The U.S. National Ice Center begins tracking and forecasting ice coverage across the Great Lakes, usually in mid-November. The Center provides that information to the coast guards to inform their ice breaking plan to facilitate the flow of commerce across the lakes and to ensure safety. Read the full story by WTVG-TV – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260114-ice-forecasts
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and New York Sea Grant announced $200,000 in funding to support work that follows New York’s Great Lakes Action Agenda, with a focus on ecosystem-based solutions to local challenges. Read the full story by FingerLakes1.com, Inc.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260114-ecosystem-grants
A new study documents a fivefold increase in shoreline armoring along Lake Michigan’s eastern coast from 2014 to 2021. Rising water levels and increased wave activity prompted many coastal communities to install seawalls, rock revetments and other protective structures, the study said. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260114-shoreline-armoring
Western New York’s tourism industry is set to receive a significant boost as American Cruise Lines announced a new 14-day cruise route from Buffalo, New York, to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, launching this May. The cruise will travel through the Great Lakes with stops in several cities and remote islands along the Canadian border. Read the full story by WKBW-TV – Buffalo, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260114-buffalo-cruise
According to officials with the Lake Carriers Association, the year-end total for the iron ore trade decreased by 12.8 percent to 43.4 million tons. Read the full story by KQDS-TV – Duluth, MN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260114-iron-ore
The St. Lawrence Seaway has closed for the season at the latest date in its history since opening in 1959. The seaway is set to reopen around March 22. Read the full story by WWNY-TV – Carthage, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260114-seaway-closing
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has released the 2026 sturgeon spearing regulations, outlining season dates, harvest caps, and licensing requirements. The sturgeon spearing season will open February 14 and run for up to 16 days, or until any harvest cap is met. Read the full story by WFRV-TV – Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260114-sturgeon-regulations
Senators Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Jon Husted’s (R-Ohio) bipartisan bill to restore funding to the USGS Great Lakes Science Center and support the facility for another five years has been signed into law. Read the full story by the Keweenaw Report.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260114-fisheries-legislation
The seasonal decline in the Great Lakes’ water levels is in full force. Here’s how your favorite Great Lake is reacting to the colder, less moisture time of year. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260112-water-level-declines
Maintenance season for Niagara’s canal bridges will soon be upon us as the Welland Canal closes to ship traffic as of midnight on January 10. Read the full story by Niagara on the Lake.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260112-welland-canal-closed
A tinned fish business launched in 2024 in Michigan has expanded to over 150 stores in its first year and sources exclusively from the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Grand Rapids Magazine.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260112-tinned-fish-business
Reports have surfaced in recent months of a not-so-jolly buccaneer working Lake Michigan’s Caribbean-clear waters just north of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is after the sole right to use the Lake Michigan beach behind his home and yard. Read the full story by the Wausau Pilot & Review.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260112-shoreline-access
Seaway teams are diligently working with system partners to manage challenging ice conditions and safely process the remaining ships focusing on navigating the Montreal-Lake Ontario corridor, which has been severely affected by ice. Read the full story by WTEM – Elmira, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260112-ice-clearing
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel spoke with Captain Rhianna Macon, commander of U.S. Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan, about what inspired her to join the Coast Guard, what her job entails, how she thinks Hawaii and the Great Lakes are similar. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260112-new-commander
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the amount of sea lamprey in the Great Lakes surged because treatments were limited. Since then, regular treatment efforts have resumed and the number of invasive sea lamprey in the Great Lakes has gone down. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260112-lamprey-decline
Lake Erie’s Mouse Island once belonged to President Rutherford B. Hayes. Following several decades of private ownership, it’s in search of a new owner. Read the full story by WTOL – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260112-erie-island
Bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Gary Peters and Jon Husted to enhance Great Lakes fishery research and management efforts has been signed into law. The act reauthorizes funding for the U.S. Geological Survey’s Great Lakes Science Center for another five years. Read the full story by The Alpena News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260109-fisheries-law-signed
There are massive ships stuck in the St. Lawrence Seaway. Ice is building up around the locks between Lake Ontario and Montreal, making it difficult to impossible for ships to get through. The severe winter weather has indefinitely delayed the end of the Seaway’s navigation season, originally set to close on January 5th. Read the full story by North Country Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260109-stlawrence-ships-stuck
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer is appealing a federal court decision in a lawsuit over the pipeline that runs through the Straits of Mackinac. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260109-line5-appeal
Warmer winters are reshaping Wisconsin’s ice season, impacting fish populations in the Great Lakes. Read the full story by WLUK-TV – Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260109-fish-changes
Ontario has approved a plan to expand Toronto’s electricity transmission line with an estimated $1.5-billion project to build a new underwater transmission line to deliver energy from the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station to Toronto. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260109-ontario-transmission
This past fall, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources stocked more than 600,000 fish across Michigan while wrapping up 2025 operations that put more than 19 million fingerlings in state waters. Read the full story by the Lansing State Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260109-mi-fish-stocking
A proposed Ohio Environmental Protection Agency permit would allow data centers to release wastewater into Ohio’s lakes and streams. If approved, a five-year permit would allow certain data centers to release water used to cool down their technology and water from air compressor condensation and boiler blowdowns back into the state’s freshwater resources with some limitations. Read the full story by 614 Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260109-ohio-datacenters-wastewater
Like frozen lily pads, Michigan’s Great Lakes and inland water bodies, can form what’s known as “pancake ice” under the right frosty conditions. Read the full story by Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260109-pancake-ice
Large sheets and chunks of ice moved down the Niagara River along Fort Erie’s waterfront this week after work on the Lake Erie-Niagara River ice boom was delayed by severe weather in late December. Read the full story by Fort Erie Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260109-ice-boom
In Ann Arbor, Michigan, a street experienced a strange phenomenon when a mysterious foamy substance was spilling out of a storm sewer, which the city revealed is caused by the seed pods of the local honey locust trees. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260109-mystery-foam
Findings from a long-running project have already shown high levels of PFAS in nestling bald eagles across Wisconsin. Now researchers have found a decline in antibody levels among eaglets with high PFAS levels. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250107-high-pfas-wisconsin-eaglets
New research and state analysis are reframing Michigan’s groundwater as one interconnected system, large enough to rival a Great Lake. Read the full story by The Sun Times News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250107-michigan-scientists-sixth-great-lake
The Ohio EPA is considering a new statewide permit that would let data centers discharge certain wastewater into Ohio waterways. The new permit would create a one-stop statewide approval process for data centers that discharge wastewater. Read the full story by WFMJ-TV – Youngstown, Ohio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250107-advocates-voice-concerns-wastewater-plans-datacenters
A new documentary highlights collaborative efforts to restore lake sturgeon in the Saginaw Bay watershed, where the species has been reduced to less than 1 % of its historic numbers. Read the full story by Midland Daily News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250107-sturgeon-comeback-saginawbay
A 22-foot vessel built in Manitowaning, Ontario, has been utilizing cutting-edge civilian underwater drones to discover secrets hidden in the depths of the Great Lakes. Read the full story by The Manitoulin Expositor.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250107-manitoulin-built-vessel-explores-great-lakes-depths
While ice is starting to close in on the Great Lakes, the Soo Locks will remain open until January 15, or until commercial traffic comes to an end. Read the full story by Lansing State Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250107-ice-starts-great-lakes-soo-locks-closing-soon
Recent sightings of the latest class of captive-reared Great Lakes piping plovers on their wintering grounds in Georgia highlight ongoing recovery and tracking work for this small shorebird species, which nests on sandy Great Lakes beaches in summer. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250107-piping-plovers-boys-of-summer-georgia-islands
Powerboat racing is set to return to Sheboygan, Wisconsin, in summer 2026 as part of the city’s ongoing hosting of high-speed offshore racing events, continuing a tradition that draws competitors and fans for exciting summer weekends on the water. Read the full story by Sheboygan Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250107-powerboat-racing-sheboygan-august
Michigan’s aging water infrastructure — much of it over 50 years old and underfunded — faces increasing pressure to support growing demand from new data centers while also addressing wastewater, drinking water, and stormwater challenges. The state is seeking more investment and planning to upgrade systems and manage capacity amid public concern and climate‑related stresses. Read the full story by Michigan Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250107-michigan-aging-water-infrastructure-demand-data-centers
New guided tours aboard the historic S.S. Badger will give visitors a behind‑the‑scenes look at areas like the ship’s engine room and pilot house, offering insights into how the last coal‑fired passenger steamship in the U.S. operates. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250107-ss-badger-new-guided-tours
Winter may have come early for the Great Lakes this year, but neither the U.S. nor the Canadian coast guard can keep traffic moving through the ice. Frozen waters are currently impacting commercial traffic between ports across the Great Lakes in places like Toledo, Sandusky, and even ports in Michigan and Minnesota. Read the full story by WTOL-TV – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250106-frozen-waters
The U.S. Coast Guard has started its winter task of keeping newly formed ice from hindering commercial vessel traffic on the Great Lakes. Overall, the ice formation for winter 2025-26 is trending at about average for the region. Read the full story by CBS News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250106-ice-breaking
The number of invasive sea lamprey in the Great Lakes has gone down after regular control and treatment efforts resumed. Lamprey surveys show their numbers have returned to pre-pandemic levels. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250106-lamprey-control
As of Sunday afternoon, 13 vessels had yet to pass through the St. Lawrence Seaway’s final lock near Montreal, Québec. The seaway closes Monday. Read the full story by the Duluth News Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250106-ice-delays
Federal regulators have officially revoked the operating license for the troubled Au Train Dam in Au Train, Michigan, citing the owner’s long-running failure to address safety problems and maintain control of the site. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250106-dam-license
Will the Black Lake lake sturgeon fishing season again set a time record in 2026? We’ll find out February 7 when the season begins — and most likely also ends. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250106-sturgeon-season
Detroit’s Gordie Howe International Bridge is set to change the way people cross the Detroit River. For the first time in decades, residents will be able to walk or bike, in addition to driving, into Canada. Read the full story by Bridge Detroit.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250106-international-bridge
Dozens of swimmers took to Lake Michigan in Ogden Dunes, Indiana, as part of an unofficial New Year’s Day polar plunge. The air temperature was 20 while the water temperature was about 35 as swimmers defied the weather to take a brief dip. Read the full story by the Post-Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250106-polar-plunge
Thanks to a perfect mix of wind, waves, and freezing temperatures, Mother Nature has been busy sculpting some incredible ice formations along the Lake Erie shoreline near Cleveland, Ohio. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250106-cleveland-ice
Attorney General Dana Nessel filed an amicus brief to strike down EPA standards that don’t require existing ships on the Great Lakes to install treatment systems for ballast water discharge. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250102-ballast-water
A bomb cyclone winter storm brought wind gusts over 50 mph to much of Michigan and those winds pushed water out of western Lake Erie in a massive way exposing the lake bottom and leading to all sorts of odd discoveries. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250102-erie-seiche
Gale force winds producing waves not seen since the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975 are hitting the Great Lakes. Giant waves in some parts of Lake Superior were more dangerous than ocean waves. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250102-risky-waves
The Great Lakes are roughly “on schedule” for their ice season and researchers have begun to track lake ice percentages daily. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250102-great-lakes-ice
From data centers, coal plants and solar arrays to petroleum pipelines and aging dams, energy-related decisions next year could shape Michigan’s environment for decades to come. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250102-michigans-future
