The Ontario government is delivering on its plan to protect Ontario communities by investing $3.1 million in Ducks Unlimited Canada to support 15 projects that will restore and enhance 136 acres of wetlands across the Lake Ontario watershed. Read the full story by Today’s Northumberland.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260624-wetland-restoration
The Great Lakes District will deploy autonomous drones to support Coast Guard missions on the Great Lakes from May to October 2026. The drones are wind- and solar-powered vessels the Coast Guard will use to monitor the Great Lakes, gather critical weather data for emergency response planning, track illicit activity and keep maritime borders safe. Read the full story by Homeland Security Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260624-coast-guard-drones
Self-sustaining populations of invasive bloody red shrimp were found in Lake Superior’s Duluth-Superior Harbor. Scientists don’t know what impact, if any, the shrimp will have on native species. Read the full story by The Minnesota Star Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260624-bloody-red-shrimp-invasion
The FishPass project along the Boardman-Ottaway River near downtown Traverse City, Michigan is now entering its final phase of public features construction including building pedestrian pathways, an outdoor pavilion, and a research and education building. Read the full story by Spectrum News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260624-fishpass-update
Illinois’ Yorkville City Council recently voted to increase water rates by about $10 starting this July to help fund the city’s transition to Lake Michigan water. Read the full story by WSPY-Yorkville, IL.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260624-water-rate-change
Lake County, Ohio, will once again highlight its lakeshore with the return of the Lake Erie Sand Sculpture Tour next month. The second annual tour will feature two artists creating five sculptures across five local lakefront parks. Read the full story by The News-Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260624-erie-sand-sculptures
A decades-long Ohio tradition continued as anglers took to Lake Erie for the 46th annual Governor’s Fish Ohio Day. About 20 boats launched off the coast, giving anglers the chance to experience one of Ohio’s most popular outdoor activities while highlighting the importance of the state’s fish population. Read the full story by WTOL-TV – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260624-fish-ohio-day
In 2025, Michigan Department of Natural Resources fisheries management units completed more than 350 fisheries surveys across the state. These surveys help track inland fisheries populations, evaluate stocking efforts, increase fishing opportunities and address public concerns, all of which are critical to effectively managing the state’s diverse fisheries. Read the full story by the Huron Daily Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260624-fisheries-surveys
The Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program at Central Michigan University is beginning its fourth basinwide monitoring round this year under a new six-year, $12 million cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260622-wetland-monitoring
Residents of Midland County, Michigan, who were affected by the disastrous Edenville flood of May 19, 2020 are still feeling the effects six years later. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260622-edenville-flood
U.S. Senator Jon Husted met with conservation leaders at Maumee Bay State Park in Ohio for a Great Lakes conservation roundtable. They discussed how to protect Lake Erie and build on a fisheries research law that Husted helped pass. Read the full story by WTVG-TV – Oregon, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260622-husted-roundtable
On the Au Sable River in Michigan, uncertainty about the fate of its six dams has reignited an age-old debate about what a river should be, and who gets to decide. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260622-au-sable-dams
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh has partnered with the Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup and Meijer to help clean up debris and litter in and around the Great Lakes using new technology, its Bebot and Pixie Drones. Read the full story by Seehafer News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260622-lakeshore-litter-robots
A major change is coming to conservation management in southwestern Ontario as four local conservation authorities prepare to merge into a single regional organization. Read the full story by CHCD – Simcoe, ON.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260622-conservation-authorities
Across Michigan, thousands were left without financial protection after record April rains fell on top of record March snowfall. Worse, many had no idea they were at risk despite years of increasingly heavy precipitation. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260622-mi-flooding-insurance
Running from June 19 through September 7, the S.S. Badger will offer additional night crossings to give passengers a unique travel experience and greater flexibility. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260622-ssbadger-night-trips
A mysterious floating convenience store appeared on Lake Ontario this week. The makers of the art installation “Global Convenience” say the symbol of a local corner store is meant for something more: bringing Toronto together during the World Cup. Read the full story by the Toronto Star.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260622-toronto-art
A new study from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency recommends the state take action to contain the underground PFAS contamination plume and keep it from spreading to new areas. Read the full story by Minnesota Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260622-twincities-pfas
Officials have counted 90 nesting pairs of endangered Great Lakes piping plovers so far this summer. That’s a record high after the endangered species’ 1990 low point of only 12 nesting pairs counted in Michigan. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260619-plover-record
A proposed Trump administration budget could significantly reduce federal science funding and threaten critical tools used by communities to track Great Lakes water quality, protect public health, and support local economies. Read the full story by The Cool Down.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260619-budget-cuts
A group of University of Michigan researchers will test devices that convert wave energy into electricity off the shores of Beaver Island in Charlevoix, Michigan, this week, as part of an ongoing effort to improve power reliability for residents. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260619-wave-energy-power
Scientists and filmmakers used a robot to venture into the deepest part of Lake Superior called Superior Maximus where no light can penetrate and only a handful of species can survive. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260619-superior-maximus
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has selected the State University of New York at Buffalo to serve as the new host of the Great Lakes Research Consortium, backed by a $5 million state grant aimed at strengthening research, education, and environmental management across the Great Lakes region. Read the full story by the Finger Lakes Daily News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260619-reserach-consortium-location
Wildfire risk is high in the upper Great Lakes, and research shows that large, scorching wildfires spell trouble causing erosion and more runoff into lakes. Read the full story by Circle of Blue.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260619-wildfire-risks
Michigan environmental regulators held what could be the final public hearing on the proposed Line 5 tunnel project. The Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy is re-considering a request from operator Enbridge to discharge 5 million gallons of water per day into Lake Michigan. Read the full story by WWTV-TV – Cadillac, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260619-line5-final-hearing
A lakeshore flood warning is in effect in Jefferson County, New York, through Friday night along Lake Ontario. The National Weather Service says it’s because of the combination of high-water levels and significant wave action. Read the full story by WWNY-TV – Watertown, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260619-ontario-flooding
A new 66-foot-long research vessel built to support fish and wildlife studies on the Great Lakes is entering its final phase of testing before delivery to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Read the full story by WPBN-TV – Traverse City, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260619-new-vessel
After years of worsening erosion, the last remnant of a century-old building at Beechwood State Park in Sodus, New York, has fallen into Lake Ontario. Read the full story by WHEC-TV-Rochester, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260619-ontario-erosion
Ontario is investing more than $2.8 million to expand and modernize port facilities on Lake Superior, including the Port of Thunder Bay and the Peninsula Harbour Port in Marathon, to strengthen domestic supply chains and boost east-west trade across Canada. Read the full story by Wire Service Canada.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260617-ontario-lake-superior-port-infrastructure-domestic-trade
Four eggs from a federally endangered Great Lakes piping plover nest in Waukegan, Illinois, were washed away during a severe Lake Michigan storm but were recovered after more than 12 hours exposed to the elements. The eggs were stabilized by wildlife experts, transferred to the Detroit Zoo, successfully hatched, and the chicks are now being raised through a conservation program at the University of Michigan Biological Station—an encouraging milestone for the species’ ongoing recovery. Read the full story by the Daily Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260617-defying-elements-odds-piping-plovers-chicks
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is urging beachgoers to pay attention to two key safety systems at state parks: buoyed swimming areas and the Great Lakes flag warning system. Read the full story by WSJM – Benton Harbor, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260617-beach-safety-state-parks
Ongoing efforts to clean up pollution around all five Great Lakes have focused on volunteer-led shoreline cleanups and community engagement campaigns aimed at removing litter and raising awareness about plastic pollution. Organizers say it’s about more than collecting trash—it’s intended to build long-term stewardship of the Great Lakes. Read the full story by WZMQ-TV – Marquette, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260617-nine-cleaning-great-lakes
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources certified nine new state-record fish this spring, including records for species such as lake trout, lake sturgeon, bluegill, black crappie, and bigmouth buffalo. Seven of the records were set in the catch-and-release category, while two were certified by weight, highlighting both strong angling opportunities and the growing popularity of Minnesota’s expanded record fish program. Read the full story by KNSI – St. Cloud, Minnesota.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260617-nine-new-state-record-fish
A fertilizer spill from an agricultural operation caused a significant fish kill in a tributary that flows into Lake Michigan, prompting an investigation by state environmental officials. According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, fertilizer leaked into a waterway through a drainage system, depleting oxygen levels and killing fish downstream. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260617-fertilizer-spill-lake-michigan
Several Michigan beaches have been placed under swimming advisories or closures due to elevated levels of E. coli bacteria, which can increase the risk of illness for swimmers. The advisories encourage residents to check the state’s BeachGuard monitoring system before heading out. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260617-juneteenth-bacteria-advisories
American Cruise Lines has added Clayton and Ogdensburg, New York, as stops on a new nine-day Great Lakes and Thousand Islands cruise launching in 2026. The itinerary will showcase the St. Lawrence River region, Thousand Islands attractions, Lake Ontario, and Niagara Falls, bringing new tourism opportunities to North Country communities. Read the full story by WWTI-TV – Watertown, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260617-american-cruise-line-great-lakes-tour
Enbridge has about 500 workers on site constructing its controversial Line 5 reroute in northern Wisconsin, with crews clearing land and preparing for drilling on a new 41-mile pipeline segment designed to bypass the reservation of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260617-enbridge-line-5-wisconsin
In Ontario, Hamilton Beach Strip residents pumping floodwater from their basements should see conditions ease this summer — the Hamilton Conservation Authority says Lake Ontario levels have peaked and are beginning to fall. Read the full story by The Public Record.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260615-ontario-water-levels
On the south shore of Milwaukee’s Lake Michigan shoreline, residents and city officials are concerned about the accelerated erosion of bluffs that officials say could cost more than $20 million to stabilize. Read the full story by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260615-bluff-erosion
Students and researchers at Central Michigan University monitor the health of Michigan’s disappearing wetlands, which help filter water and limit flooding. Read the full story by the Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260615-michigan-swamps
Some groups that do research and collect data on the Great Lakes face existential threats as the federal budgeting process for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration gets underway. A proposed budget request from President Donald Trump would zero out programs that scientists say are the foundation of weather observations, water quality, maritime safety and recreation on the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260615-noaa-funding
A geology student’s thesis project is using satellite and drone imagery to conduct a geospatial analysis of nutrients on farm fields, a dataset that can give farmers a pinpoint reading of exactly where their fields need fertilizer, directly addressing the issue of nutrient runoff and reducing a major expense for farms. Read the full story by the Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260615-nutrient-runoff
Pollution, development, broken treaties, and climate change have contributed to the disappearance of wild rice from the lakes on which it grows, but the Menominee tribe is trying a new technique to bring it back to the waters of northern Wisconsin. Read the full story by Circle of Blue.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260615-menominee-wild-rice
Hundreds of western Wisconsin residents attended an event Saturday to learn about organizing against data center construction. Read the full story by the Wisconsin Examiner.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260615-wi-community-datacenter
According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, from the months of April to May the water levels in Lake Erie have risen 7 inches to a max level of 572.21 feet, three inches above the long-term average. Read the full story by the Erie-Times News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260615-erie-water-levels
A contaminated property along the Kalamazoo River in Kalamazoo, Michigan, has been considered a superfund site by the Environmental Protection Agency since 1983. New testing shows the property also includes PFAS contamination. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260612-kalamazoo-pfas
A new study has confirmed that the invasive bloody red shrimp has established a self-sustaining population in Lake Superior, raising fresh questions about how the species could affect the Great Lakes ecosystem. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260612-invasive-shrimp
When the U.S. Supreme Court weakened federal protections for wetlands three years ago, state law in Michigan held the line. Lawmakers are now trying to redraw that line with a multi-bill push. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260612-mi-wetlands-protections
Water and air pollution caused by steel production has been negatively affecting residents of Northwest Indiana for over a century. Environmental advocates say the damage continues. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260612-indiana-steel-pollution
The world’s largest nuclear power generating station has been proposed for Wesleyville, Ontario, on the shore of Lake Ontario. Read the full story by the Watertown Daily Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260612-ontario-nuclear-proposal
