Dozens of Wisconsin communities will receive more than $273 million from the state for drinking water projects that include removing lead pipes and addressing PFAS contamination. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241106-wisconsin-water
Public comment about a proposed copper mine in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula focused on how special the area was: many said it should be evaluated differently because of its old-growth forests, proximity to Lake Superior, and other environmental factors. Read the full story by Interlochen Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241106-copper-mine
The 2024 western Lake Erie algal bloom has become the second in modern history to linger into November with about 10 square miles of the bloom remaining. Read the full story by The Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241106-algal-bloom
Currently, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource’s process for setting new fishing limits can take years. The agency says that a new rule would allow it to better respond to changes in the lake trout and cisco populations. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241106-fish-rule
Northwest Ohio municipalities could soon hear regional planners being more vocal in their support of a stronger and more robust management strategy for western Lake Erie, such as one that has become a hotly debated issue in U.S. District Court. Read the full story by The Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241106-erie-recommendations
The impending closure of North and South Manitou islands during a multi-year infrastructure project at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in northern Michigan may spell the end for a 107-year-old Michigan ferry service. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241106-manitou-ferry
A newly formed, not-for-profit association of local governments and industries is the latest group trying to become added as a defendant in the landmark Lake Erie case in U.S. District Court. Read the full story by The Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241106-erie-defendant
November is the deadliest month for shipwrecks on the Great Lakes. Despite the harsh storms, ships would often have overloaded cargo holds for the final trip of the year, making them more vulnerable as storms arose. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241106-november-shipwrecks
Of the 350 shipwrecks at the bottom of Lake Superior, there is one particularly famous steamship called the SS Kamloops. In 1977, fifty years after the ship disappeared, the divers that found the wreck were met with a grisly sight. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241106-ss-kamloops
In 1998, elementary school students in Belle River, Ontario, threw letters in a bottle into Lake St. Clair. Twenty-six years later, a kindergarten student from the same school found one of the bottles and its letter about Great Lakes water. Read the full story by the CBC.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241106-bottle-message
The Detroit Historical Society is honoring lost mariners during its annual Lost Mariners Remembrance this weekend in Detroit, Michigan. It’s the 25th year the society has held the event, which also marks the anniversary of the sinking of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald. Read the full story by WXYZ-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241104-mariners-remembrance
An anaerobic digester in Michigan was shut down after a liquid waste product called “digestate” escaped a nearby farm and flooded a neighboring home’s backyard. Environmentalists point to this incident as a prime example of what can go wrong if anaerobic digesters aren’t adequately regulated while lawmakers are pushing legislation that would expand the market for biogas produced by digesters and exempt them from certain regulations. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241104-biogas-legislation
Lake Erie’s 2024 walleye hatch is being characterized as “low,” meaning that in two years, when the current crop grows to legal keeper size of 15 inches, something fewer than 10 million will be added. The most recent hatch and the only other rated low during the past 10 years happened in 2016. Read the full story by The Columbus Dispatch.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241104-walleye-hatch
Michigan’s freshwater sand dunes make up the largest collection of freshwater dunes on the planet. A pair of West Michigan lawmakers seek to solve the problem of vague legal protections with planned legislation to protect the state’s most sensitive dunes, or those that were designated as “critical dunes” in 1989. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241104-dune-protection
Huron Pines, a Northeast Lower Michigan organization, has reached a landmark $1 million fundraising goal as part of its Community-Driven Conservation fundraising campaign marking the organization’s 50th anniversary. Its funds will support public recreation opportunities, protect wild lands, and improve water quality. Read the full story by the Oscoda Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241104-fundraising-campaign
A complaint filed by a Michigan state employee with the Michigan Attorney General’s office Thursday alleges that state regulators have failed to stop chemical giant BASF from releasing toxic chemicals into the Detroit River from its Wyandotte facility over several decades. Read the full story by Planet Detroit.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241104-water-pollution
According to a recent Canadian government study, the average water temperature of the St. Lawrence River is at a record high. At measurements of 300 meters deep, in 2022, the temperatures exceeded 44.6 degrees Fahrenheit for the first time ever. Read the full story by Spectrum News 1.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241104-river-warming
The University of Michigan recently received nearly $200,000 in state funding to figure out ways to make cargo shipping, recreational boating, commercial fishing, ports and ferries more sustainable. The project’s goals will be in line with the state’s MI Healthy Climate Plan that sets targets to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Read the full story by WCMU – Mount Pleasant, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241104-maritime-sustainability
The wreck of the James R. Bentley, a 170-foot-long schooner, has sat 165 feet beneath the surface of Lake Huron since 1878. Within its hold was an unlikely treasure. A group of divers sponsored by a Northern Michigan distilling company aimed to retrieve a few scoops of 145-year-old rye seeds aboard the ship. Read the full story by The New York Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241104-shipwreck-dive
The City of Lorain, Ohio, plans to invest over $15 million in revitalizing its Lake Erie lakefront on the eastern shore of the Black River, with hopes of creating a park, improved public boat ramp and space for mixed-use development. Read the full story by The Chronicle-Telegram.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241104-shoreline-revitalization
Where Lake Michigan and Lake Huron connect, powerful water currents rush in opposite directions over an antiquated pipeline known as Line 5. Along the pipeline’s route from Wisconsin to Ontario, via the Straits of Mackinac, more than 1 million gallons of oil have reportedly spilled in the past 50 years. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241101-line5-disputes
A new initiative called “100% Great Lakes Fish” is seeking new ways to use whole fish to reduce waste and support rural economic development in the process. Read the full story at WOOD – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241101-fish-production
High levels of blue green algae in Lake Erie caused hundreds of thousands of people to temporarily have unavailable drinking water in 2014. A professor from Central Michigan University is developing an affordable sensor that will be able to detect blue green algae that is an issue in the Great Lakes with a decreased turn-around time for results. Read the full story by the Morning Sun.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241101-toxin-detection
A new study has uncovered the missing science behind why some lakes around the world emit such large amounts of carbon dioxide. A chemical reaction known as calcite precipitation releases CO2 and is a common phenomenon reported in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Read the full story by Cosmos.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241101-lakes-release-co2
The Thumb Land Conservancy, an organization devoted to preserving natural environments in the Blue Water Area, announced it has added 80 acres of dune and swale forest to a Fort Gratiot County Park in Michigan. Read the full story by the Times Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241101-conservation-land-addition
Algae blooms in the Great Lakes are becoming increasingly common. This is why a doctoral student at the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research chose to focus her research on how the Thames River affects downstream cyanobacteria harmful algal blooms. Read the full story by Education News Canada.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241101-freshwater-research
The Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay helped to gather over a dozen highly prestigious researchers and experts at the Freshwater Summit to present, network, and discuss regional issues spanning from whitefish populations to swimmer’s itch and more. Read the full story by WPBN-TV – Traverse City, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241101-invasive-species-discussions
Ever wondered what happens in an Upper Peninsula mine? Reporters went inside the Eagle nickel and copper mine in Marquette County, Michigan, to get a firsthand look at the process. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241101-up-mining
In Ohio, Sandusky’s waterfront mural captures some of Lake Erie’s best qualities including birding, fishing, sailing and sightseeing. A new landside painting pays homage to what many can see across Sandusky Bay on a typical summer’s day all year long. Read the full story by the Sandusky Register.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241101-erie-mural
Walleye is a big deal in Minnesota, but its popularity has gotten the fish into some pretty deep water, and it might not be available forever if overfishing continues. Read the full story by Tasting Table.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241101-walleye-overfishing
The phosphorus load, the nutrient that feeds harmful algae, into western Lake Erie is trending downward, but the 40% reduction target has yet to be met consistently. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241030-algae-bloom
Ohio State Sen. Paula Hicks-Hudson has been elected by the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Legislative Caucus to represent Ohio on its executive committee for the next two years. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241030-great-lakes-st-lawrence-legisltaive-caucus
Sea lampreys are the newest residents at Michigan’s Cranbrook Institute of Science. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission provided the sea lampreys along with an enclosure and tank fittings for the exhibit which will allow guests to get up close to the invasive species. Read the full story by the Birmingham-Bloomfield Eagle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241030-sea-lamprey-exhibit
The F.T. Barney, a two-masted schooner, collided with another ship and sank within minutes on Oct. 23, 1868, off the shore of Presque Isle, Michigan, in Lake Huron. Today it’s one of the best-preserved shipwrecks in the Great Lakes. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241030-shipwreck
The Department of Natural Resources will hold meetings in November on the future of smallmouth bass management in Door County waters, including a potential “catch and immediate release” rule. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241030-smallmouth-bass-managment
More than a hundred naval personnel joined city officials at Ontario’s Windsor riverfront Tuesday morning to greet and honor HMCS Harry DeWolf, one of Canada’s newest naval vessels. Part of a month-long deployment in Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, the docked ship docked will be opening its decks to the public on the weekend. Read the full story by the Windsor Star.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241030-hmcs-harry-dewolf
Two cities, Tawas and Bay City, along Michigan’s “Sunrise Coast” are hoping to bring tourism and boost local economy by becoming a stop for Great Lakes cruise liners. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241030-new-cruise-locations
The St. Lawrence River Institute hosted the 31st Annual River Symposium from October 23 to 25, drawing researchers, students, policymakers, and community members where the event explored the theme “River Connections: Land, Water & Community,” highlighting the interdependence of ecosystems, nature, and human communities. Read the full story by the Seaway News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241030-annual-river-symposium
As swimming season draws to a close, unofficial tallies show 88 people have drowned in the waters of the Great Lakes so far in 2024, an increase from 2023. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241030-lake-michigan-drownings
Up to 3.2 million Michiganders may get their drinking water from PFAS-tainted aquifers, according to a landmark national study on “forever chemicals” in America’s well water, which is among the highest rates in the nation. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241030-pfas
A unique new Friends of the St. Clair River project seeks to update the pen pals concept for the 21st century and move students out of the classroom and into the great outdoors. Read the full story by The Voice.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241028-friendsofstclairriver-watershedpenpals-program
Following a significant funding announcement, the Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) is set to launch several initiatives to improve the health of Lake Erie and the Detroit River Area of Concern. Read the full story by The Hamilton Spectator.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241028-fundingboost-lakeerie-detroitriver-projects
Since 1876, the Ironton Ferry has been a vital part of northern Michigan’s history, offering both a practical and scenic passage across Lake Charlevoix. Read the full story by The Sun Times News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241028-irontonferry-charlevoix
Ojibwe tribal officials are upset by a decision this month from the state’s Department of Natural Resources to approve a septage disposal site on their reservation in northern Wisconsin. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241028-wisconsin-dnr-septagedisposal-tribal-reservation
Cape Vincent, New York, highway crews tore down a deteriorating restaurant on Thursday as part of a multimillion effort to revitalize the municipality’s riverfront. Read the full story by The Watertown Daily Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241028-capevincent-waterfront-project
A free lecture titled “West Coast National Marine Sanctuary Challenges and the Conservation Opportunities That Could Help” will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center in Alpena, Michigan. Read the full story by The Alpena News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241028-conservationlecture-greatlakes-maritime-heritage-center
The Wisconsin DNR has announced that silver carp, an invasive species, have been detected in portions of the lower Chippewa River and lower Black River in western Wisconsin. Read the full story by WXOW – La Crosse, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241028-invasivecarp-lower-blackriver-detected
A stone structure found recently under Lake Michigan, believed to be 9,000 years old, has left most scientists and historians unclear of its origin. This archaeological wonder, which is said to resemble England’s Stonehenge, was discovered in 2007 and is still causing controversy. Read the full story by ECONews.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241028-lake-michigan-stonehedge
A project to conserve land along the Milwaukee River was awarded nearly $20 million in federal funding Wednesday, part of a historic push by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to invest in conservation practices that mitigate climate change. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241025-milwaukee-river
A Minnesota conservation group wants to focus on land protection and restoration near the St. Louis River as a part of a multi-state initiative known as the Greater Lakes Promise, an effort to improve water quality in the Great Lakes. Read the full story by MinnPost.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20241025-st-louis-restoration
