Mild temperatures this winter delayed the start of ice fishing season for much of northern Michigan, but hardening ice has anglers ready to break out their shanties and ice augers. Read the full story by the Manistee News Advocate.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210111-ice-fishing-season
Point Pelee National Park on the shores of Lake Erie in Ontario is closed for two weeks for an annual white-tailed deer cull with Indigenous partners to control the hyperabundant species. Read the full story by the National Parks Traveler.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210111-point-pelee
When the city’s pools closed this spring because of the COVID-19 pandemic, an Ontario resident took to Lake Ontario to swim — and he hasn’t stopped during the winter months. Read the full story by the Toronto Sun.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210111-lake-ontario-swimmer
A company that owns the Au Train Hydroelectric dam in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula recently released a statement about why it is attempting to transfer ownership to state jurisdiction and what can be expected with that transfer. Read the full story by WLUC-TV – Au Train, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210111-dam-license
Outdoorspeople have a lot to hope for in 2021 including the distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine and plans that are moving forward for Great Lakes fisheries management. Read the full story by The Buffalo News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210111-outdoors-in-2021
The Toronto Zoo has teamed up with the Coastal Centre and Green Goderich to provide a free educational webinar on aquatic species at risk in the Great Lakes on Monday, January 18. Read the full story by the Blackburn News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210111-great-lakes-webinar
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has signed an agreement with the State of Illinois to begin early work on an $858 million project to prevent the spread of Asian carp into the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210108-asian-carp-agreement
The increased popularity of winter angling in the past decade or more is placing unprecedented pressure on some of Minnesota’s most productive walleye lakes, among them Upper Red, Lake of the Woods and Mille Lacs. Read the full story by the Star Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210108-winter-angling
Wisconsin’s longest-running bald eagle watching extravaganza is going virtual for 2021, with programming available throughout January and February. Read the full story by Wausau Pilot & Review.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210108-eagle-watching
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in northern Michigan is seeking public input on a restoration project for Sand Point. Read the full story by WJMN-TV – Munising, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210108-restoration-project
As the shipping season on the Welland Canal that connects lakes Ontario and Erie winds down, the icebreaking season kicks off on the Great Lakes, says the Canadian Coast Guard. Read the full story by the Welland Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210108-icebreaking
The USACE selected Camp Perry on the shores of Lake Erie as a test site for a project which focuses on locating and mapping old military munitions – including some that could still be live. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210108-lake-erie-munitions-study
The federal appropriations bill for the 2021 fiscal year, signed into law this week, included $26.5 million to test for lead in schools and child care centers, a nod to the legacy of the Flint water crisis, which lifted the issue of lead in drinking water into the national spotlight. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210108-lead-in-schools
Among the most talked about proposals in New York State’s Trout Stream Management Plan is the creation of a statewide, catch-and-release, artificial-lures-only trout fishing season from Oct. 16 to March 31. Read the full story by New York Upstate.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210108-ny-trout-fishing
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources calls winter the “unsung hero of seasons,” and encourages people to try out winter camping at select state parks and recreation areas. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210108-winter-camping
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Wednesday signed into law a bill to put in place a structure to monitor and coordinate various programs designed to fight toxic algal growth in Lake Erie and problems in other Ohio waters. Read the full story by the Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210107-lake-erie-bill
Residents from Peshtigo, Wisconsin, have reached a $17.5 million settlement with Tyco Fire products and two other companies over widespread PFAS contamination to compensate residents to exposure to PFAS stemming from the use of firefighting foam in the area. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210107-peshtigo
The Canadian Coast Guard’s annual icebreaking season on the Great Lakes, which provides assistance to the shipping industry, is underway. Working in partnership with the United States Coast Guard (USCG) District 9, the Canadian Coast Guard has two icebreakers assigned to the Great Lakes for the entire winter season. Read the full story by Marine Log.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210107-ccg
An Ohio Department of Natural Resources program encourages farmers to take cropland out of production and establish conservation practices by offering farmers payments of $2,000 per acre for their actions. Read the full story by The Beacon.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210107-crep
For decades, researchers have been trying to bring back the arctic grayling to Michigan without success. Now, more than 50 collaborators think bringing back the arctic grayling has a shot at success. Read the full story by WUOM – Ann Arbor, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210107-first-nation-water
The 378-passenger ship is scheduled to debut in early 2022 and will spend its maiden season sailing itineraries to Antarctica and North America’s Great Lakes region. The ship will be followed by a sister, Viking Polaris, which will debut in summer 2022 and will offer voyages to the Arctic and Antarctic. Read the full story by Cruise Critic.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210107-cruise
The 2020 Duluth-Superior grain shipping season ended with the saltie Federal Oshima departing on Dec. 18 after loading at Duluth’s Riverland Ag facility. Its cargo included 26,070 short tons of North American spring wheat bound for Italy. Read the full story by Progressive Farmer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210107-duluth-harbor
The Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority reported the water levels in Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair remain will remain above average through January, and continue to cause flooding, erosion, and shoreline damage. Read the full story by CTV News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210107-le-water-levels
All five of the Great Lakes closed out 2020 at lower levels than they were a year ago. But according to new projections from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the upper lakes are still expected to remain high in 2021. Read the full story by Interlochen Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210107-lakemichigan-levels
The Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Source Protection Committee (SPC) in Ontario released a video that highlights how marine industries in Goderich, Ontario, help to protect the Great Lakes drinking water source in Goderich. Read the full story by the Goderich Signal-Star.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210106-arctic-grayling
For decades, researchers have been trying to bring back the arctic grayling to Michigan without success. Now, more than 50 collaborators think bringing back the arctic grayling has a shot at success. Read the full story by WUOM – Ann Arbor, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210106-arctic-grayling
Ohio Sea Grant, The Ohio State University and The University of Toledo are requesting pre-proposals for one- to two-year research projects from Ohio colleges and universities as part of the Ohio Department of Higher Education’s Harmful Algal Bloom Research Initiative. Read the full story by The Bryan Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210106-algal-bloom-research
A northern Michigan Native American community is refusing to assist Enbridge on a cultural resource survey of the Straits of Mackinac. Read the full story by WPBN-TV – Traverse City, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210106-michigan-tribe
The Adopt-A-Nest Osprey Monitoring Program enables citizen scientist volunteers to monitor osprey nests in their area. This marked the third phase of the osprey reintroduction program in Michigan. Read the full story by The News-Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210106-osprey
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act has been signed into law, delivering a “major increase” in funding for the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Niagara Frontier Publications.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210106-glri
Generous donors are helping the Lake Superior Research Institute and the University of Wisconsin Superior inch closer to making a floating classroom a reality. Read the full story by KQDS-TV – Duluth, MN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210106-floating-classroom
The endangered piping plovers have chosen a sliver of Montrose Beach as their yearly nesting ground. The space should be added to the nearby dunes natural area, conservationists say. Read the full story by Block Club Chicago.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210106-piping-plovers
The few commercial fishing businesses that remain in Michigan are suing the state’s Department of Natural Resources over changes to industry rules, stating that the new provisions will make commercial fishing all but impossible. Read the full story by WKAR – East Lansing, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210106-commercial-fishing
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
