Sewage spills that repeatedly fouled the Boardman River and kept swimmers out of the water at several Traverse City beaches have city leaders looking for solutions to Traverse City’s system of old sewage pipes that let groundwater seep in tandem with high lake levels and downpours. Read the full story by Record-Eagle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-traverse-city-sewage
The vessel has been on a three-week journey through the Gulf of Mexico, around Florida, and up the Atlantic seaboard from the Gulf Island Shipyards in Houma, Louisiana, where it was constructed; the SEAWAY GUARDIAN will be the first new American-built tugboat to join the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation since the Seaway opened 61 years ago. Read the full story by Lake Superior News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-seaway-tugboat
The Ontario Government will not be charging resource-based tourism operations for certain licences and land use fees, as well as refunding revenue received for 2020, in an effort to encourage people to get outside and support businesses that rely on outdoor activities. Read the full story by Lake Superior News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-ontario-tourism
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) removed 18 invasive carp from the Little Sioux River watershed near the Iowa border in southwestern Minnesota July 8 during a capture operation; preemptive actions to install and monitor an electric barrier prevented these invasive carp from expanding into other waters. Read the full story by Montevideo American-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-carp-minnesota
Lake Huron is five degrees warmer than average for this time of year, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association’s (NOAA) Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, suggesting consequences for fish communities as temperature fluctuations may affect their spawning. Read the full story by The Sault Star.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-huron-temp
The Dunkirk, New York Common Council is expected to announce its opposition to the construction of wind turbine farms on city-owned property along Lake Erie; the Council’s resolution comes days after Concerned Citizens For Rural Preservation came out with a statement that over the weekend that noted turbines pose “tremendous risks’ to the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Observer Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-wind-erie
U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced more than $12 million grant to help clean the Maumee River and Great Lakes, and another $400,000 to the City of Toledo for a Trash Free Water program. Read and view the full story by WTVG-TV – Toledo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-toledo-funding
A dry spring in Lake Erie’s western basin watershed will likely help keep the annual harmful algal bloom in check this summer and early autumn; the bloom’s biomass is expected to rank 4.5 on a scale of 10 in terms of severity, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, smaller than the 2019 bloom which was a 7.3. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200721-algal-bloom
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources sought a written pledge from Enbridge Inc. to cover costs that would arise if oil were to leak from its dual pipelines that extend across a channel linking two of the Great Lakes. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200720-enbridge-to-pledge-spill-funds
U.S. Army Corp of Engineers’ contractors will no longer dump Toledo Harbor dredging silt in Lake Erie to protect the fish and wildlife habitat. Read the full story by the Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200720-dredge-silt
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has suspended its tagging program of salmon and trout raised at state hatcheries around Lake Michigan due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, no fisheries personnel will be collecting tags or other information from fish caught and registered at traditional fishing tournaments. Read the full story by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200720-fish-tag-collection
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler will visit Ohio this week to announce details about their Trash-Free Great Lakes Grant Program that will provide $2 million to clean up the Great Lakes. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200720-lake-erie-clean-up
The Soo Locks will be receiving $123 million for the ongoing construction of the new deep-water navigational lock as approved by the U.S. House Appropriations Committee. Read the full story by The Sault News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200720-soo-locks-construction
High water levels and the resulting shoreline erosion are turning waterfront dream homes into a nightmare for Michigan residents. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200720-michigan-water-levels
The hot stretch of weather, combined with light winds and sunshine, have warmed Lake Ontario to record water temperatures and Lake Erie to near record temperatures. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200720-record-water-temperature
Stand Up for Great Lakes is a three-man quest to paddle the Chain of Lakes Water Trail in Michigan and raise awareness for environmental issues, as well as the water trail itself. Read the full story by WPBN-TV – Traverse City, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200720-stand-up-paddling
Great Lakes shipping remains a mostly stable sector of the economy despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200720-shipping
Test results from samples taken from Ramsey Lake in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, have confirmed the presence of blue-green algae. Read the full story by CTV News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200720-algae-in-ramsey-lake
Satellite images show the summer algal bloom in western Lake Erie expanding out from Maumee Bay along the Michigan shoreline and into the open waters of Lake Erie. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200717-habs-expanding
The Nuclear Waste Management Organization in Ontario has proposed a new nuclear waste disposal site near a previously rejected site on the shores of Lake Huron. Read the full story by the Voice News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200717-nuclear-threat
The Ohio Power Siting Board’s unanimous decision to place requirements for protecting birds on the proposed offshore wind sets the right precedent for wind projects on the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200717-protect-the-birds
As high lake levels continue to erode shoreline along Lake Michigan, the state of Michigan is granting permits to homeowners to install armored shoreline features to protect their property. However, scientists warn that hard shoreline barriers interrupt the Great Lakes’ natural processes in ways that will worsen erosion over time. Read the full story by Bridge Magazine.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200717-seawalls
As temperatures rise in the Great Lakes and conditions become more ideal for harmful algal blooms on the lakes, scientists expect to see increased bloom occurrences and greater toxicity. Read the full story by the Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200717-temps
Some shoreline communities in Michigan are using an engineered solution known as “beach renourishment” for temporary relief from shoreline erosion. Read the full story by Bridge Magazine.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200717-sand-renourishment
Two reports created by New York state agencies recommending further studies of offshore wind on Lake Ontario and Lake Erie were met with concern by groups that oppose wind energy on the Great Lakes. Read the full story by the Niagara Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200717-ontario-shores
Officials at Presque Isle State Park in Erie, Pennsylvania, closed several beaches after spotting an algal bloom along the shoreline. Read the full story by the Erie Times-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200717-presque-isle
A resolution passed by the Michigan House of Representatives opposing a nuclear waste disposal site in Ontario near Lake Huron has yet to be heard by the Michigan Senate. The bill is part of an ongoing effort by Michigan and U.S. elected officials to oppose the proposed site in Canada. Read the full story by the Iosco County News-Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200717-michigan-bill-nuclear
The U.S. House of Representatives passed new legislation pledging to share 80 percent of the cost for a project to prevent invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes. Read the full story by WKBD-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200717-house-bill-carp
The transportation and infrastructure committee of the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed legislation to build a system to prevent invasive carp from penetrating the Brandon Road Lock and Dam in Illinois and entering the Great Lakes. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200716-carp-barrier
In Fairport Harbor, Ohio, the Fairport Harbor Lighthouse has been hit hard by the pandemic since fewer tours are going through and volunteers aren’t able to staff the building. To help soften the blow, the Fairport Harbor Creamery has been asking patrons if they’d like to donate $1.00 when they make a purchase. Read the full story by WEWS-TV- Cleveland, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200716-Fairport-Harbor
Low dissolved oxygen levels in Port Colborne, Ontario has caused a fish kill and some fish have been seen gulping for air at the water’s surface. Water flow and temperature are two parameters that can affect the dissolved oxygen concentration. Read the full story by the Welland Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200716-gulping-fish
Each summer since the 2014 Toledo water crisis that poisoned the metro system’s tap water for nearly three days, the city’s Collins Park Water Treatment plant has fortified its defenses against algal toxins in western Lake Erie that endanger public health this time of year. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200716-water-plant
Spending the night on Kellys Isand, the largest U.S. island in Lake Erie, is a nice quiet way to experience Lake Erie. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200716-Kelleys-island
The city of Flint announced it has collected 163 water samples as part of a massive effort to test water quality. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200716-flint-samples
While they may please beachgoers, this month’s warmer temperatures in the Great Lakes have scientists concerned about an early spawn of algal blooms and how the heated lakes could affect aquatic life. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200716-algal-bloom
Oswego, New York is considering an end to the Oswego Yacht Club’s occupation of the International Pier as part of a larger effort to improve the waterfront and create a publicly accessible and attractive jetty that complements the improvements at Wright’s Landing Marina and Breitbeck Park. Read the full story by Oswego County News Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200716-yacht-club
Federal forecasters, hydrologists and university experts were expecting the Great Lakes 1986 high water level record to be replaced this summer, but Lake Huron and Lake Michigan don’t appear ready to break the big annual record this year thanks to recent drier-than-expected weather across the region. Read the full story by The Herald-Palladium.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200716-water-levels
Major restoration and rehabilitation of the historic Cleveland Dock Fishing Access Site in Cleveland is complete and the site is now open to the public after improvements were made for fishing access through restoration and stabilization. Read the full story by Oneida Daily Dispatch.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200715-cleveland-dock-restoration
Michigan says a company that runs a dam near Comstock must try to contain sediment that’s pouring into the Kalamazoo River, in violation of environmental regulations. Silt has been streaming out of Morrow Lake since Eagle Creek Renewable Energy lowered the reservoir last year to make repairs on Morrow Dam. Read the full story by WMUK – Kalamazoo, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200715-morrow-dam
Put-in-Bay, a popular tourist destination on Lake Erie, is seeing more COVID-19 cases linked to the town; after large-scale testing over the weekend, 66 people from the Put-in-Bay area have tested positive. Read the full story by Sandusky Register.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200715-covid-bay-tourism
Pennsylvania and Indiana led the return to camping in mid-May, and other states and provinces soon followed suit; the cascade of reopenings through the month of June has been followed by a flood of campers excited to get back outdoors. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200715-reopenings-outdoor
Wayne State University researcher partnered with Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research to test the ability of native water mites’ potential to control mosquitoes in two Detroit parks. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200715-mosquitoes-mites-control
Property owners in eastern Ontario are calling on their local and provincial governments for help handling an invasion of gypsy moth caterpillars; the red-and-blue-speckled caterpillars are an invasive species that can completely defoliate a tree, causing long-term damage. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200715-gypsy-moth-invasive
A ceremonial ribbon cutting was held Tuesday morning, marking the completion of a $6.2 million reconfiguration of Niagara Falls State Park’s welcome plaza improving mobility for pedestrians and access for vehicles making the park more mutually visible. Read the full story by NPR.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200715-niagara-falls-plaza
Thirty-three years ago, water levels on Lake Michigan and Lake Huron reached their highest point at 582.35 feet above sea level. The two lakes don’t appear ready to break the big annual record this year thanks to recent drier-than-expected weather across the region. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200715-water-levels
Officials in Canada are investigating the head-on collision between two cargo ships in Ontario’s Welland Canal on Saturday. Read the full story by GCaptain.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200714-ship-collision
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) has crafted a new plan to address double-crested cormorant conflicts. Read the full story by the Manistee News Advocate.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200714-cormorant-management
A renewed focus on water quality emerged out of the 2014 drinking water crisis in Toledo, Ohio, leading to the creation of Smart Lake Erie. The project, led by the nonprofit Cleveland Water Alliance (CWA) and various partners, has echoes of the Jefferson Project at Lake George in New York. Read the full story by SmartCitiesDive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200714-smart-lakes
Multiple environmental groups say a Canadian energy firm hasn’t provided enough information for state regulators to decide whether to grant waterway and wetlands permits for a proposed pipeline relocation project in northern Wisconsin. Read and listen to the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200714-pipeline+relocation
The Cleveland-Cliffs Foundation has donated $10,000 to Phastar Corp. for the marine safety program that works with students from Davis Aerospace and Maritime High School in Cleveland, Ohio. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200714-Cleveland-marine-safety
