The potential solutions to address longtime flooding and erosion issues along a problematic 120-kilometre stretch of Lake Erie shoreline in Chatham-Kent, Ontario, could top $217 million, but no commitments have been made. Read the full story by The Chatham Daily News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200428-lake-erie-erosion
A “sheen” spotted on Lake Michigan off Washington Park in Indiana is likely gasoline that spilled from a small boat, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Read the full story by The La Porte County Herald-Argus.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200428-lake-michigan-sheen
A big storm can overwhelm the combined sewage and stormwater runoff treatment facilities of many Great Lakes cities. When that happens, untreated water ends up in the lakes. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200428-single-sewer-system
One month ago, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it would ease up on enforcing some of the more routine procedural violations of pollution laws. But the Chicago-based Environmental Policy & Law Center said it has crunched data and documented declines in enforcement of Clean Water Act violations across the Great Lakes region for several years now. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200428-epa-enforcement
Victory Cruise Lines, the predominant operator in the Great Lakes cruise market, has canceled more than half its sailings this summer, and pulled one of its ships from the region. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200428-great-lakes-cruising
The number of bald eagle nests in Ohio has skyrocketed 151% over the last eight years, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Read the full story by The Daily Standard.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200428-eagle-numbers-up
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced a change that removes the legal foundation for regulations on mercury and other toxins emitted from coal- and oil-fired power plants. The change, some experts worry, might set a precedent for rolling back pollution standards that have improved air quality in the Great Lakes area. Read the full story by the Indy Star.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200428-mercury-standards
The Valley Camp, a historic ship docked in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, has been swaying back and forth due to water levels and ship traffic. It the first movement of the freighter in 50 years. Read the full story by The Sault News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200428-freighters-and-high-water
Remains of a shipwreck were discovered in Ludington, Michigan after high water revealed the wreckage buried on the beach north of the city. The wreckage is a hull fragment from a wooden vessel. Read the full story by Up North Live.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200427-shipwreck
Nearly halfway into a 10-year pledge to combat the toxic algae that turns Lake Erie a ghastly shade of green, Ohio has made little progress. The governor has authorized an ambitious plan that this year will begin offering farmers financial incentives to adopt new agriculture practices and will create a network of wetlands to capture and filter runoff from fields. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200427-algae
The practice of holding Chinook salmon in holding pens in the Great Lakes began in the St. Joseph River, which feeds Lake Michigan. It is now widely accepted as a great way to reduce predation on the valuable salmon stocks not only in the Great Lakes but also on the West Coast. Read the full story by The Buffalo News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200427-pen
Six years after the City of Flint switched its water source to the Flint River, ultimately beginning the Flint Water Crisis, the city is still struggling to address critical infrastructure needs, one of which is a secondary or back-up water source. Read the full story by WWMT-TV – Flint, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200427-flint
In Minnesota, only 8% of all lakes have a verified aquatic invasive species (AIS). And officials say the math shows that efforts to slow the spread of AIS are in fact working. Read the full story by the Post Bulletin.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200427-ais
Erosion along Lake Michigan is pitting neighbor against neighbor in Indiana. While some want to build barriers to protect their property along the lake, others want to block those efforts. Read the full story by WFYI-TV – Indianapolis, IN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200427-erosion
146,400 chinook salmon were poured into the Milwaukee river last week as a part of a yearly stocking event. The purpose of this event is to enhance fishing opportunities for anglers in the area. Read and view the full story by WTMJ-TV – Milwaukee, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200427-salmon
Trout season opened across most of Ontario on Saturday, but the owner and co-host of a Canadian fishing TV show is urging anglers in southern Ontario to reconsider casting their lines. With many public boat launches closed, there is concern that limited riverbanks will be busy and anglers won’t be able to maintain physical distance. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200427-fishing
In some Great Lakes cities, a single system of pipes may transport sewage as well as stormwater runoff. That system is sufficient on most days, but a big storm can overwhelm a treatment plant’s capacity. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200427-cso
In 2019 Republican Mike DeWine got the Ohio General Assembly to fund an unprecedented, statewide commitment to water quality branded under the moniker H2Ohio. Now, because of costs associated with the coronavirus pandemic, it’s in limbo. Read the full story by the Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200427-h2ohio
In a case described as the “clean water case of the century,” the Supreme Court ruled that the Clean Water Act applies to pollutants reaching legally protected waters indirectly through groundwater. Read the full story by The New York Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200424-scotus-cwa
Coal was once the primary commodity shipped from the Port of Duluth-Superior, but coal shipping has declined as the demand for coal has dropped throughout the Great Lakes region. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200424-energy-port
Shipping season on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway opened on April 1, so the Windsor Port Authority issued a message Wednesday that it remains fully open for business and fulfilling its vital role during ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Read the full story by Windsor Star.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200424-climate-change
Concerns about possible exposure to the coronavirus through aerosolized wastewater have prompted some treatment facilities in Michigan to ask state regulators to relax some routine testing requirements until the potential danger passes. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200424-sewage
The city of Green Bay, Wisconsin, distributed thousands of sandbags to residents at risk of flood damage as the Fox River and Lake Michigan reach record-high water levels. Read the full story by WBAY–TV – Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200424-green-bay
City officials in South Haven, Michigan, say repairs to their marina due to historically high water levels are more expensive than expected, but necessary to protect critical infrastructure. Read the full story by WKZO – Kalamazoo, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200424-south-haven
The Ohio Lake Erie Commission has approved its 2020 Lake Erie Protection and Restoration Plan to address priorities including nutrient pollution reduction, invasive species, and habitat restoration. Read the full story by WNVO–TV – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200424-ohio-lake-erie-commission
Lake Ontario’s water level is below record levels observed last year, but remains above average levels, thanks primarily to favorable weather conditions this spring. Read the full story by WWNY–TV – Watertown, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200424-lake-ontario
Shipping season on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway opened on April 1, so the Windsor Port Authority issued a message Wednesday that it remains fully open for business and fulfilling its vital role during ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Read the full story by Windsor Star.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200423-port-authority
In Illinois, Indiana and the four other Midwest states surrounding the Great Lakes, the number of water pollution cases filed by the EPA has declined during each of the past three years, according to a new analysis of agency records by the nonprofit Environmental Law and Policy Center. Read the full story by Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200423-epa-enforcement
In Indiana, five communities have made emergency declarations due damages related to erosion, this concern is also due in part that it could also drive tourists away; millions visit Indiana’s lakeshore every year, contributing more than $350 million to the local economy annually. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200423-shorelines
A lack of protective ice cover on Lake Erie this winter plus historic high-water levels has led to changing priorities in Pennsylvania’s Presque Isle from bolstering beach and swimming areas to instead making sure that infrastructure is safe. Read the full story by Erie Times News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200423-erosion-presque
The 40th annual Cleveland Race Week, the largest sailing regatta on Lake Erie and one of the largest in the country, has been postponed from June to August because of the coronavirus. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200423-race-regatta
The Michigan Department of Transportation is set to begin a $3.2 million project to move US-2 away from the Lake Michigan shoreline. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200423-sinkholes
During a virtual meeting on Wednesday, the Michigan Public Service Commission voted to seek public comment on Enbridge’s most recent request, which asks the state to either approve its plan to site the pipeline or rule that the company already has approval. Read the full story by Bridge Magazine.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200423-line5
For many people in the Midwest, Lake Michigan is a great source of pride and identity. Even though the lake has a critical impact on us, we fail to recognize the uncertainty of Lake Michigan’s future by not addressing or accepting the reality of climate change. Read the full story by Marquette Wire.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200423-home-lakes
American Steamship Co. with more than a century of transportation history in Buffalo, has become the latest victim of financial struggles prompted by the coronavirus pandemic, temporarily laying off 175 workers as it seeks to keep its operation afloat. Read the full story by The Buffalo News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200423-shipping-lakes
Water levels in Lake Erie, and the Great Lake system overall, are higher this year than they’ve been in over a century, and for people who live and work next to the water, the impacts can be significant. Read the full story by The Oberlin Review.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200423-climate-lakes
This year’s Earth Day is a special one, and not just because it’s the 50th anniversary of the event. The COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t entirely stopped festivities being organized for April 22, and numerous organizations have arranged for ways people can engage with Earth Day without compromising safety. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200422-earth-day-participation
The Environmental Protection Agency recently signed a $2.5 million agreement to clean Michigan’s Detroit River and create new habitat for wildlife. The money will be used to clean contaminated river sediments and create homes for fish and wildlife in a cove area at a park being built along Detroit’s waterfront. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200422-detroit-riverfront
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, announced recently that Lakes Michigan, Huron, St. Clair and Erie set new monthly mean water level records for March 2020, which were previously set in 1986. Read the full story by the Harbor Light.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200422-new-monthly-water-level
An MLive series explores coal-ash management in Michigan and what happens when the ash, a form of industrial waste known to contain toxins, escapes into the environment. The series also discusses how Michigan’s major utility companies plan to deal with the waste once they no longer have power plants at those locations. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200422-coal-ash-landfills
Traverse City-based nonprofit Conservation Resource Alliance (CRA) received $200,000 in Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to support Wild Roots, a mass reforestation pilot-program aimed at restoring northern Michigan’s native forests with 100,000 trees and shrubs over five years. Read the full story by The Ticker.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200422-glri-grant-award
Michigan’s Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore has announced that park officials are delaying the seasonal opening of many park facilities and services until July 1 on account of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200422-park-delays-opening
Tall waves hit Lake Michigan piers Tuesday during a gale warning. Waves ranging from 6 to 8 feet tall battered the Lake Michigan shoreline from Holland to Muskegon in Michigan. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200422-lake-michigan-gale-warning
A committee is being put together by the U.S. Coast Guard’s Ninth District headquartered in Cleveland to explore whether another vessel is needed to help with ice breaking in the Great Lakes. The process is expected to take at least a couple of years. Read the full story by Cheboygan Daily Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200422-cheboygan-ice-breaker
At a Flint, Michigan City Council committee meeting today, Flint’s mayor will ask the council to reconsider a delay in moving forward with the construction of a secondary water system. Read the full story by WSMH-TV – Flint, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200422-flint-city-council
The Joliet City Council in Illinois approved a $3.5 million engineering contract for the Lake Michigan water project even as it cuts elsewhere to prepare for a collapse in revenues due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the full story by The Herald-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200422-joliet-water-project
Normally at this time of year, the Plover Lovers would be seeking volunteers to help monitor and educate the public about the birds this spring and summer, but the volunteer program has been has been cancelled until further notice. Read the full story by Owen Sound Sun Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200421-piping-plover
The Air Force (AF) is allocating $13.5 million toward per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) remediation at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base (WAFB) in Oscoda, MI many assumed this would be used for PFAS clean up – it was learned that the AF plans to use the funds for more research and not on direct cleanup. Read the full story by Iosco County News Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200421-pfas
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) awarded $752,933 in funding to Mackinac Island Ferry Company in St. Ignace; the shipyard is one of 24 U.S. small shipyards receiving part of a $19.6 million in grants through the Small Shipyard Grant Program. Read the full story by UpNorthLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200421-shipyard
The City of Cheboygan is being considered as a stop for cruise ships touring the Great Lakes along with several other Michigan cities along the coast including Traverse City and Alpena. Read the full story by Cheboygan Daily Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20200421-cruise
