Flood risk on Lake Ontario and the upper St. Lawrence River declined from moderate to low in recent months, according to the International Joint Commission. Read the full story by WHEC-TV – Rochester, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210302-flood-risk
There have been a number of shipwrecks off the shores of Monroe County, Michigan over the centuries, but no one knows exactly how many or exactly where they lay in Lake Erie’s waters. Read the full story by the Monroe News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210302-shipwrecks
Firefighters twice released foam containing PFAS at Cherry Capital Airport in Michigan, and Traverse City will pay for the cleanup that followed. Read the full story by the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210301-pfas-traverse-city-michigan
For the Biden administration, a strong focus on Lake Erie and the Great Lakes is one way to remind us that not every issue is strictly partisan and that environmental protection can lead to justice and equity, as Cleveland has shown the country. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210301-lake-erie-environmental-protection
The growing trail movement in Western New York is on the verge of growing some more – plans are afoot for a major expansion of the Niagara River Greenway Trail along the Lake Ontario shore. Read the full story by The Buffalo News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210301-lake-ontario-trail
The sand clogging Cow Creek in Sarnia, Ontario, is not contaminated according to tested samples, so with dredging-permit approval from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, it can hopefully be dredged and moved back into Lake Huron to create beaches. Read to the full story by The Courier Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210301-ontario-dredge
Although it’s illegal in Minnesota, too many anglers still release their leftover bait into lakes and rivers. The frequency of this behavior is concerning as it carries the risk of introducing fish pathogens to popular fishing waters. Read the full story by West Central Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210301-bait-fish
Enbridge has offered lucrative deals in an attempt to win over the Ojibwe bands in Minnesota in support of a new pipeline to replace Line 3, despite increasing tensions those efforts have caused, as construction of the controversial pipeline enters its fourth month. Read the full story by Star Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210301-line-3-enbridge
As part of the DNR’s statewide PFAS-monitoring efforts to monitor fish tissue and water chemistry at select sites around the state, smelt were collected from two sites in Lake Superior in 2019 near the Apostle Islands and off Port Wing. PFAS was detected at both locations, prompting an advisory to limit meals of smelt to one per month. Read the full story by the Brainerd Dispatch.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210301-pollution-fish-pfas
Drivers in Wisconsin, Minnesota and other wintry parts of the world have for decades used their cold-weather street smarts to put a frozen twist on NASCAR. When the temperatures drop enough, ice racing leagues pop up on frozen lakes in communities across the Midwest and beyond. Read to the full story by Star Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210301-lake-superior-ice-racing
New research finds the annual dead zone in Lake Erie is being amplified by naturally occurring nutrients at the bottom of the lake, which speed up the process of oxygen depletion. Read the full story by Michigan Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210301-lake-erie-nutrient-pollution
The Wisconsin Sea Grant recently released its biennial report addressing the organization’s progress on its four pillars: healthy coastal ecosystems; sustainable fisheries and aquaculture; resilient communities and economies; and environmental literacy and workforce development. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210301-wisconsin-sea-grant
Minnesota officials announced a multi-step strategy to address PFAS contamination in the environment. Read the full story by Circle of Blue.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210226-pfas
With warmer weather in the forecast for the foreseeable future, the United States Coast Guard issued a warning on Thursday afternoon for the public to use caution when it comes to ice conditions on the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Soo Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210226-coast-guard
A new report shows one-third of all freshwater fish species globally are threatened by extinction, and the threat is just as serious in the Great Lakes as it is for the rest of the world. Read the full story by WOOD -TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210226-arctic-grayling
A new report by the Michigan Dam Safety Task Force says the state of Michigan has a lot to do to reduce the risk of future dam failures. Read the full story by Michigan Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210226-michigan-dams
The Minnesota Supreme Court has reversed an appeals court’s rejection of a critical air emissions permit for the planned PolyMet copper-nickel mine and sent the case back for further proceedings. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210226-copper-mine
Joliet, Illinois, is the latest city to give up on groundwater deep aquifers for their public water supply, voting last month to tap into Lake Michigan water provided by Chicago. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210226-joliet-water
The Maitland Valley Conservation Authority is seeking to complete a land survey for a Lake Huron shoreline hazard update in Ontario. Read the full story by the Shoreline Beacon.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210226-mvca-mapping
University of Windsor researchers have received a grant of more than $1 million to collect data and lay the groundwork for establishing an early-warning system to protect water treatment systems in Southwestern Ontario from harmful algal blooms. Read the full story by the Windsor Star.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210226-habs-funding
Waukegan’s $9 million renovation of its century-old water plant, which almost doubled its output capacity, was recently recognized as one of the top projects of 2020 by a multistate professional organization. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210226-water-plant
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of National Marine Sanctuaries will consider the Lake Erie Quadrangle for national marine sanctuary designation until Feb. 22, 2026, according to a news release issued Thursday. Read the full story by Lake Erie News Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210226-erie-designation
Two guys decided to have a little fun on Lake Superior Wednesday. Video captured up the North Shore past Brighton Beach of two guys in their wet suits hopping from ice chunk to ice chunk. Read the full story by KQDS-TV- Duluth, MN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210225-superior-ice-chunks
Three Wisconsin roads have received new National Scenic Byway designations from the Federal Highway Administration, cementing them as some of the state’s best places for scenic drives. The Wisconsin Lake Superior Scenic Byway and Door County Coastal Byway have both been declared National Scenic Byways. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210225-wisconsin-routes
The National Park Service is proceeding with plans to rehabilitate seawalls at Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial after determining the work will have no significant environmental impact. Read the full story by the Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210225-memorial-seawalls
Due to westerly winds and above-freezing temperatures, ice has been breaking away from Lake Michigan. On Monday, WGN’s tower camera on top of the Hancock Center captured ice floes breaking away from the shore. Read the full story by KXAN-TV- Chicago, IL.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210225-ice-breaking
Historic Fishtown, one of northwest Lower Michigan’s scenic gems, is highlighted in a new video advertisement for Carhartt and Guinness. The two brands collaborated for a St. Patrick’s Day-themed piece that highlights hard work, a wintry northern Michigan vibe and St. Patrick’s Day. Read the full story by the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210225-fishtown
Cleanup on the Kalamazoo River is about to begin after a repair project on the Morrow Dam allowed sediment to wash miles downstream. Survey crews were working along the river on Wednesday and the project could start as soon as this weekend. Read the full story by WOOD-TV- Kalamazoo, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210225-river-sediment
Although several local, regional and Great Lakes-centric walleye plans exist, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has drafted the first statewide walleye plan focused on inland waters — and is asking the public’s help in finalizing it. Read the full story by the Iron Mountain Daily News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210225-walleye-plan
Legislation to simplify seawall permitting during high water periods on the Great Lakes and codify the state’s authority to regulate beach structures set off conflicts between Republicans who are upset the bill no longer allow property owners to install erosion protections without getting a permit. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210223-thunder-bay
An old amusement park in Ohio will see new life as a public park and wetland as it is repurposed to help reduce algal blooms from Chippewa Lake, Ohio’s largest glacial lake. The project is supported by the H2Ohio initiative. Read the full story by the Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210224-ohio-amusement-park
American shipping companies operating the U.S. Great Lakes fleet will invest nearly $87 million at shipyards and facilities across the region this year, according to new figures released by the Lake Carriers’ Association. Annual maintenance work to the U.S. “laker” vessels allows ships that are 40 and 50 years old, or even older, to continue to sail the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Lake Superior News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210224-laker-upgrades
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency wants to change the rules on water quality to increase the agency’s flexibility in classifying water quality as degraded. The rule changes are supported by numerous industry groups but have been opposed by environmental and tribal stakeholders. Read the full story by MinnPost.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210224-mn-wq-rules
The Nature Conservancy began work on an ecosystem restoration project in Ohio. The 280-acre Sandhill Crane Wetlands project will restore a portion of the historic Irwin Wet Prairie, which played a role in naturally treating nutrient runoff into nearby streams which led to Lake Erie. Read the full story by WTOL-TV — Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210224-sandhill-crane-wetland
Canadian federal investments to upgrade water infrastructure in First Nation communities do not require that engineers consider and mitigate climate change-related risks, risking infrastructure failures during extreme weather that would limit indigenous communities’ access to safe drinking water. Read the full story by Canada’s National Observer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210224-1st-nations-water
Restored pine logs from Michigan’s 19th century logging boom were recovered from the bottom of Muskegon Lake and are now being turned into high-end electric guitars used by rock stars like the Rolling Stones and Aerosmith. Read the full story by WZZM-TV — Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210224-rock-on-muskegon
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers is looking to boost state funds to address and monitor PFAS contamination across Wisconsin in his budget, targeting so-called “forever chemicals” that have been found in all five of Madison’s lakes. Read the full story by The Capital Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210224-pfas-wisc
Ice coverage on Lake Superior means that fishermen must adapt their fishing methods and use snowmobiles to reach their fishing nets set out on the frozen lake. Read the full story by the Daily Mail.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210224-snowmobile-fishing
The shipyard in Thunder Bay was purchased in 2017 and became part of the Heddle trajectory of growth from Hamilton, Newfoundland, Thunder Bay and then Port Weller in St. Catherine, opening what Ted Kirkpatrick, Heddle’s director of business, called a “good fit.” Read the full story by the Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210223-thunder-bay
With diving the warmer waters of international tropical destinations off the table this year and Humber Bay now the only water not frozen over, this is where Mark has been heading for weekly dives. And he figures he might as well help with some trash clean-up while he’s down there. Read the full story by blogTO.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210223-toronto
When the sun came out Sunday and there was a hint of temperatures above freezing, people returned to Presque Isle State park to venture onto frozen Presque Isle Bay or explore wave dunes along the lake. Read the full story by Pittsburgh Magazine.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210223-presque-isle
There was a big drop in Great Lakes ice extent on Monday. The Great Lakes as a whole dropped from 42.9% to 34.6%. This was mainly due to brisk winds breaking up the ice and we may have seen our greatest ice extent this winter. Read the full story by WOOD-TV- Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210223-ice-break-up
Just over a year ago, the now-famous English Bulldog named ‘Tuff’ fell through the ice, but was saved thanks to the South Milwaukee Fire Department. Following Tuff’s rescue, the fire department launched a fundraiser to purchase water rescue equipment and to make a donation to the K9 for Warriors organization. Read the full story by WTMJ-TV- Milwaukee, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210223-fire-department
The recent cold spell has meant ice fishing at more lakes in Michigan. Some anglers go after a tiny fish called smelt in the cold water. In the past, people went after them during spawning runs using dip nets. But smelt populations have crashed. Read the full story by the Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210223-smelt-population
Anglers and researchers are noticing a number of changes on inland lakes in the upper Midwest. Sometimes you can’t catch the fish you always found in your favorite lake in the past. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210223-ice-fishing
The Lake Huron shore is currently lined with inviting mountains of ice and snow, but residents should never attempt to climb on them, warns Sarnia Deputy Fire Chief. The hills may appear solid but they aren’t. Read the full story by The Sarnia Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210223-shore-ice
In 2014 and 2015 the Apostle Islands Ice Caves drew thousands of people to the icy shores of Lake Superior. However, despite the recent cold snap, the National Park Service says the lake ice isn’t stable enough to allow people to view the ice caves. Opportunities to view the ice caves from frozen Lake Superior are becoming rarer. Read the full story by WXPR-Rhinelander, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210223-apostle-island
Officials say they believe they’re getting closer to the next phase of groundwater contamination testing at Pellston Regional Airport in Pellston Michigan. Once completed, the testing will help experts understand the level of danger to Pellston residents and necessary strategies to mitigate the problem. Read the full story by the Cheboygan Daily Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210223-pfas
Some residents in southwestern Michigan and the Detroit area will get plumbing repairs in their homes as part of Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s “Water Leak Pilot” program, which is a new initiative to reduce water waste. Read the full story by the Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210223-water-waste
Erie County in Pennsylvania is renewing its efforts to have the waters of Lake Erie classified as a national marine sanctuary, a designation that would protect 76.6 miles of shoreline, 759 square miles of the lake’s central basin, and more than 100 shipwreck sites. Read the full story by the Erie Times-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210222-erie-sanctuary
