The failure of two mid-Michigan dams called attention to the safety of many others around the state, many of which experts said were aging and needed expensive maintenance to avoid catastrophic failures. Read the full story by WWMT – TV – Kalamazoo, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200521/dam+failure
Lake Michigan water levels have continued at record highs this spring and with no sign of dropping anytime soon, lakeshore residents are taking expensive steps to protect their land. Read the full story by WLUK – TV – Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200521/water+levels
The cool spring weather has slowed down the reproduction cycle of bait fish in Lake Erie, causing a shortage of minnows. Read the full story by WNWO – TV – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200520-erie-minnows
Water levels on Lake Michigan and other Great Lakes set a record for April, but that was no surprise to residents up and down whose homes and property flooded last weekend. Read the full story by Green Bay Press-Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200520-lake-levels
Funded by the H2Ohio initiative, a grant will turn an 18-acre property in Ohio into a recreational wetland, acting as a natural filter for nutrients from drained water of local farms before the water reaches Lake Erie. Read the full story by WTOL – TV – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200520-wetland-h2o
The third straight wettest May on record is sending a message: Every town and suburb in the Chicago region needs to do a better job of teaming up to prevent flooding. Read the full story by Chicago Sun Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200520-chicago-flooding
Rapidly rising water overtook dams and forced the evacuation of about 10,000 people in central Michigan, where the governor said one downtown could be under 9 feet of water by Wednesday morning after a catastrophic dam failure caused by aging infrastructure. Read the full story by The Washington Post.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200520-dams-flooding
The U.S. Senate committee that oversees water infrastructure projects approved legislation authorizing $18 billion for projects and included a provision that the federal share of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project to stop Asian carp at Brandon Road Lock and Dam in the Chicago waterways system be increased from 65 percent to 75 percent. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200520-asian-carp-plan
A manufacturer of firefighting foam says the majority of more than 250 drinking water wells it’s tested in Marinette County, Wisconsin, turned up no trace of toxic chemicals known as PFAS; state regulators say it’s too early to tell the scope of PFAS contamination within drinking water in the area. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200520-pfas-wisconsin
U.S. EPA’s temporary policy regarding enforcement of environmental legal obligations during the COVID-19 outbreak has received sharp criticism as a step-back from the EPA-established enforceable limit for daily loads of phosphates and runoff published a month ago. Read the full story by Cleveland Scene.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200520-epa-algae-bloom
As Midland County, Michigan, grapples with flooding that collapsed one dam and overtopped another, plus evacuations of people and businesses, Dow Inc. officials have implemented the chemical company’s flood preparedness plan. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200520-dam-failure
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel condemned the Navigable Waters Protection Rule as a replacement of the 2015 Waters of the United States rule, stating that the change would result in reduced protection under the Clean Water Act for many wetlands and smaller streams. Read the full story by WNEM – TV – Saginaw, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200520-clean-water-act-michigan
The marbled crayfish, which reproduces by cloning, has been added to Michigan’s prohibited species list. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200519-marbled-crayfish-prohibited
Due to intense rainfall and rising water levels, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago reversed the flow of the Chicago River into Lake Michigan at both the Wilmette Pumping Station and downtown’s Controlling Works. Read the full story by WTTW-TV – Chicago, IL.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200519-river-reversal
Aiming to return Minnesota’s river systems back to their original, untamed state, the Department of Natural Resources has for several years now been chipping away at older dams and other obstructions and replacing them with rock arch rapids. Read the full story by the Detroit Lakes Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200519-dam-removal
A major utility’s plan to close five Indiana coal ash ponds at a power plant along Lake Michigan and move coal ash to a landfill has sparked concerns from environmental activists about how the dust kicked up by that project will be controlled. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200519-coal-ash-removal
A team of Michigan State University researchers hopes Detroit sewage will hold clues about the trajectory of COVID-19. The group has been sampling sewage as it arrives at a Great Lakes Water Authority water treatment plant. Read the full story by Michigan Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200519-detroit-wastewater
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says there are more people out fishing this year compared to last year. The increase may be due to the ability to practice social distancing when fishing. Read the full story by the WLAX-TV – La Crosse, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200519-wisconsin-fishing
Routine quarterly testing of municipal water in Portage, Michigan, conducted by the state, turned up a low level of chemical contamination in one of the city’s wells. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200519-portage-pfas
In Munising, Michigan, Pictured Rocks Cruises’ scenic shoreline tours will kick off on June 15, a little later than usual this summer on account of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200519-pictured-rocks-cruise
The Iron Ore Heritage Trail, a 47-mile, multi-use trail through Marquette County, Michigan, received state and local funding pledges to support restoration efforts. Read the full story by WBUP-TV – Marquette, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200519-heritage-trail
Condos and cottages aren’t the only victims of high lake levels and erosion. It’s also been a rough 2020 for Illinois Beach State Park, as northeast as you can get in Illinois. Read the full story by WBEZ-Chicago, IL.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200518-erosion
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ decision in early April to suspend out-of-state fishing licenses, coupled with stay-at-home orders, essentially shut down the fishing charter business during what should have been a busy and profitable month. Read the full story by the Sandusky Register.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200518-charter-fishing
Boat sales are up in Ohio and across the country, as Americans search for socially distant fun amid the threat of the coronavirus. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200518-boat-sales
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s H2Ohio program appears to be coming through the coronavirus pandemic relatively unscathed, despite a recent announcement by the governor that $775 million must be cut from state spending over the next two months. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200518-H2Ohio
The Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation is launching the second year of its Summer Coastal Webinar Series this Wednesday. The webinar series will cover topics like invasive species, species at risk, lake levels, coastal processes. Read the full story by the Blackburn News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200518-webinars
Every few years or so, pieces of the Jennie & Annie shipwreck make an appearance on the Lake Michigan shoreline near Empire, Michigan. Pieces of the schooner have been making their slow but steady way down the coast from her resting place off Sleeping Bear Point for nearly 150 years. Read the full story by the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200518-shipwreck
Michigan’s commercial fishing is critical infrastructure during the pandemic, yet some of its practitioners may not survive COVID-19. Read the full story by the Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200518-Commercial-fishing
May typically marks the start of the season for cruise vacations on the Great Lakes, a burgeoning segment of the market that was shaping up to have a banner year in 2020. Read the full story by the Greater Milwaukee Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200518-Cruise
Two days of rain overwhelmed Chicago’s underground labyrinth of sewers Friday, forcing a noxious mix of sewage and stormwater into local waterways and Lake Michigan. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200518-Deep-Tunnel
As Great Lakes communities begin easing up on physical distancing, a group of scientists is peering into the bowels of our cities and towns for signs of potential flare-ups. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200518-wastewater
Great Lakes water levels are shattering high records and the experts agree there is rather little that can be done to change that — the environment is almost entirely in control. Read the full story by the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200518-water-levels
Park rangers with the Indiana Dunes National Park Service in Northwest Indiana are working hard to connect people with nature, virtually. They have recorded a series of videos, which can be found on the Facebook page and website. Read the full story by The Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200515-virtual-hikes
A letter this week signed by Minnesota’s St. Louis County’s four rural-most commissioners is calling for immediate action to address solid-waste leachate discharged into Lake Superior. The local authority, meanwhile, the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District, defended itself, saying there was no basis for the outburst of concern. Read the full story by the Duluth News Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200515-landfill-discharge
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy announced that it has proposed to deny Macomb County’s application to modify its discharge permit to allow for an open-air sewage structure off Lake St. Clair. Read the full story by WDIV-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200515-water-sewage-storage
Scientists from the University of Toledo, Bowling Green State University, Ohio State University, and the University of Akron are splitting another $2.08 million in state higher education grants announced Thursday for harmful algal bloom research. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200515-algae-research-grant
Shrinking Michigan beaches and the need for social distancing are making it difficult for people to safely visit beaches across the state. Read the full story by the Bridge Magazine.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200515-beachgoers
The Mayor of Port Clinton, OH asked the City Council for authorization of a project that is solely focused on burying the exposed cable at the city beach and encasing it in concrete. That project is estimated to cost a total of just under $100,000. Read the full story by the Port Clinton News Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200515-port-clinton-beach
Scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are forecasting a relatively small harmful algal bloom in western Lake Erie this year, one that will be smaller than last year’s. Read the full story by the Sandusky Register.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200515-algal-bloom-smaller
Approximately 55,000 cubic yards of sand are being removed from the mouth of the Grand River channel and deposited into the Grand Haven State Park Beach in west Michigan, to help replace lost sand. Read the full story by the Grand Haven Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200515-river-dredging
With restrictions slowly being lifted, tourism leaders are hopeful since most of Ohio’s tourism industry traditionally picks up after Memorial Day. Read the full story by WTOL-TV – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200515-lake-erie-toursim-industry
Lake Erie set a new monthly mean water level during April based on records dating back more than 100 years. Read the full story by The Monroe News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200515-lake-erie-water-record
In Erie, Pennsylvania, a multimillion-dollar dose of relief and protection is coming to East Dobbins Landing’s shoreline. Construction has begun on a new $2.65 million dock wall along the edge of Presque Isle Bay. Read the full story by the Erie Times-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200514-portauthority
Sobering new research out of New York’s Rochester Institute of Technology is deepening our understanding of the extent of Lake Erie plastic pollution. Read the full story by the Erie Times-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200514-lakeerieplastic
As Lake Michigan’s waves relentlessly pound sea walls in Ogden Dunes, Indiana, emergency repairs have begun. Now the question is how the town can pay for all the work. Read the full story by The Times of Northwest Indiana.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200514-ogdendunes
Ohio’s Department of Natural Resources asked residents to help take a census of bald eagle nests in the state — the first such eagle census since 2012. The results: Ohio is now home to more than 700 eagle nests, up from 281 in 2012, and just four nesting pairs in 1979. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200514-savetheeagles
In Duluth, Minnesota, city parks and beaches could look a bit different this summer due to new guidelines to prevent disease transmission as well as drastic cuts to maintenance staff. Read the full story by the Star Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200514-duluthparks
As if shoreline erosion wasn’t enough, communities and property owners on Lake Michigan are now dealing with another problem due to record high water levels — trash. Up and down the lake, large amounts of it are washing up on shore. Read the full story by Interlochen Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200514-debris
Since February, 161 residential and business wells in Emmet County, Michigan, have been sampled for PFAS contamination. 14 of the wells have been found with PFAS contamination above the 70 parts per trillion that is allowed by the Environmental Protection Agency. Read the full story by WPBN-TV – Traverse City, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200514-pellston
After nearly two months of reduced access, restrictions and outright closures, thousands of national, state, provincial and municipal parks, boating ramps, wildlife areas and other outdoor recreation areas are making their return from COVID-19. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200514-recreation
