On Tuesday, June 2, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler and U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, toured Lake Michigan around St. Joseph, Michigan to view cases of shoreline erosion, pollution clean up progress and more. Read the full story by the Holland Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200605-michigan-erosion
The International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board had been deviating from the prescribed outflow levels set forth in its water management plan, Plan 2014, since last October in order to avoid a repeat of flooding along the Lake Ontario shoreline in 2019. But officials now say that thanks to higher outflows, when Lake Ontario peaked in early May it was 20 inches lower than where it peaked last year. Read the full story by WRVO – Syracuse, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200605-ontario-levels
In a webinar held June 4, the coastal stewardship coordinator for the Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation said its data suggests that 600 tonnes of microplastic enter Lake Huron annually. Read the full story by the Clinton News Record.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200605-huron-microplastic
It was a beautiful summer scene along the shores of Sandusky Bay in Ohio on Thursday… once you got past the smell. A few days before, plenty of dead fish lined the shores, with few now remaining that hadn’t been picked apart by other wildlife. Biologists say events like this are completely natural processes — especially with the specific type of fish floating up. Read the full story by WTVG – TV – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200605-dead-fish
Boaters recreating in Windsor waters are now required to stay at least 61 metres (200 feet) from the shore, according to the Windsor Port Authority. Read the full story by the Windsor Star.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200605-windsor-boating
Port of Thunder Bay experienced another strong month for grain shipments in May. More than 1.1 million metric tonnes (MT) of Canadian grain traversed the harbour, feeding strong demand for the commodity overseas. Read the full story by Lake Superior News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200605-thunder-bay
Starting June 19, the Good Fortune pirate ship will set sail for passengers to receive daily and nightly tours to Mackinac Island. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200605-pirate-ship
For decades, toxic mining waste known as stamp sands was dumped into Lake Superior along the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan. Now, these sands are drifting along the shoreline, smothering critical habitat for fish and aquatic wildlife and threatening historical fishing waters for Lake Superior’s Ojibwe tribes. Read the full story by WXPR – Rhinelander, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200604-stamp-sands
In Door County, Wisconsin, beaches are open, but people are asked to practice social distancing amid COVID-19 safety measures. However, with less space on land due to high lake levels and beach erosion, and people crowding as a possible result, some people may avoid beaches altogether. Read the full story by the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200604-door-co
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is stepping in to help the city of St. Joseph, Michigan, save their beaches. The Corps is spreading sediments dredged from St. Joseph Harbor along the beaches to offset losses from erosion. Read the full story by WSBT-TV – South Bend, IN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200604-st-joseph-harbor
Scientists at NOAA are predicting less severe harmful algal blooms on Lake Erie this year, unless there is excessive rainfall in the coming months. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200604-habs-forecast
Scientists in Michigan are investigating how the recent flooding in Midland impacted dioxin levels from the Superfund site along the Tittabawassee River, and whether areas downstream of the site may have been contaminated. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200604-dow
A research at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio received $700,000 for projects that develop new methods for removing contaminants from livestock manure and attempt to remove excess nutrients from agricultural runoff. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200604-case-western
The Ohio Power Siting Board recently approved a proposal for a six-turbine wind farm in Lake Erie that could become the first offshore freshwater wind power site in the U.S. However, the board placed several conditions on the installations that could kill the project. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200604-erie-wind
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency will hold a hearing on a key water permit for Enbridge’s proposed Line 3 oil pipeline later this summer. Environmental groups and Minnesota tribes requested a hearing over concerns the pipeline could harm wetlands and streams. The move will further delay construction of the $2.8 billion oil pipeline. Read the full story by the Brainerd Dispatch.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200604-line3
A U.S. House of Representatives committee is investigating the state and federal government’s oversight of a Midland-area dam that failed last month, and demanding answers to detailed questions about their oversight of the Edenville Dam. Read the full story by Bridge Magazine.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200604-midland
The draining of lakes in Michigan following the Edenville Dam collapse raises questions regarding ownership of the newly exposed land. The answer depends on the type of lake and the lakefront property in question. Read the full story by the Midland Daily News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200604-bottomlands
Three Michigan state senators have introduced legislation aimed at protecting major waterways and public health in Michigan by requiring state-wide risk assessments of contaminated properties along major waterways. Read the full story by WILX-TV – Lansing, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200603-waterways-public-health-bill
High water levels in the Great Lakes can not only flood low-lying areas, but can also endanger critical infrastructure, like wells and drinking water systems. Read the full story Capital News Service.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200603-high-water-threatens-wells
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will expand their environmental impact investigations to include high-capacity wells used in large farms, municipalities, and industry. Read the full story by the Wisconsin Examiner.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200603-high-capacity-wells
More details of a planned Lake Michigan park have been released by Muskegon County, Michigan, which has applied for a $10 million state grant for the project that would convert a former sand mine into a public recreation area. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200603-lake-michigan-park
U.S. Congressman Fred Upton joined E.P.A. Administrator Andrew Wheeler in Benton Harbor, Michigan, to discuss issues facing the Great Lakes. Read the full story by WDNU – St. Joseph, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200603-water-quality-meeting
Residents of Midland County, Michigan, that were impacted by the catastrophic flooding in mid-May are now left to decide if they should stay and rebuild or start over somewhere else if they can. The only sure thing is that nothing will return to exactly as it was before. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200603-flood-restoration
Two class-action lawsuits were filed against Edenville and Sanford dam owners and the state of Michigan on behalf of 19 mid-Michigan residents that sustained catastrophic damage from the dam failures. Read the full story by WEYI-TV – Midland, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200603-dam-lawsuits
The Crystal Lake and Watershed Association in Benzie County, Michigan, is still planning to treat invasive Eurasian milfoil in Crystal Lake. The herbicide treatment will be applied by boat and applicators will use a drone to help locate treatment areas. Read the full story The Laredo Morning Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200603-watermilfoil-treatment
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking the public’s input on its plan to clean up groundwater contamination at a Superfund site in Indianapolis that’s tainted with chemicals used by a dry cleaning company. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200603-superfund
The National Oceanographic Atmospheric Administration and the Bureau of Economic Analysis found the nation’s ocean and Great Lakes-dependent activities contributed about $373 billion to the overall U.S. economy in 2018. Read the full story by the Treasure Coast Palm.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200603-great-lakes-economy
In 2019, ODNR staff rediscovered four species thought to be extirpated from the state. Read the full story by Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200602-high-water-impact
Communities along the Georgian Bay find themselves uneasy as they brace for the high Lake Huron water levels. Read the full story by Barrietoday.com.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200602-high-water-impact
To help detect and guide efforts to prevent Lanternfly damages, a citizen science project called Operation Spot the Spot has been launched. Read the full story by Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200602-invasive-species
The only high-speed ferry on the Great Lakes celebrates its anniversary today. Read the full story by OnMilwaukee.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200602-lake-express
Lake Ontario water levels have gone down around 6 inches since cresting on May 5 and are expected to continue dropping through the summer, according to the International Lake Ontario St. Lawrence River Board. Read the full story by NYup.com.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200602-ontario-water-levels
Any resident, private company or public entity can operate a dam in the state of Michigan, but does that mean that the rules for dams with varied ownership follow different regulation and inspections? Read the full story by Midland Daily Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200602-dam-regulation
Removal of the Brecksville Dam, known as the Station Road Dam, the Route 82 Dam and the Canal Diversion Dam – began May 21st, much to the benefit of the public and the Cuyahoga River itself. Read the full story by Cleveland.com.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200602-cuyahoga-dam-removal
U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), co-chair of the Great Lakes Task Force, is exploring the possibility of a new federal entity to revitalize the region — a project that could mirror the scale of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for the eight states that border the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Wisconsin Examiner.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200602-great-lakes-agency
A new study on cleaning up Great Lakes pollution hotspots published in the Journal of Great Lakes Research finds that investing in pollution prevention and restoration pays off in the long run. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200602-great-lakes-pollution
The Ohio Power Sitting Board approved the installations of windmills in Lake Erie, however the requirement for the windmills to shut down at night for more of the year may make the project unfeasible. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200601-wind-energy
U.S. Steel, one of Northwest Indiana’s largest employers, signed a long-term deal to provide iron ore to Algoma Steel in Ontario, Canada. Read the full story by the Northwest Indiana Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200601-iron-ore
Nature Conservancy of Canada announced the protection of 15 hectares (38 acres) of wetland and forest on Prince Edward County’s south shore. Read the full story by Prince Edward County News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200601-wetland-protected
A fisherman caught a chain pickerel near Wolfe Island in Kingston, Ontario. The invasive fish has been in New York, but hadn’t been seen on the north side of Lake Ontario. Read the full story by Global News Canada.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200601-invasive-pickerel
With the weather warming up, Wisconsinites long for days at the beach. But how safe is it when our natural areas are so crowded? Read the full story by Milwaukee Magazine.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200601-beach-crowding
Two of Seneca Lake’s most intense harmful algal blooms of 2019 occurred in the Watkins Glen marina, only a few hundred feet away from the end of the intake pipe that supplies the town’s drinking water. Read the full story by Finger Lakes 1.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200601-algal-bloom
Lake Huron Shoreline mayors in Ontario, one who reopened municipal beaches Friday and one who is reluctant to, both share health concerns should the province decide to relax COVID-19 restrictions in this region before others. Read the full story by The Sun Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200601-shoreline-mayors
On May 27 DEC announced its Draft Fisheries Management Plan for Inland Trout Streams in NYS is now open for public comment. The comment period closes on June 25, 2020. Read the full story by Hudson Valley 360.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200601-trout-management
Canadian energy company Enbridge is advocating for a new tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac for its Line 5 pipeline. Venture capitalist Ian Bund writes that the company’s safety-focused rhetoric is not what it seems and a spill would be catastrophic for Michigan. Read the full story by Bloomberg Law.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200601-Threat
Michigan City, Indiana officials said multiple circumstances factored into the decision to make Washington Park Beach a “swim-at-your-own-risk” area, issuing a news release to clear up “misunderstandings” surrounding the lack of lifeguards on the city’s shores. Read the full story by The Northwest Indiana Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200529-lifeguards
With record high Lake Michigan levels, in the Town of Clay Banks, in Door County, Wisconsin, some areas are seeing erosion among other damages and local leaders are asking the state to help with repair. Read the full story by WLUK-TV – Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200529-erosion-michigan
Victory, which typically sails two ships in the Great Lakes during a six-month season, was scheduled to resume its itineraries in early July. Instead, the company announced this week that it wouldn’t sail this summer at all. Read the full story by Cleveland.com.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200529-cruise-greatlakes
Scientists at the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory advanced autonomous sensing with the rollout of the Real-Time Coastal Observation Network (ReCON) in 2005, and in response to the 2014 Toledo, OH algal-bloom caused water crisis additional sensors have been deployed throughout the Great Lakes system provide real-time data about episodic events such as incursions of low-oxygen water into municipal water intakes. Read the full story by The Conversation.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200529-smart-lakes
Scientists with the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Alpena, Michigan, used advanced techniques to map underwater environments that helped scientists identify the depressions as sinkholes; continuing studies are occurring to explore the diverse microbial communities and other unique properties of these formations. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200529-huron-sinkholes
