The federal government built lighthouses to protect life and property at risk on stormy seas and their survival requires urgent congressional action. Read the full story by the Kenosha News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210106-lighthouses
All the Great Lakes saw water levels drop in 2020. Lakes Michigan, Huron and Superior all saw the water level drop 6″ during the year, Lake Erie fell one inch, but the biggest drop was on Lake Ontario, with a year-to-year drop of 14″. Read the full story by WOOD-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210106-water-level
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) had granted a wetlands permit to the company for the mine. The Coalition to SAVE the Menominee River, Inc., objected to the decision in a contested case, citing incomplete identification of wetland impacts. Read the full story by WBAY – TV – Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210105-michigan-wetland-mining
Sand Point, was modified in the early 1990s with the placement of a large rock rubble-mound revetment to protect against erosion on Sand Point Road and the historic U.S. Coast Guard Station / Lakeshore Headquarters. The National Park Service has completed several analyses and conceptual designs to assess how best to modify the revetment and allow the site to restore to its natural condition. Read the full story by WLUC – TV – Munising, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210105-michigan-national-lakeshore-restoration
Although federal Endangered Species Act protections for wolves ended on Jan. 4, Minnesota laws have and will continue to protect wolves and ensure the responsible stewardship of this important wildlife species. Minnesota has the largest wolf population in the lower 48 states and is home to an estimated 2,700 wolves across nearly 40,000 square miles of northern and central Minnesota. Read the full story by Lake Superior News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210105-minnesota-wolf-esa
Anglers can look forward to positive results from fish stocking that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conducted in 2020, despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the full story by Lake Superior News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210105-minnesota-dnr-fish
Concern over rollback in regulations for environmental protection in Ontario rises as conservation authorities have less capability for enforcement of conservation practices and protection. Read the full story by Simcoe Reformer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210105-ontario-conservation
Moving the coal piles from their current location could give the city and county 45 acres of riverfront property in the heart of the Green Bay area to redevelop. The effort to move the coal piles up the river could also present an opportunity to expand Port of Green Bay shipping operations. Read the full story by the Green Bay Press Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210105-wisconsin-coal-shipping
The biennial Water Resources Development Act authorizes spending $9.9 billion for 46 new flood control, harbor, ecosystem and lock and dam projects on waterways across the nation and authorizes the study of 24 more projects. Read the full story by Agrinews.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210105-federal-mapping
The legislation prioritizes and updates federal maps used to respond to emergencies and protect habitats, species and structures along the Great Lakes that are most likely to be impacted by a potential oil spill or other major disaster. The last time some of these maps were updated was back in the late 1980s and early 1990s. View the full story by NPR News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210105-federal-mapping
The STORM Act establishes loans that local governments could access to help mitigate the impact of rising water levels, coastal erosion and other damage caused by natural disasters in a more cost-effective way. Studies have shown that resilience and mitigation spending saves taxpayers more than $6 for every dollar invested. Read the full story by WLNS – TV – Lansing, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210105-shoreline-erosion
Cargo shipments within the Great Lakes are down compared to 2019, but some shipping companies are beginning to see a small increase in demand. Read the full story by Michigan Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210104-shipping
The sucker, a freshwater fish species dubbed the “wildebeest of the Great Lakes” due to their similar long-range migration patterns, begins an annual exodus every spring from the waters of the Great Lakes into tributary rivers and creeks to spawn. Read the full story by WTTW – TV – Chicago, IL.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210104-sucker-fish
The EPA recently announced the completion of a $6.6 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Project in Muskegon, as well as the completion of a $2.9 million project on the Detroit Riverwalk. Read the full story by WXMI-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210104-muskegon
Construction on FishPass, a selective two-way fish-sorting system slated to replace the Union Street Dam in Traverse City, Michigan, could start in mid-January. Read the full story by the Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210104-fishpass
The International Lake Superior Board of Control reports that the level of Lake Superior dropped 4.7 inches in December, more than the average 3.2-inch December decline. Read the full story by the Duluth News Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210104-superior-levels
Three years after an emergency caribou airlift to isolated islands on Lake Superior, there are still concerns about the future of the world’s southernmost caribou herd. Read the full story by CBC.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210104-superior-caribou
The S.S. Badger, a coal-fired ferry that carries people and cars across Lake Michigan between Michigan and Wisconsin, has been sold. Read the full story by the Wisconsin State Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210104-ss-badger
With help from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources acquired Chinook salmon eggs to be used to stock Lake Michigan. Read the full story by The Times of Northwest Indiana.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210104-salmon-stocking
The Rouse Simmons, also known as the “Christmas Tree Ship”, disappeared one cold November day. It is now a shipwreck at the bottom of Lake Michigan just off Rawley point in Wisconsin, about 160 feet underwater, after many years as a mysterious disappearance. Read the full story by WBND-TV – South Bend, IN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210104-christmas-ship
Chesterfield Township, Michigan is in the midst of making its own little portion of the planet a better place for fish, waterfowl and families, via shoreline restoration at Brandenburg Park. Read the full story by The Voice.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201224-brandenburg-park
Seiche events and early spring weather events have affected the year class strength of northern pike in Lake Erie. Read the full story by GreatLakesNow.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201224-pike
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is restricting international cargo at one Michigan port. Other Great Lakes ports don’t face the same restrictions. Read the full story by Michigan Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201224-port-monroe
Allen County, Ohio is getting ready to embark on a new drainage project to improve the water quality in the Lake Erie and Maumee River watershed. Read the full story by WLOK-TV- Lima, Ohio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201224-allen-county
With the Earth on track to finish out another year among the warmest on record and the impact of climate change mounting around the globe, advocates around the Great Lakes are looking ahead to what a new administration could mean for the Midwest, the region containing one of the world’s largest freshwater sources. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201224-climate-change
The Minnesota Invasive Species Advisory Council (MISAC) bestowed Carol Mortensen Invasive Species Management Awards at their virtual Upper Midwest Invasive Species Conference in November. Read the full story by the Herald Review.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201224-ais
The Michigan state government has expanded its PFAS guidelines to set groundwater cleanup criteria for another five chemicals. Read the full story by WLNS – TV – Lansing, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201224-pfas
Help could be on the way for shoreline property owners after a bipartisan bill this month passed the Senate. Read the full story by the Huron County View.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201224-shoreline-grants
The City of Port Huron, Michigan is offering space along the Black River to the Naval Sea Cadet Ship Grayfox this winter. The ship has docked there in the past for events in the city and is still seeking a more permanent home. Read the full story by the Times Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201224-black-river
Facts matter, and they help people reach informed conclusions about issues that impact their lives. In this light, we want to correct the misinformation included in a recent opinion piece from State Rep. Rachel Hood. Read the full story by the Traverse City Record Eagle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201224-line5
Nine harbor maintenance and improvement projects are receiving grants from the state, including four in Northeast Wisconsin. Gov, Tony Evers announced that more than $6 million is being invested in waterfronts around the state to boost statewide economic development. Read the full story by WLUK-TV Green Bay.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201224-wisconsin-harbor
When the canal flowing between two Upper Peninsula college towns froze last week, it wasn’t unusual. But that ice is also typically covered by a deep snow in this northernmost section of Michigan’s mainland. However, there was no snow on the canal’s surface when it froze last week, creating a glassy surface just begging for skates. People in both towns were surprised – and delighted to oblige. Read the full story by CBC Canada.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201223-canal
Conservation authorities are warning of possible flooding along Lake Erie due to strong winds in the forecast. Flood watches were declared by two conservation authorities in Southwestern Ontario on Wednesday. Read the full story by CBC Canada.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201223-flood
Climate change is having a widespread effect on lakes across the Northern Hemisphere, a new study has found. The lakes most at risk are those that are deep, as it’s more difficult for them to form ice, particularly the Great Lakes. Read the full story by CBC Canada.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201223-climate
Saving our Great Lakes means tackling multiple threats and problems from multiple angles. Partnerships form the basis of the solutions advocates seek. Read the full story by WLS-TV – Chicago, IL.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201223-partnerships
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said she’s confident the state will be able to provide rural residents in the Upper Peninsula with energy if Enbridge’s Line 5 operations are stopped in the spring. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201223-nessel
Our rollercoaster weather pattern for the next few days has sparked Gale Warnings over Lake Huron, Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, with some of these warnings lasting into Thursday. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201223-gale
Great Lakes Divers and Great Lakes, Great Responsibility hosted an inaugural holiday cleanup dive on Tuesday, called the Santa Splash to Pick Up Trash. Divers and beach walkers met at Rockport State Recreation Area north of Alpena, Michigan for an afternoon of diving in and cleaning up. Read the full story by The Alpena News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201223-garbage
Operation Taconite is the Coast Guard’s largest domestic ice-breaking operation. It encompasses Lake Superior, the St. Mary’s River, the Straits of Mackinac, Georgian Bay and all of Lake Michigan. Read the full story by WNMU-Sault Ste. Marie, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201223-taconite
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District, and its contractor, Dean Marine & Excavating, Inc., are scheduled to resume repairs of the Rochester (NY) harbor in the spring of 2021, repairing about 600 feet of the roughly 1,000-foot degraded section. Read the full story by Dvids.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201222-usace-harbor-repair
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will reimplement a lake trout bag limit and season for Lake Michigan beginning Jan. 1, 2021. The new bag limit and season will mirror previous lake trout regulations. The open season will now run from Mar. 1 to Oct. 31 with a new daily bag limit of two lake trout. Read the full story by Antigo Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201222-trout-wisconsin-fish
A Franklin County judge on Monday blocked the collection and distribution of the House Bill 6 nuclear bailout fee, which Ohio ratepayers were scheduled to start paying next month. Read the full story by Cleveland.com.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201222-ohio-nuclear-fee
A federal judge promised Monday she will hear from all Flint residents with something to say about a proposed $600-million-plus payment to partially settle claims arising from the 2014 lead poisoning of the city’s drinking water supply — even if it requires a court hearing that stretches over several days. Read the full story by Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201222-flint-water-settlement
The Michigan Clean Marina Program is pleased to announce eight Michigan marinas have been named as Certified Clean Marinas. Each has been certified for three-year terms through 2023. Additionally, seven marinas have been Recertified as Michigan Clean Marinas. Read the full story by The Daily Mining Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201222-clean-marina-michigan
Great Lakes Towing christened two of its new ice-breaking tugboats at its own shipyard in Cleveland, Ohio on December 16th, signaling its newbuilding campaign had passed the halfway mark. Pennsylvania is the fourth of a series of 10 tugboats Great Lakes is building to replace its ageing fleet. Wisconsin, fifth in this series, was also christened during a virtual ceremony hosted from the shipyard. Read the full story by Riviera.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201222-shipping-tugboat
Arctic grayling have been absent from Michigan since the 1930s, but in 2016 the Michigan Arctic Grayling Initiative started the process to bring them back and hit a crucial milestone this fall when they were transferred to Marquette State Fish Hatchery. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201222-arctic-grayling-fish
The Trump administration’s delisting of the gray wolf is being met with criticism by wildlife conservation groups, some of which plan to challenge the decision through lawsuits against the Interior Department to prevent the removal of Endangered Species Act protections. Read the full story by Capital News Service.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201222-wolves-wildlife
After a series of intense storms over the past few years, Duluth’s Lakewalk is being rebuilt to protect the shoreline and the real estate behind it against rising lake waters, and against the more intense and frequent storms fueled by climate change. View and listen to the full story by MPR News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201222-duluth-harbor-erosion
The 2020 Water Resources Development Act will be enacted as part of the omnibus appropriations legislation, and authorizes projects and programs led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to study, design, and construct water transportation and infrastructure projects including the restoration and maintenance of wetlands and watersheds critically important to birds and the flood resilience of communities. Read the full story by Audubon.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201222-water-restoration-wetland
Ten months after being approved in U.S. House with heavy bipartisan support, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act has passed the Senate and is headed for President Donald Trump’s desk. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20201221-glri
