out some chemicals in recent decades. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260206-pfas-fish
Ottawa County, Michigan, relies on two aquifers for groundwater: a shallow upper glacial aquifer and a much deeper one known as the Marshall Sandstone. When snow melts in the spring, it does help recharge the upper aquifer, but the deeper Marshall aquifer, the one many residents’ wells rely on, doesn’t get that same benefit. Read the full story by WZZM-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260206-groundwater-impacts
Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory show Lake Erie’s ice coverage surged from under 2% on January 14 to nearly 85% by January 21; coverage has increased since then, hovering near or above 95% since late January. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260206-lake-erie-ice
The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking to delay the shutdown of Enbridge Line 5 as the fight over whether or not to reroute or shut down the pipeline altogether plays out in the courts. Read the full story by WTMJ – Milwaukee, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260206-pipeline-litigation
The Soo Locks have closed to marine traffic for their annual maintenance period, but the critical Great Lakes shipping gateway remains a hub of activity as engineers and technicians work to prepare the massive structures for another shipping season. Read the full story by WBUP – Marquette, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260206-lock-maintenance
Due to such factors as its depth, climate, and orientation, Lake Ontario is not nearly as susceptible to freezing over as the other four Great Lakes. Read the full story by WROC-TV – Rochester, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260206-lake-ontario-ice
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary recently shared a video of the 414-foot bulk freighter Etruria resting upside down at the bottom of Lake Huron. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260206-shipwreck-video
The S.S. Badger car and passenger ferry’s 2026 season will run from May 15 to October 11, making four-hour trips to and from Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and Ludington, Michigan. The ferry will also host some special events, including an ’80s-themed murder mystery. Read the full story by the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260206-ferry-season
With nearly 95% ice coverage across Lake Erie, the food source destination for many animals is now inaccessible. The water is locked away from animals, including endangered species like the Little Gull. Read the full story by WEWS-TV – Cleveland, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260206-ecosystem-impacts
The recently released binational “State of the Great Lakes 2025 Report” produced by the U.S. EPA and Environment Canada shows the condition of the Great Lakes. Read the full story by the Sandusky Register.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260204-erie-report-card
As of Tuesday afternoon, total ice coverage on the Great Lakes stands at 48.42%. It’s a significant jump that places this year well ahead of historical averages for early February. Read the full story by CBS News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260204-ice-cover
A group of Great Lakes ports and federal partners are launching a market study aimed at increasing cargo movements between the Great Lakes and the U.S. inland waterways system. Read the full story by WorkBoat.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260204-ports-study
Scientists in the Midwest are asking for help from the public this winter to measure ice thickness on the Great Lakes and other inland lakes in the region, which they plan to use to improve ice-forecasting models. Read the full story by WXPR – Rhinelander, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260204-ice-thickness
As dams come down around the world, native fish are returning to their home waters. But invasive species are taking advantage of that same access. In Traverse City, Michigan, a fish obstacle course is keeping unwanted species out of a river. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260204-unwanted-river-fish
Ohio’s Port of Cleveland announced Monday that work has been completed on the stabilization of the Irishtown Bend hillside along the Cuyahoga River, a major infrastructure project officials say was necessary to prevent a potential collapse that could have blocked river traffic and disrupted regional commerce. Read the full story by WKYC-TV – Cleveland, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260204-cleveland-irishtown-bend
There’s some ice cover along the shallow parts of Lake Ontario this winter, but unlike Lake Erie, meteorologists predict it’s unlikely for Lake Ontario to freeze over. Read the full story by WHEC-TV – Rochester, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260204-ontario-ice
The Thousand Islands Land Trust and the Ontario Bays Initiative Land Trust are teaming up to ensure Cherry Island, in Lake Ontario’s Chaumont Bay, will remain undeveloped. They’ll also work together to protect Cherry Island’s wildlife habitat and water quality. Read the full story by WWNY-TV – Carthage, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260204-cherry-island
Unfavorable market trends, shifting trade lanes and President Trump’s trade war contributed to the nearly 15% decline in shipping. Read the full story by the Duluth News Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260204-duluth-shipping
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has opened applications for the 2026 Lighthouse Keeper Program at Tawas Point Lighthouse. Read the full story by WXYZ-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260204-tawas-lighthouse
The long-term cold spell that has settled over Michigan has quickly expanded the ice cover on the Great Lakes and other waterways, forcing vessels to adapt, creating fears of ice jams and providing leisure activities for those wanting to take advantage of the thick ice. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260202-cold-spell-ice
