While Michigan’s rivers provide drinking water for millions and an abundance of recreational opportunities, they also struggle with widespread E. coli and PFAS pollution, development pressure, legacy contamination that makes fish unsafe to eat and a host of other challenges. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260601-mi-rivers
In 1976, one man triggered a legal fight that changed commercial fishing in the Great Lakes. Decades later, another legal battle is taking shape over the Great Lakes tribes indigenous rights. Read the full story by NPR.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260601-legal-fight-fishing
In Michigan, a nonprofit organization has launched a fundraising campaign to buy the available acreage along Lake Huron to permanently protect its ecological features and offer new public recreation options. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260601-huron-pines
After a wet spring with plenty of rainfall, Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River remain above-average for this time of year, but far from historic highs set in 2017. Read the full story by North County Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260601-ontario-water-levels
A new bill would designate the Great Lakes Commission as the Regional Great Lakes Partnership under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Regional Ocean Partnerships Program. This designation ensures that the Great Lakes region receives a fair share of program funding, delivering federal resources to support the GLC’s longstanding work to coordinate Great Lakes research and conservation efforts. Read the full story by The Alpena News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260529-new-bill-glc-funding
Scientists at the University of Toledo in Ohio are developing a mathematical framework to aid in measuring the health of ecosystems. A grant received via the U.S. Geological Survey is helping track how changes in environment affect the “recruitment” of sport fish in Lake Erie. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260529-erie-diversity-modeling
A vision dreamed up four years ago to make Buffalo, New York, a city port for passenger ships became a reality when the 130-passenger American Patriot pulled into the Erie Basin Marina for a 48-hour Buffalo stop this week. Read the full story by WBEN – Buffalo, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260529-buffalo-cruise-stop
The Lake Carriers’ Association said in a report this week that US-flagged shipping on the Great Lakes lost 82 ship days, a third of its 2026 season, because of “inadequate icebreaking” operations from the US Coast Guard. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260529-icebreaking-operations
The American eel is an unlucky and undeniably slippery hero that spends most its life in Lake Ontario. However, the species makes an incredible journey twice in its life, moving from open ocean to freshwater and back again overcoming many obstacles such as dams and the Bermuda Triangle to spawn in the depths of the Sargasso Sea. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260529-american-eel-journey
Beach season is here, and Lake Michigan is the most popular of the Great Lakes for swimming. However, it can also be the most dangerous. Grand Haven State Park in Michigan has added safety features as conditions are known to change rapidly at the park’s beaches. Read the full story by WWMT-TV – Kalamazoo, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260529-beach-safety
Every year, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources asks for input from residents, beach managers, and public health officials about what changes are needed to the Wisconsin beach list. This helps ensure that the list is up to date and reflects any recent changes in use or status of beaches and boat launches. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260529-wi-water-quality
A marine debris cleanup group with a goal of removing one million pieces of litter from the Great Lakes basin will make its way to Marquette, Michigan, for a Lake Superior declutter event. Read the full story by WBUP-TV – Ishpeming, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260529-superior-cleanup
Scientists are using baby eagle blood to assess the health of Michigan’s environment. Because eagles are top predators, heavily linked to lakes and rivers, they provide a proxy for water quality. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260529-eagle-indicators
A state park in Sodus, New York, is naturally eroding into Lake Ontario and creating a hazard. Despite the erosion, the park remains popular and park staff plan to carefully watch rate of erosion in years ahead to ensure buildings and pavilions remain safe to use. Read the full story by WHEC-TV – Rochester, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260529-ny-bluff-erosion
A Microsoft official said Tuesday the company doesn’t expect its data centers in the Great Lakes region will reach a threshold that would trigger greater review under the Great Lakes Compact. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260527-microsoft-data-centers-greatlakes-compact
For decades, efforts have been underway to clean up the Great Lakes from legacy industrial pollution, including polychlorinated biphenyls, a class of more than 200 manmade chemicals often known as PCBs. Cleanup crews have removed or contained millions of cubic yards of toxic sediment during a massive $1.3 billion remediation effort designed to protect Green Bay and Lake Michigan. Read the full story by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260527-lower-fox-river-pcb-cleanup
A former Lower Fox River PCB cleanup worker is searching for answers after being diagnosed with cancer and questioning whether long-term exposure to toxic chemicals during the massive remediation project contributed to his illness. Read the full story by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260527-fox-river-toxic-chemicals-cancer-link-investigation
PCBs — toxic industrial chemicals banned in the U.S. decades ago — still persist in Great Lakes waterways because they accumulate in sediment and move through the food chain, especially in fish consumed by humans and wildlife. Despite long-term declines in contamination, PCBs continue to pose health and environmental risks across the Great Lakes region. Read the full story by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260527-pcbs-greatlakes-waterways-toxic-chemicals
Michigan congressman Tim Walberg has introduced new legislation intended to help prevent the spread of invasive species in the Great Lakes. His Aquatic Invasive Species Control and Prevention Act would support state-led and coordinated management efforts while improving coordination across federal, state, and regional programs. Read the full story by WSJM – Benton Harbor, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260527-walberg-prevent-invasive-species
Michigan lawmakers are considering bills that would allow commercial fishers to catch species like lake trout and walleye as Great Lakes whitefish populations continue to collapse due to invasive mussels and ecosystem changes. Supporters say the move could save Michigan’s struggling commercial fishing industry, while recreational anglers and state officials warn it could increase pressure on already vulnerable fish populations and deepen conflicts over Great Lakes fisheries management. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260527-lawmakers-weigh-commercial-fishing-whitefish-decline
With the unofficial start of summer in the rearview, Michigan marine travelers crossing international borders in the Great Lakes are reminded to report their vessels to U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations (CPB). Travelers can use the CBP ROAM mobile app to report their arrival without appearing in person at a port of entry. Read the full story by Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260527-michigan-boaters-app-customs-report
In Michigan, the city of South Haven’s new lifeguard program is officially up and running, with the team taking to South Beach for the first time in 25 years this Memorial Day weekend. The return of the program has been years in the making as the families of drowning victims and Great Lakes safety advocates worked to convince city leaders it was the right move. Read the full story by WSJM – Benton Harbor, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260527-great-lakes-safety-lifeguards-south-haven
About 213 acres along Lake Superior in Wisconsin’s Iron County have been permanently protected and transferred to the National Park Service to improve and expand the North Country National Scenic Trail, the nation’s longest national scenic trail. The acquisition will allow roughly three miles of the trail to be moved off roads and into scenic natural areas featuring shoreline views, waterfalls, and historic cultural sites near the Wisconsin–Michigan border. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260527-lake-superior-national-scenic-trail
Michigan has just one state park on Lake Erie, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore it. William C. Sterling State Park offers visitors camping at a campground or in cottages, fishing, sandy beaches and boating. Visitors also can explore history nearby by hiking the River Raisin Heritage Trail to nearby River Raisin National Battlefield Park. Read the full story by Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260527-michigan-state-park-lake-erie
From Lake Michigan to the Chicago River to streams and creeks across the state, there are tiny bits of plastic in Illinois waterways, according to a new report from an environmental advocacy group. Read the full story by CBS News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260522-illinois-pollution
A Traverse City, Michigan, protest draws attention to potential drinking water and ecosystem impacts from Enbridge’s proposed Line 5 pipeline tunnel. Read the full story by Planet Detroit.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260522-line5-protest
The Lake Carriers’ Association said in a report this week that US-flagged shipping on the Great Lakes lost 82 ship days — a third of its 2026 season — because of “inadequate icebreaking” operations from the U.S. Coast Guard. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260522-icebreaking-shipping
Connections to Lake Superior persist through tribal and commercial fishing, local communities, and copper, despite obstacles over time. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260522-lake-superior-connnections
The U.S. Coast Guard is marking the opening of Great Lakes boating season by increasing coverage and opening two seasonal air stations. Read the full story by WZZM-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260522-coast-guard
Great Lakes Cruises is adding Buffalo, New York, as its newest destination stop as the city prepares to welcome its first cruise ship to sail to the area in decades. A new cruise ship terminal is expected to make its debut at Buffalo’s Outer Harbor in summer of 2028. Read the full story by WIVB-TV – Buffalo, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260522-buffalo-cruises
With rain forecasted for the weekend, officials are closely watching Lake Ontario’s water levels as homeowners worry about possible flooding. Read the full story by WHAM-TV – Rochester, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260522-ontario-flooding
The Great Lakes cruising season is well underway with five ships already sailing up and down the freshwater coastlines, and Pearl Mist is returning to the Great Lakes for the twelfth year in a row. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260522-pearl-mist
There’s a new catch-and-release state record for lake trout in Minnesota, a 44-inch lake trout from Lake Superior in April, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Fish and Wildlife Division. Read the full story by Bring Me the News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260522-record-trout
The Michigan Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development voted to approve six additional listings to the state invasive plant list following public input and what the state says was a “rigorous” scientific review process. Read the full story by WLNS-TV – Lansing, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260522-mi-invasive-plants
U.S.-flag shipping on the Great Lakes lost a total of 82 ship days, or about a third of the season, due to inadequate icebreaking. At one point 19 vessels were stopped for multiple days in the ice, waiting for icebreakers to clear the way. Read the full story by WDIV-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260520-ice-breaking
Michigan environmental regulators on Tuesday announced they are seeking input on a request to reissue one of the permits needed to move forward with construction on the controversial Line 5 tunnel project. Read the full story by Michigan Advance.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260520-line5-input
Rising utility bills and increased noise aren’t the only concerns surrounding data centers. They’re also making headlines over fears they could contribute to lower water levels in Lake Michigan. Read the full story by WFLD-TV – Chicago, IL.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260520-data-centers
Michigan will receive a $108 million settlement from Monsanto Co. to address longstanding environmental contamination from PCBs across the state. The money will be used to reduce contamination risks, improve water quality, and restore damaged natural resources. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260520-pcb-settlement
The Port of Green Bay, Wisconsin, closed for several weeks due to swift waters from inland flooding. The port reopened to traffic Thursday. Read the full story by Spectrum News 1.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260520-green-bay
Lake Ontario water levels recently rose above key thresholds, putting shoreline communities at risk of flooding. Read the full story by the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260520-ontario-levels
Presque Isle State Park in Erie, Pennsylvania, typically gets state and federal money to add sand to its beaches. This summer’s work will start in July with only state funds. Read the full story by the Erie Times-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260520-erie-sand
A coalition of Ontario conservation authorities wants to know what you value about the Lake Ontario shoreline, and they’re travelling the 100-kilometre stretch between Niagara-on-the-Lake and Oakville, Ontario, to find out. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260520-ontario-waterfront
A new book, “The Great Lakes Ships of Frank E. Kirby,” explores the life of a prolific Midwestern naval architect whose vessels once carried passengers who are still alive today. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260520-ship-architect
Michilimackinac State Park, just below the Mackinac Bridge on the southern shore of Lake Huron, in Mackinaw City, Michigan, is slated for a full revamp. The proposed project includes a pavilion, accessible picnic areas and a pergola for weddings, interpretive signage, refreshed landscaping and irrigation. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260520-park-revamp
A judge in Bayfield County, Wisconsin halted work in four locations in the state where Enbridge needs more permits to install structures. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260518-line5-halt
Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert has been elected to the board of directors for the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, a binational coalition of more than 450 municipalities working to advance economic growth and environmental stewardship across the region. Read the full story by WDIO – Duluth, MN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260518-duluth-mayor
A replica of the historic USS Niagara is back in the water after undergoing nearly $7 million in restorations. Read the full story by NPR.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260518-ship-restoration
Over the weekend, piping plover eggs were laid at Montrose Beach and the Waukegan shorelines in Illinois. Chicago’s original plover pair have switched mates this year, which is reportedly not uncommon according to the Lake County Audubon Society. Read the full story by WTTW- Chicago, IL.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260518-piping-plover-breeding
The historic Lake Michigan auto and passenger ferry SS Badger, the last coal-fired steamship operating on the Great Lakes, opened its season Friday, May 15, headed for Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260518-ss-badger
Model legislation developed at UW-Milwaukee provides an opportunity to forge a more sustainable future amidst the Great Lakes’ AI-data center boom Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260518-data-center-boom
