The Oneida County Health Department in New York will be testing the water once a week for E. coli at five public beaches this summer. Read the full story by WXPR – Rhinelander, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260612-oneida-beach-testing
An administrative law judge recommended that Michigan regulators reject Consumers Energy’s sale of 13 hydropower dams. The proposed sale is to a Maryland-based private equity firm, which critics argue poses financial and operational risks. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260612-dam-sales
Researchers and documentarians sent a remotely-operated vehicle down to the bottom of Lake Superior to explore the depths and look for deep water siscowet, a type of lake trout. Read the full story by WKAR – East Lansing, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260612-superior-zombie-fish
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will host a virtual listening session to gather input on how to use funding approved to address PFAS concerns. Read the full story by WXPR – Rhinelander, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260612-widnr-pfas-input
The 2026 Bayview Mackinac Race will feature 203 boats competing in the century-old sailing tradition. Approximately 1,600 sailors will take to the water on July 18, launching from Port Huron and racing to Mackinac Island across two courses. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260612-bayview-sailing
The streetlights in downtown Port Clinton, Ohio, were extinguished on Wednesday as the annual hatch of mayflies began along the shoreline of Lake Erie. Read the full story by the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260612-erie-mayflies
Michigan and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a new $10 million partnership that will accelerate pollution cleanup work on the Detroit River, a waterway loaded with toxic compounds left behind by factories, coal plants and sewage overflows that dominated the river’s shoreline for a century. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260610-cleanup-funding
A fence and a trail camera now prevent neighbors from walking up the Lake Michigan shoreline in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin. Wisconsin’s laws governing beach use go back decades and differ from those of other Great Lakes states: under existing legal precedent, a person is not trespassing if they keep their feet wet. Read the full story by WTMJ-TV – Milwaukee, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260610-shoreline-access
Officials in Oswego, Illinois, voted to authorize up to $27.2 million to help pay for improvements connected to the village’s planned transition to Lake Michigan water. The village currently accesses water through aquifers, but officials have said repeatedly that the aquifers are running low. Read the full story by WSPY – Plano, IL.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260610-water-bond
The state of Michigan has released annual consumption guidelines for eating locally caught fish, based on the levels of chemicals found in the portions of fish people eat. Read the full story by WJBK-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260610-fish-consumption-guidelines
Officials will be in Whitehall, Michigan, later this month to apply treatments to kill invasive sea lamprey in the White River. Weather and stream conditions will dictate when they will be completed. Read the full story by WOOD-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260610-lamprey-treatment
The U.S. Brig Niagara departed Maine on Saturday, embarking on a 2,000-nautical-mile journey to its Erie, Pennsylvania, homeport following a year-long, $6.9 million restoration. The vessel is scheduled to arrive at the Erie Maritime Museum for a homecoming celebration July 2-5. Read the full story by PennLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260610-ship-restoration
In August, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources plans to remove a Cheboygan County dam that will partly drain a 54-acre pond by replacing the old structure with a channel-spanning bottomless culvert under a dirt road. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260610-dam-removal
A marine search and rescue unit based in Pickering, Ontario, is looking for more volunteers as it approaches 60 years since its founding. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260610-marine-volunteers
Scientists have confirmed that an invasive species, the spiny water flea, is now firmly established in Lake Superior, raising concerns about its potential impacts on the lake’s food web and native fish populations. The discovery highlights ongoing challenges in managing nonnative species in the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260608-invader
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will survey Michigan’s Long Lake Outlet–Devils Lake tributary to estimate sea lamprey populations and determine whether additional control measures are needed. Sea lampreys are invasive, parasitic fish that can kill up to 40 pounds of fish during their lifetime, making regular tributary surveys a key part of protecting the Great Lakes fishery and preventing new generations from reaching the lakes. Read the full story by The Alpena News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260608-lamprey-tributaries
In Michigan, the Port Austin Lighthouse on Lake Huron has been fully restored after years of work, including rebuilding historic features and installing a replica Fresnel lens to closely match its original early 20th-century appearance. The lighthouse has recently been relit with its historic red-and-white flash pattern and is preparing to reopen for public tours as part of expanded preservation and educational efforts. Read the full story by the Huron Daily Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260608-lighthouse
Walleye are now the most harvested species in the Michigan waters of the Great Lakes, followed by yellow perch. These findings are part of the 2025 Statewide Angler Survey Program. This trend has been developing due to shifts in the food web of Lake Huron, and to a lesser extent, Lake Michigan, with the invasion of dreissenid mussels. Read the full story by The Alpena News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260608-fishery-survey
Monroe County, Michigan, has resumed its annual summer monitoring of Lake Erie beach water quality, testing for E. coli at public swimming areas such as Luna Pier Beach and Sterling State Park to ensure conditions are safe for swimmers. Officials also advise residents to avoid water foam—which can contain elevated bacteria levels—and note that advisories will be issued if contamination exceeds Michigan health standards. Read the full story by The Monroe News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260608-water-testing
After two kayakers were rescued from Lake Huron, the Michigan DNR issued safety reminders emphasizing the importance of wearing life jackets, checking weather conditions, and carrying communication devices. The incident highlights the risks of sudden storms and cold water on the Great Lakes, even for experienced paddlers. Read the full story by WBKB-TV – Alpena, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260608-safety
Michigan officials are treating a river to control invasive sea lamprey larvae, a parasitic fish that attaches to other fish and feeds on their blood and body fluids, causing major damage to Great Lakes fisheries. The treatment uses targeted lampricides to kill lamprey before they mature and migrate into the lakes, where a single adult can kill dozens of pounds of fish during its lifetime. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260608-lampricide
The U.S. Coast Guard has deployed two autonomous orange Saildrone vessels on Lake Erie as part of a larger 16-drone program to monitor the U.S.–Canada maritime border, track vessel traffic, support search-and-rescue operations, and help detect smuggling activities. These wind- and solar-powered drones can remain at sea for up to 100 days, using cameras, radar, AIS tracking, and satellite communications to provide persistent surveillance across the vast Great Lakes region. Read the full story by AutoNotion.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260608-saildrone
A Lake Superior cleanup event will be taking place on June 16 in Marquette, Michigan, where volunteers are invited to help remove trash from the shoreline as part of a broader “Great Lakes Cleanup Road Trip”. Read the full story by WBUP-TV – Marquette, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260608-cleanup
Filmmakers are preparing to dive to the deepest point of Lake Superior, known as the “Bottomless Pit,” as part of a new documentary exploring the lake’s mysteries, geology, and ecosystem. The project aims to capture rarely seen footage and highlight both the scientific and cultural significance of the Great Lakes. Read the full story by WXYZ-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260608-filmmakers
Michigan Democrats are publicly calling on President Trump to allow the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario. The new bridge, which will provide a third border crossing option at the Detroit River, has no announced opening date, despite the bridge authority saying in October that they expected to open in spring 2026. Read the full story by CBS Detroit.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260605-international-bridge
The upcoming Great Lakes Cleanup Road Trip is a weeklong, volunteer-driven campaign traversing five distinct watersheds from June 10th to 16th, 2026. Beyond physical trash removal, the initiative focuses on data collection to fuel the organization’s ongoing goal of collecting one million pieces of debris. Read the full story by WNMU – Marquette, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260605-trash-trip
The U.S. Coast Guard is offering a $1,000 cash reward for information after someone broke in and stole the navigational beacon from Lake Superior’s Wisconsin Point Lighthouse in Superior, Wisconsin. Read the full story by WLUK-TV – Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260605-stolen-beacon
The state of Michigan has added a new entry to its public website for reporting environmental hazards. People can now submit — with photos, please — a report of a suspected harmful algal bloom, or HAB, caused by a growth of cyanobacteria. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260605-habs
The historic tall ship Utopia sailboat is making stops during its 180-mile journey around Lake Michigan to give people a chance to see the vessel and learn about the Patriot Racing Project. The organization helps veterans learn different skill sets to help with the transition back into civilian life when searching for jobs. Read the full story by WBAY-TV – Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260605-utopia-boat
The Army Corps of Engineers celebrated and reopened the shoreline near the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center in Duluth, Minnesota’s Canal Park on Thursday. Construction has been underway there over the past year to make the Lake Superior shoreline safer and easier to access. Read the full story by Northern News Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260605-canal-park
Anglers across Michigan experienced varied fishing conditions this past week, with walleye and lake trout providing some of the most consistent action while salmon fishing showed mixed results depending on location. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260605-fishing-report
The nonprofit Great Lakes Piping Plover Recovery Effort reported 12 chicks hatched in Wisconsin and Michigan starting May 29. They expect more to hatch daily. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260605-piping-plovers
Rising 352 feet above Lake Erie is the Perry’s Victory & International Peace Memorial, which honors those who fought in the War of 1812’s Battle of Lake Erie and the long-standing peace between the United States, Canada, and Great Britain. Read the full story by the Port Clinton News Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260605-erie-memorial
Michigan’s sweeping shorelines, sandy beaches, and towering dunescapes gained national recognition as they dominated a search for the “Best Lakeside Beach.” Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260605-best-beaches
As summer begins and temperatures rise, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is reminding residents and visitors to pay attention to beach safety systems at state parks. Read the full story by WILX-TV – Lansing, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260605-beach-safety
The U.S. Coast Guard launched two bright orange autonomous sail drones on Lake Erie. The drones serve a variety of functions, including helping with search and rescues, environmental spills and law enforcement activities. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260603-sail-drone-launch
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency announced they have agreed to drop the settlement with the City of Port Clinton, Ohio, dating back to 1999 for allegedly violating the Clean Water Act along with frequent combined sewer overflows. Read the full story by Spectrum News 1.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260603-infrastructure-upgrades
Officials in Lambton County, Ontario, are preparing to kick off the annual beach water quality monitoring program for the summer season. Seven Lake Huron public beaches will be monitored for elevated bacteria levels and warning signs will be posted when E. coli levels are estimated to exceed the Ontario Ministry of Health guidelines. Read the full story by CKNX News Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260603-water-quality-monitoring
Freshwater explorers are preparing to send a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) down to the deepest part of Lake Superior to find some rare deepwater species, including one that may only exist now in Lake Superior. Onboard the ROV will be high-definition cameras that will broadcast the descent in real-time. Read the full story by KRFO – Owatonna, MN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260603-exploration-broadcast
The Ohio Division of Wildlife said it stocked 130,000 sauger in the Maumee and Sandusky rivers as part of a pilot project to restore the population. Officials explained sauger were once abundant and were an integral part of tributaries, bays and other areas of Lake Erie’s western basin, but the population began to fall apart in the 1950s, mainly due to poor water quality and overfishing. Read the full story by Spectrum News 1.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260603-fish-restoration
Lake Ontario has hit flood stage, according to the latest data from the International Joint Commission. The lake is forecasted to remain above its flood stage (247.3 feet) for at least the next week and a half. Currently, there’s no immediate risk of widespread flooding; however, low-lying areas should be wary of wind and wave patterns that can push water onshore. Read the full story by WHEC-TV – Rochester, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260603-flood-stage
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, around 42 federal, state, tribal and local agencies, representatives from industry and academia, and the Canadian Coast Guard took part in discussions on maritime readiness and response capabilities last week in Traverse City, Michigan. Read the full story by The Sault Ste. Marie Evening News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260603-maritime-readiness
On Monday, the City Council in Lorain, Ohio, gave a first reading of legislation to accept $4 million in federal funding that was earmarked for waterfront redevelopment through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The purpose of the congressional funding is to stabilize and reinforce portions of the Finger Piers, stretches of artificial land built in the 1940s that jut out into Lorain’s harbor. Read the full story by The Chronicle-Telegram.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260603-waterfront-redevelopment-funding
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources celebrated the completion of a wetland project at a northwestern Ohio nature preserve with direct connection to Lake Erie under the H2Ohio initiative. During storm events, the wetland will help hold more water and assist with removing phosphorus and nitrogen from the water. Read the full story by Spectrum News 1.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260603-wetland-completion
Minnesota’s state lake trout record was broken twice in May, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The latest record fish was set by a 45.5-inch lake trout caught in Lake Superior, which broke a record set just weeks before. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260603-fishing-records
Over 22 million pounds of plastic waste enter the Great Lakes annually; however, this pollution remains largely unregulated, and plastics manufacturing is projected to drastically increase. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260601-plastic-pollution
Great Lakes researchers are facing existential threats due to proposed federal budget cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The administration has proposed slashing NOAA’s funding, specifically targeting its research offices, which could severely degrade water-quality monitoring, weather forecasting, and critical data collection. Read the full story by Interlochen Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260601-noaa-cuts
Once thought to be lost forever, the 130-year-old wreckage of the ship Atlanta has finally been discovered at the bottom of Lake Superior. Read the full story by CNN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260601-superior-shipwreck
The National Park Service recently acquired more than 200 acres along the south shore of Lake Superior in northern Wisconsin for the country’s longest national scenic trail. Read the full story by the Iron Mountain Daily.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260601-superior-trail
A new University of Michigan study shows harmful algal blooms produce a greater range of toxic compounds than previously known. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260601-erie-toxins
