The Great Lakes vary significantly in depth, but exactly how deep are they, and where does Lake Ontario fit in? Read the full story by the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240708-greatlakes-depth-lakeontario
The Aquarium of Niagara in Niagara Falls, New York, has set a date for the grand opening of its “Great Lakes 360” project. The long-awaited and first-ever expansion will welcome the public for the first time on July 13. Read the full story by WGRZ-TV – Buffalo, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240708-newaquarium-greatlakes360
An effort continues to help stop the spread of aquatic invasive species in waterways around the Great Lakes. At the Shawano Lake County Park Boat Landing in Wisconsin, conservationists search for unwanted animals like zebra mussels. Read the full story by WLUK-TV – Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240708-ais-landingblitz-shawanolake
The shallowest of the Great Lakes — which was just named the top lake in the U.S. by USA Today’s 10Best — is now being recognized as a top spot for bass fishermen. Read the full story by The Canton Repository.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240708-bestbassfishing-lakeerie
The Mark W. Barker, a 639-foot lake freighter built by the Bay Shipbuilding Company, is slated to make stops at the Wirt Stone Docks in Bay City and Saginaw, Michigan. The Barker was the first Great Lakes freighter to be built on the lakes in 35 years when it was put together in 2022. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240708-freighter-greatlakes-saginaw
When the Environmental Protection Agency research vessel Lake Guardian arrives in Presque Isle Bay in Erie, Pennsylvania, it will be carrying not only scientists but also three Pennsylvania educators. The educators will have hands-on opportunities to explore microplastics, benthic organisms, cyanobacteria and other Lake Erie-specific topics. Read the full story by the Erie Times-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240708-pa-educators-researchvessel-epa
What if a high-voltage transmission line were built beneath Lake Michigan, connecting major power infrastructure on either side of the Great Lake? Officials at Wolverine Power Cooperative say regional grid operators should consider the concept. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240708-powerline-michigan-wisconsin
A new funding agreement between the state governments of Michigan and Illinois and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will provide $388 million to start the $1.1 billion Brandon Road Interbasin Project, aimed at preventing invasive species from entering the Great Lakes through the Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet, Illinois. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240703-brandon-road
The Ports of Indiana landed U.S. Customs and Border Protection approval to establish an international sea cargo container terminal, the first in Chicagoland and the first on Lake Michigan. The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor will be able to unload containers, creating an all-water container route for ocean vessels to reach the Chicago market. Read the full story by The Times of Northwest Indiana.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240703-cargo-port
The Ohio House approved H.B. 599, naming the walleye Ohio’s state fish, by a vote of 94-2. Ohio is one of only three states, along with Indiana and Iowa, without a state fish. Read the full story by The Columbus Dispatch.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240703-ohio-state-fish
The FishPass project in Traverse City, Michigan, replaces the city’s failing dam with a new barrier that allows passage of desirable fish while blocking harmful invaders. $1 million from Michigan’s 2025 state budget will support the final phases of construction of the FishPass, including most of its publicly accessible features. Read the full story by WWTV-TV – Cadillac, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240703-fishpass-funding
Michigan is looking at ways to reduce the amount of agricultural nutrient pollution getting into Lake Erie, including large- and small- scale wetland restoration projects in southeast Michigan. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240703-ag-pollution
The cleanup of an oily spill in the Flint River in Michigan continues a week after it was first detected, and officials said Tuesday they still don’t know the source. Flint city officials speculate that soil contamination or illegal dumping could be the source of the spill. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240703-flint-spill
The first week of August will mark ten years since the water crisis in Toledo, Ohio, when many were instructed not to drink, cook with, or bathe in the water for three days. Water quality advocates are disappointed major improvements haven’t been seen in the lake yet. Read the full story by WTOL-TV – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240703-erie-progress
Eight years ago, Oscoda, Michigan, residents were informed that PFAS “forever chemicals” had made their way into the town’s drinking water. The discovery’s impact on tourism is difficult to measure, but both data from the time and sources from the region say it did affect the economy. Read the full story by The Alpena News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240703-pfas-oscoda
The 20-minute ferry ride across Lake Superior to Madeline Island, Wisconsin, offers not only summer fun but also a glimpse into Great Lakes history. A new exhibit at the Madeline Island Museum highlights the Ojibwe people’s journey and their connection to the island. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240703-ojibwe-exhibit
Cruise ship season in the Great Lakes is in full swing, and Alpena, Michigan, has seen its fair share of cruise ships anchoring in its waters. Each year since 2022, the number of stops in Alpena has increased because of positive feedback. Read the full story by the Huron Daily Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240703-cruise-benefits
Chemicals like perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were likely spilled after the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. A low-pressure storm system moved these chemicals across the Great Lakes region affecting all of the Great Lakes except Lake Superior. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240701-regional-pfas
Pennsylvania Sea Grant announced a new online platform to help citizens learn more about commonly found aquatic invasive species (AIS) in waters near them and offers tools to help accurately identify them. Read the full story by WJET – Erie, PA.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240701-new-ais-app
Studies show that indoor air can be more polluted than the outdoor air in the biggest, most industrial cities in the Great Lakes region. Therefore seeking refuge indoors may actually be posing greater health risks. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240701-air-quality
Genetics is being pointed to as a major factor in the downturn in mallard numbers in the Atlantic Flyway and the Great Lakes region. Read the full story by Outdoor News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240701-mallard-population-decrease
Newly hatched Great Lakes piping plovers are all feet and fluff. A captive rearing program in northern Michigan is working to help their population increase. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240701-plover-rearing
Since 2006, the number of new invasive species entering the Great Lakes has declined by 85%, but with climate change warming the lakes, the number of freshwater species that can ultimately survive in the interconnected body of water is only increasing. Read the full story by the Daily Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240701-michigan-invaders
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its seasonal outlook for Lake Erie’s algal levels this summer. The annual bloom, commonly known as blue-green algae, is expected to become visible by early July and last into September. Read the full story by KDFW – Dallas, TX.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240701-summer-algae-bloom
Volunteers and invasive species partners will be at boat launches all over the state of Wisconsin this weekend, working to educate boaters on how to follow clean, drain, dry protocols to prevent the spread of invasive species. Read the full story by WCLO – Janesville, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240701-landing-blitz
The plastic pollution problem is widespread in the Great Lakes region. At a beach cleanup at Chicago’s North Avenue beach in May of 2024 participants picked up litter including lots of bits of plastic. Read the full story by Environment Illinois.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240701-beach-cleanup-mi
The Superior Watershed Program’s Lake Superior Volunteer Corps teamed up with the Great Lakes Climate Corps and community volunteers to clean up the new city pier in Marquette, Michigan. Volunteers pulled weeds and invasive plants from the area while planting native flowers and seeds. Read the full story by the WLUC – Marquette, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240701-native-planting
This year’s Lake Erie algal bloom — which NOAA announced yesterday is expected to be a moderate one — broke from tradition and started growing near the Monroe, Michigan, shoreline days ago. Most of the past outbreaks began in the Maumee Bay near Toledo. Read the full story by the Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240628-hab
Volunteers and invasive species prevention partners will be greeting Wisconsin boaters at boat landings from June 26 through July 6. This effort is to educate people about simple clean-up steps to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species through the Great Lakes Landing Blitz. Read the full story by WJFW-TV – Rhinelander, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240628-blitz
Sandy Bihn with Lake Erie Waterkeeper talks with WTOL-TV about efforts that have been made to keep Lake Erie healthy following the water crisis 10 years ago. Read the full story by WTOL-TV – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240628-sandysandy-bihn-with-lake-erie-waterkeeper-talks-with-dan-cummins-about-efforts-that-have-been-made-to-keep-lake-erie-healthy-following-the-water-crisis-10-years-ago.
The Ohio Legislature is investing $20 million into the North Coast Connector that, according to a Cleveland press release, is going to support a land bridge between downtown and the Lake Erie shoreline. Read the full story by Spectrum News 1.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240628-north-coast
The shore near Holland, Michigan, was recently hit by a meteotsunami, a series of large waves caused by storms moving faster than 35 miles per hour, causing rapid changes in atmospheric pressure. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240628-tsunami
The Great Lakes water levels are on their normal seasonal rise and are not forecasted to have any major rises or dips. With the Great Lakes stable, there are no foreseeable problems in store for boating conditions, the ecosystem, or aquatic life. Read the full story by WPBN-TV – Traverse City, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240628-levels
In 2019, Ohio created H2Ohio to teach farmers water quality practices and reduce the runoff of phosphorus into Lake Erie. But advocates say the lake’s problems are larger than just phosphorus run-off; they also include factory farms. Read the full story by WTOL-TV – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240628-farms
During a meeting earlier this month in New York state, an Oswego County official provided a detailed overview of what the designation of the eastern portion of Lake Ontario as a marine sanctuary would actually mean for the area. The official described national marine sanctuaries as America’s underwater version of national parks. Read the full story by Oswego County News Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240628-oswego
Whitefish, a pale, silvery and green-brown freshwater fish, is native to the Great Lakes Basin and a staple in the community, food, and culture of Indigenous Nations surrounding the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240628-whitefish
The Conneaut Port Authority has been awarded $10,850 to manage Phragmites, an invasive grass species that can quickly become the dominant species in a variety of wet habitats. The grant is from the Great Lakes Commission, as part of the Phragmites Adaptive Management Framework. Read the full story by the Star Beacon.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240628-phrag
At beaches in northern Michigan, alerts about unsafe E. coli levels in lake water are often issued the day after water is tested. The Health Department of Northwest Michigan is pivoting to a new type of test for E. coli which yields results in under six hours. Read the full story by Interlochen Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240626-ecoli-testing
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is urging boaters to prevent invasive species spread during the Great Lakes Landing Blitz. Boat inspectors will educate boaters at Wisconsin boat landings from June 26 to July 6. Read the full story by WBAY-TV – Green Bay, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240626-landing-blitz
The Michipicoten freighter rescued in Lake Superior this month after water poured into 13-foot gash in its hull is currently dry-docked for inspection, with a decision on repairs or scrapping hanging in the balance. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240626-michipicoten-freighter
Tour boats that have been stuck for months behind a damaged bridge in Kingston, Ontario, were finally released into the St. Lawrence River late last week. The bridge was damaged during maintenance in late March and was closed to all traffic. Read the full story by North Country Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240626-kingston-bridge
Volunteers in Thunder Bay, Ontario, planted native species to restore wildlife habitats and improve the shoreline. The initiative, part of the North Shore of Lake Superior Remedial Action Plan, aims for significant ecological recovery over the next few years. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240626-superior-planting
Studies show PFAS lurks across Metro Detroit from local rivers to drinking water to everyday consumer products. This guide includes the basics on what you need to know and what you can do. Read the full story by Planet Detroit.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240626-detroit-pfas
Around 160 participants gathered in Port Clinton, Ohio, for the 44th annual Governor’s Lake Erie Fish Ohio Day, which highlights the Lake Erie fishery. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240626-governors-fish-day
A man convicted of diverting a river in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in an effort to ease boat access to Lake Michigan was sentenced Tuesday to probation. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240626-sleeping-bear-diversion
High schoolers from Petoskey, Michigan, are cleaning up the Great Lakes one beach at a time using BeBot, a beach-cleaning robot, which can clean 32,000 square feet per hour. Read the full story by WPBN-TV – Traverse City, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240626-bebot-robot
Earlier this month, hundreds attended a public hearing in Wisconsin about Enbridge’s proposed reroute of a section of its Line 5 pipeline. These types of environmental concerns could be a deciding factor for some voters. Read the full story by WUWM – Milwaukee, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240626-pipeline-debated
With the help of Ducks Unlimited, the State of Michigan plans to restore wetlands on a 370-acre site to reduce the amount of fertilizer runoff reaching Lake Erie. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240624-wetland-restoration-lakeerie
Perched on the shores of Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area, life in Duluth, Minnesota, is ruled by the whims of the lake. And the lake likes to keep things cool. Read the full story by CNN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240624-coolerbylake-duluth-superior-travel
On Saturday, hundreds of history buffs and veterans descended upon Tiscornia Park in St. Joseph, Michigan, for a large-scale D-Day reenactment, eighty years after the largest amphibious invasion in military history altered the course of World War II, signaling the beginning of the end of Hitler’s hold on Europe. Read the full story by WXMI-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240624-dday-reenactment-lakemichiganbeach
