Shipping is largely at a standstill across most of the Great Lakes, thanks to a rapid increase in ice cover. As of Wednesday, about 25% of the Great Lakes are covered in ice; but just four days ago, that number was at 10%. Read the full story by CTV News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250124-shipping-stalls
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has released some highlights from its Great Lakes fisheries program in 2024. The DNR has research stations all over the state that monitor fish populations in the lakes year-round. Their work helps shape policies like those that govern the fish stocking program. Read the full story by WSJM – Benton Harbor, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250124-fisheries-review
The 663-foot Canadian freighter Manitoulin got stuck in the ice on Lake Erie with 17 people on board while departing Buffalo, New York. The U.S. Coast Guard arrived with icebreaking equipment Thursday to begin freeing the vessel. Read the full story by ABC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250124-freighter-trapped
In the six decades since Fisharama began in Superior, Wisconsin, the event has only been cancelled a couple of times: the last two years. This year, the third attempt at the 58th annual Fisharama, lake conditions should be good, though a lack of volunteers presents a different challenge. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250124-fish-festival
The Detroit River Canadian Cleanup is hosting a free screening of the documentary “All Too Clear” at the University of Windsor on January 29. The documentary utilizes advanced underwater drone technology to examine the impact of invasive quagga mussels on the Great Lakes ecosystem. Read the full story by The Hamilton Spectator.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250124-restoration-film
The Great Lakes Science Advisory Board at the International Joint Commission released the report on how to monitor microplastics in the Great Lakes, including the recommendation that the U.S. and Canada designate microplastics as a “chemical of mutual concern.” Read the full story by Interlochen Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250122-microplastics
Kristle KLR, a company located in Bayfield, Wisconsin, will no longer be able to bottle water from a well near Lake Superior after the Wisconsin Supreme Court decided to not take up its case. Read the full story by the Center Square.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250122-wisconsin-bottled-water
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will distribute $1.3 billion to states in 2025 through the federal wildlife and sport fish restoration programs. The Wisconsin DNR is set to receive $38 million. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250122-fws-apportionment
University of Minnesota Duluth researchers are looking at how to harness the forces produced by Lake Superior’s winter storm waves to generate usable energy. Read the full story by WXPR – Rhinelander, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250122-wave-energy
The Canadian federal government has announced funding for five freshwater projects as part of the Great Lakes Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative that will address environmental challenges and fulfill commitments under the Canada–U.S. Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Read the full story by CJML – Milton, ON.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250122-harbour-funding
This spring the Michigan Department of Natural Resources will include the once-native Arctic grayling in fish stocking efforts throughout the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Read the full story by the Daily Mining Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250122-winter-birds
As temperatures plummet to below zero across Michigan this week, backyard bird enthusiasts who enjoy watching and feeding their feathered visitors may wonder how, or if, they can withstand the harsh conditions. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250122-winter-birds
Civic opposition and litigation aim to end Line 5 operation given the environmental risks and expenses. Read the full story by Circle of Blue.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250122-line-5
The extreme cold is making for a fascinating look on Grand Traverse Bay at Traverse City, Michigan, as the surface temperature of the water and Arctic cold air interact and create vapor. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250122-lake-michigan-steam
The invasion of sea lampreys in the Great Lakes had devastating impacts on native fish until Vernon Applegate, a scientist and unlikely hero, found a control method. Read the full story by the Michigan Enjoyer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250122-sea-lamprey
A new study builds on previous research that shows winters on the Great Lakes are growing shorter due to climate change. The Great Lakes have been losing an average of 14 days of winter conditions each decade since 1995 due to warming air temperatures. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250120-shorter-winter
According to a recent study, recreational fishing in the Great Lakes is worth $5.1 billion, fewer billions than the amount cited for many years. The previous number, compiled by the same firm nearly two decades ago, was $7 billion. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250120-fishing-worth
Leaders of three major Great Lakes environmental activist groups said this week they are cautiously optimistic the next four years, while challenging and unpredictable, may not be all that detrimental to the world’s largest collection of fresh surface water. Read the full story by The Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250120-trump-lakes
The Doug Ford government is pushing for a prospecting rush across northern Ontario, leaving a blanket of mineral claims on land just upstream from Lake Superior where First Nations are still fighting for title. Read the full story by The Narwhal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250120-mining-superior
An icebreaker cruise ship set sail on Friday for a frosty journey that will bring passengers along the St. Lawrence River, a new route that tourism officials hope will usher in a new era of winter cruises in Québec. Read the full story by The Canadian Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250120-icebreaker-cruise
While sailing up the Detroit River, Abraham Lincoln observed efforts to free a stranded steamer, which led him to whittle a wooden model of a steamboat with gear that could lift boats grounded in shallow waters. His idea was never commercially produced, but it made Lincoln the only U.S. president to have patented an invention. Read the full story by the Windsor Star.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250120-lincoln-patent
All the salt used to treat pavement during the winter ends up in our local waterways: streams, rivers, lakes, Lake Michigan, and even groundwater, which makes the water toxic for fish and other aquatic life. Read the full story by WISN-TV – Milwaukee, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250120-less-salt
Abstract, colorful ice formations, known as blue ice, are already forming in the Great Lakes near Mackinac Island, Michigan. Blue ice, typically found in glaciers, often forms in Michigan lakes during the winter season. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250120-blue-ice
With temperatures dropping in typical mid-January fashion, many anxious ice anglers were finally able to strap on their cleats and pop up shanties. Yet, both Ohio’s Division of Wildlife as well as Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources stress “there is no such thing as safe ice.” Read the full story by The Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250120-ice-safety
It is officially free fishing weekend in Wisconsin. Wet a line without a fishing license, trout stamp, or salmon stamp January 18th and 19th in most waters, thanks to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Read the full story by WLUK-TV – Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250120-free-fishing
Imagine a fishery where, in one year, 6 million pounds of fish were hauled in—only to plummet to a mere 400 pounds just four years later. What caused this devastation? A new documentary recounts how the Great Lakes were brought to their knees by the sea lamprey. Read the full story by Sports Illustrated.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250120-fish-thief
A new assessment of Great Lakes Lake whitefish populations indicates that even if we bring commercial fishing harvest to zero, the lakes are still headed toward extirpation. Read the full story by WCMU Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250117-lakewhitefish-survey-direpicture
The Great Lakes region is an ideal place to see gulls, especially during the winter months when rare gulls pass through. While they may not be a marvel to most birders, they stand out for their unique ability to adapt to their environment in the face of climate change. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250117-greatlakes-gulls
A film set to debut in Cleveland might be the first of its kind to provide a hyperlocal focus on the unseen impacts of the plastic materials that are floating around our the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Cleveland Scene.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250117-ripplesofplastic-lakeerie-plasticpollution
The American Mariner was the final ship through the Soo Locks on Thursday, marking the end of the Great Lakes navigation season. Read the full story by WCMU Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250117-soolocks-americanmariner-lastship
One of the largest vessels to use the Port of Cleveland — the 1004-foot-long, 50-foot-tall James R. Barker — on Thursday found itself stuck in ice as it attempted to navigate the harbor. Read the full story by WJW-TV – Cleveland, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250117-freighter-stuck-lakeerie-coastguard
Local surfer and Greenhouse Surfboards founder Ken Cole took his passion for surfing beyond getting out on the water. He’s created the world’s first leaf-based surfboard to encompass what he believes is the art, soul and sustainable future of surfing. Read the full story by WUWM – Milwaukee, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250117-milwaukee-surfer-ecoboard
Tourism leaders in East Tawas in Northeast Michigan have joined an international cruise marketing program called ‘Cruise the Great Lakes’ with the hope of becoming a stop for cruises. Read the full story by WSJM – Benton Harbor, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250117-michigan-cruisestop-greatlakes
The Ohio Lake Erie Commission’s Annual Life on Lake Erie Photo Contest is now open. Photographers are invited to submit up to five images that represent the essence of life on Lake Erie. Read the full story by the Fremont News-Messenger.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250117-commission-ohio-greatlakes-photocontest
Trump recently referenced a “large faucet” in British Columbia, Canada that could be turned on to bring water to California, without providing supporting information or a mention of how Canada might see the venture. Canadians are taking Trump’s desire for Canada’s water seriously. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250117-trump-waterstatement-canadians
The Canadian petroleum pipeline company Enbridge was granted a permit by the Michigan Public Service Commission in 2023 to burrow a tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac. In an appeals court hearing Tuesday, tribal nations, environmental groups, and some businesses challenged the permit, saying the commission did not allow all the evidence to be heard. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250115-enbridge-case
The Great Lakes Fishery Commission has supported a new documentary, set to be released at the end of January, about the sea lampreys’ devastation across the Great Lakes region. Read the full story by the CBC.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250115-lamprey-documentary
The Great Lakes Commission recently released its annual water usage report, providing hydrological and environmental insights for the region. In total, water usage from the Great Lakes supply was down in 2023 in comparison to 2022. Read the full story by WTOL-TV – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250115-water-use
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources stocked seven species of fish at 78 locations across Michigan this past fall, bringing the year’s stocking total to 9.7 million fish. While most fish are stocked in the spring, and some in the summer, the final stocking round of 2024 included 590,504 fish during the fall. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250115-fish-stocked
During their winter offseason, lakers operating in the Great Lakes typically undergo maintenance. The work done after the Soo Locks close in Michigan is important for an aging fleet of lakers. Read the full story by KBJR-TV – Duluth, MN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250115-aging-lakers
Ship enthusiasts have until Wednesday night to track the big freighters heading upbound and downbound on the Soo Locks, then the locks will close for several weeks for annual maintenance work. Once the locks close, they will remain closed to ship traffic until reopening on March 25. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250115-locks-closing
With its heritage buildings and cobbled streets, Montreal’s picturesque Old Port on the St. Lawrence River is destined to become the gateway to a new waterfront neighborhood. The estimated $2.5-billion project will take seven to 10 years to complete, with construction slated to begin in 2025. Read the full story by The Globe and Mail.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250115-montreal-waterfront
The St. Marys River channel that handles downbound shipping traffic south of the Soo Locks closed temporarily on Sunday after a 497-foot cargo vessel briefly ran aground when it had a mechanical failure. There were no injuries reported, and no pollution seen after the grounding. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250115-freighter-aground
Work on the riverwalk in Manistee, Michigan, was planned for summer 2024 but was delayed when no bids came in for the work. With a $400,000 budget bump, the project is now expected to go forward this year. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250115-manistee-riverwalk
Researchers from the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario, have developed a way to break down microplastics by genetically altering bacteria. The researchers selected bacteria often found at wastewater plants, because not all microplastics are filtered out before being released into a stream or river. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250113-microplastic-breaking-down-process
A startup company based in Oberlin, Ohio, has drawn $2.9 million in private investment so far to remove PFAS, often called forever chemicals, from the nation’s drinking water. The company formed in 2019 to launch and license a chemical coating process that captures PFAS and isolates them for destruction during water treatment. Read the full story by WKSU – Kent, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250113-pfas-removal-development
The U.S. Coast Guard has officially launched Operation Taconite, its annual icebreaking operation on the Great Lakes, for the 2024-25 winter season. It is the Coast Guard’s largest domestic icebreaking operation, with efforts taking place on Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, the St. Marys River, the Straits of Mackinac, and Georgian Bay. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250113-icebreaker-operation
A special public hearing is being held Tuesday night for the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to defend itself from accusations that it failed to do enough to protect Lake Erie with a wastewater permit it issued to the city of Port Clinton in April. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250113-sewage-permit-hearing
A new report from an international think tank says shutting down Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline may be a better avenue for the Canadian energy company because of increased competition from renewable energy, multiple concerns about the viability of the company’s pipeline tunnel project, and the cost of a reroute amid ongoing efforts to shut down the pipeline. Read the full story by Michigan Advance.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250113-pipeline-report
Many Michigan cherry growers are adapting to the difficult market and changing climate, planting different varieties or embracing high-density orchards with trees packed more closely together. By the time Michigan’s cherry growing season came to a close over the summer, as much as 75% of the state’s sweet cherry crop was lost. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250113-cherry-growing
