The Federal Highway Administration recently designated a 70-mile stretch of highway along Lake Superior in Wisconsin as a National Scenic Byway. The designation highlights the archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational and scenic qualities offered by the roadway. Read the full story by WDIO-TV – Duluth, MN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210217-byway
Since 2018, Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative government has used unappealable special orders to allow a host of powerful developers to build in ecologically sensitive areas, bypassing the usual approval process. These ministerial zoning orders have also allowed swaths of farmland and a slice of ecologically sensitive moraine to be opened up for development. Read the full story by Canada’s National Observer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210217-doug-ford
After several days of high-water levels that have flooded homes in Michigan, St. Clair River water levels are expected to decline as ice jams blocking the flow of water are loosened and strong winds shift direction. Read the full story by The Voice News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210217-st-clair
In a news release last week, the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board expressed optimism that water levels in Lake Ontario will not cause widespread flooding this year. Read the full story by The Daily News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210217-ontario-risk
As Indiana lawmakers debate dozens of bills addressing environmental matters, tensions are flaring over whether the state should adopt greener initiatives or step back current policy affecting water, energy and other resources. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210216-indiana-regulations
The Great Lakes- St. Lawrence Seaway will officially open for the 2021 navigation season during the third week of March. Read the full story by WWTI – TV- Watertown, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210216-seaway-opening
Warming rivers due to climate change is one of the factors that is changing the ecology of Michigan’s rivers. Read the full story Michigan Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210216-climate-change
Though Michigan’s Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proposed no tax increases in her 2022 budget last week, the budget calls for increases to more than 140 fees for state government services, ranging from getting a traffic crash report from the Michigan State Police to getting a permit to develop areas designated as wetlands. Read the full story by The Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210216-michigan-budget
Years into Michigan’s PFAS contamination crisis, the state’s experience with widespread PFAS contamination has made it an early research laboratory into how the chemicals spread through the environment, and what that does to the species that live anywhere near the toxic stew. Read the full story by the Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210216-pfas
After an unusually mild January, one of Michigan’s wonders was spotted recently on Lake Superior off the north shore of the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Read the full story by The Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210216-chedoke-creek
Hamilton says it cannot vacuum up the sewage sludge coating the bottom of Chedoke Creek until at least eight months after the deadline in a provincial cleanup order. Now it’s up to the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks to decide whether to give the city more time. Read the full story by the Hamilton Spectator.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210216-chedoke-creek
Olympic speed skater Brian Hansen, an Illinois native, looks forward to the winter season every year knowing that there’s a decent chance that Lake Michigan will freeze over, and he’ll be able to skate along the freshly formed ice. Read the full story by Milwaukee Magazine.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210216-lake-michigan
Three decades after completing a study looking to understand the effects of global warming on living creatures, The University of Michigan is conducting a first-of-its-kind analysis of questions looking at relevance for human migration. Read the full story by the Bridge Magazine.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210216-climate-refuge
Residents of Bright’s Grove, Michigan have been seeing coyotes and their tracks this past week on the ice shelves of Lake Huron, between Mike Weir Park and Waterworks Road. Read the full story by The Sarnia Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210216-coyotes
The frigid weather of February has frozen more than 80% of Lake Erie, and ice fishing is in full swing. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210216-ice-fishing
Despite uncertainty about the economy, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s two-year budget proposal hits the accelerator when it comes to his H2Ohio program targeting Lake Erie algae problems and other water quality issues, proposing a combined $68 million funding increase for the program’s third and fourth years. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210216-h2ohio-funding
Regulators of Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River water levels say they are “optimistic” that weather conditions for the remainder of the winter into spring won’t cause a “damaging rise” in Lake Ontario water levels this year. Read the full story by Watertown Daily Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210215-flood-risk
Muskegon County in northern Michigan is poised to request a $5 million grant from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund to purchase a 162-acre property off the shores of Lakes Michigan. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210215-lake-michigan-park
Wisconsin prosecutors have charged three Fond du Lac County residents in a sweeping investigation into illegal bartering for sturgeon caviar around Lake Winnebago. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210215-sturgeon-caviar
Officials in Illinois and other states plan to rename Asian carps in an effort to make it more appealing to restaurants, chefs, and consumers as a seafood entrée. The invasive fish might decimate other fish species if they make it into Lake Michigan and other Great Lakes, threatening a $7 billion-a-year commercial fishing industry and a $16 billion tourism industry. Read the full story by the Chicago Sun Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210215-invasive-carp
The International Joint Commission will allow increased outflows from Lake Ontario until the lake reaches its spring peak, in a proactive move to try to prevent flooding. Read the full story by The Buffalo News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210215-increased-outflows
Estimates show Black Lake’s adult sturgeon population may have nearly doubled over the course of the last several decades, according to a fisheries biologist from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Read the full story by the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210215-sturgeon-population
A dispute between the City and the Village of Waukesha over construction permits for the water pipes that would connect the City of Waukesha to Lake Michigan has had its first day in court. Read the full story by WUWM – Milwaukee, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210215-pipeline
The Great Lakes are warming. For the coldest and largest of the lakes, Lake Superior, that could mean a lot of changes. Researchers are still sorting out what the future might be, but a lot of it doesn’t look good. Read the full story by Michigan Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210215-climate-disruption
Eye-catching blue ice has many braving Northern Michigan’s wintery weather just to catch a glimpse. Read the full story by WZZM-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210215-blue-ice
The Port of Milwaukee is one of the biggest ports in the Great Lakes and freighters like the Algoma Sault bring in salt about 200 times a year. Read the full story by the Wisconsin State Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210215-road-salt
Ice coverage across the Great Lakes rapidly expanded over the last week as frigid arctic air finally made its appearance, with Lake Erie nearly fully covered with ice. Read the full story by The Weather Channel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210212-ice-coverage
The rapid accumulation of ice in the St. Clair River has caused ice dams, flooding homes in East China Township in Michigan. The extent of ice cover has hindered U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard efforts to break up the ice. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210212-icejam
Managers in Owasco Lake in New York are deploying high-resolution water sensors to track fluctuations in water levels and monitor conditions across the Owasco watershed. Read the full story by The Citizen.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210212-owasco
Residents in Peshtigo, Wisconsin, are pushing candidates for an open Wisconsin State Assembly seat to take a supportive stance towards state regulation of PFAS chemicals. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210212-pfas-peshtigo
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy is urging water plants to check their security protocols following a breach in Florida where a hacker tried to poison municipal drinking water. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210212-water-plant-security
This weekend brings Michigan’s annual free fishing weekend. It’s an effort to promote Michigan’s world-class fishing opportunities, introduce new people to the sport, and invite those who may not have cast a line in years to return. Read the full story by WWMT-TV – Kalamazoo, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210212-fish-safe
Commercial fishing companies based along Great Lakes shorelines are facing increasing competition from real estate developers seeking to build along the waterfront. The trend threatens fishing companies that rely on access to the lakes for operations. Read the full story by North Country Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210212-fish-waterfront
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation released its two-year progress report on Great Lakes restoration efforts, noting significant progress on actions to improve water quality and shoreline restoration in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Read the full story by the Watertown Daily Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210212-nydec
Ice coverage on the Great Lakes has been low after a relatively mild winter, but with the arctic air that has moved into Michigan over the last few days, it has more than doubled on all of the Great Lakes. Read the full story by WXYZ -TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210211-ice-coverage
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) reminds potential grant applicants that pre-proposals for the 2021 Sustain Our Great Lakes (SOGL) grants are due Feb. 16. Read the full story by The Chronicle Express.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210211-sustain-great-lakes
Ice volcanoes have formed along Lake Michigan after two winter storms in recent days brought frigid subzero temperatures to some areas. Read the full story by NBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210211-ice-volcanoes
Three projects by water and drainage agencies in Michigan’s Oakland and Wayne counties together expect to eliminate about 48 million gallons of stormwater mixed with sewage that otherwise makes it, untreated, into the Rouge River and beyond to Lake Erie. Read the full story by The Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210211-rouge-river
The Village of Waukesha, Wisconsin has filed a lawsuit against the city that aims to shut down construction of the water diversion project within its village limits. The hearing will take place on February 11 in Waukesha County Circuit Court. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Independent.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210211-waukesha
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy halted a portion of the demolition process due to concerns about dust coming from the demolition of a baghouse at the plant, EGLE officials said. Read the full story by The Mining Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210211-power-plant
The spiny water flea has been latching onto fishing equipment, traveling the Great Lakes for decades, but now they are being transported to some of the most pristine waters in the Upper Midwest. Read the full story by Outdoor Life Magazine.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210211-spiny-water-flea
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under President Joe Biden has yanked back the health assessment of a notable “forever chemical,” alleging the document was compromised by “political interference” in the final days of the Trump administration. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210211-pfas
Twenty-six people fishing on Lake Superior were rescued when an ice floe broke away from the Minnesota shoreline, stranding them in frigid weather. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210211-anglers-rescued
Indiana moved to protect seven remaining inland lakes with cisco; Illinois backs re-establishing them in southern Lake Michigan. Read the full story by the Chicago Sun Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210211-cisco
As issues with shoreline erosion on Lake Huron continue to plague Bluewater, Michigan residents along the lakeshore, councillors agreed to defer a decision on a policy to allow residents to install shoreline protections on municipal properties. Read the full story by the Shoreline Beacon.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210211-erosion-protection
The Edsel & Eleanor Ford House, Great Lakes Commission and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are embarking on a project that will restore disappearing wildlife habitats along a stretch of Lake St. Clair. Read the full story by Grosse Pointe News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210210-ford-cove
The first Europeans in Wisconsin documented how the Menominee people would use spears to catch sturgeon in Lake Winnebago. It’s a tradition that’s carried on today, not for sustenance, but for sport in the annual sturgeon spearing season. Read the full story by the Green Bay Press Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210210-sturgeon-menominee
With multiple days of below freezing temperatures, Lake Erie ice coverage has increased to nearly 50% since this weekend. With arctic air staying in the forecast, we will most likely see near 70% ice concentration on the lake by Valentine’s Day, helping shut off the lake effect snow machine. Read the full story by WOIO-TV – Cleveland, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210210-frozen
Workers in Sarnia, Ontario, are raising concerns about the job losses that could occur if a U.S. governor’s plan to shut down an Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline succeeds. Read the full story by The Canadian Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210210-line5
An ice bridge forming in Lake Huron is providing hope for southern St. Clair County communities impacted by flooding. Read the full story by the Port Huron Times Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210210-ice-bridge
