Hess Nature Preserve, located along Lake Huron in Northern Michigan, has grown more than 17 times its original size, protecting a coastal fen, wooded dune-and-swale habitat and an additional 450 feet of shoreline from future development. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260814-beach-access
A municipal court case in Shorewood, Wisconsin, could become a pivotal test of public access to Lake Michigan’s shoreline, a question other Great Lakes states have settled but Wisconsin courts have yet to fully address. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260814-beach-access
After a 130-year-old historic charcoal kiln collapsed under heavy snow in Marquette, Michigan, a new brick beehive was built to greet travelers on Iron Ore Heritage Trail that runs along Lake Superior. Read the full story by MLive
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260814-historic-kiln-rebuilt
A schoolteacher from Chillicothe, Ohio, spent 13 days at sea this summer aboard a NOAA research vessel, helping scientists survey the lake bottoms of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario with plans to bring the experience back to the classroom. Read the full story by the Scioto Valley Guardian.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260814-teacher-at-sea
State crews are lowering a popular northern Michigan fishing lake named Tomahawk Creek Flooding in Allis Township after suspected seepage was found below its aging dam. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260814-aging-dam
This weekend, residents and visitors are taking to the water in boats, kayaks, floaties, makeshift picnic tables and anything else that can stay above water and carry them down the St. Clair River from Port Huron’s Lighthouse Beach to the Chrysler Beach in Marysville, Michigan. Read the full story by the Port Huron Times Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260814-river-float
Illinois is requiring polluters to begin reporting spills of industrial plastic pellets known as nurdles, a growing source of contamination in the Great Lakes and Mississippi River watersheds. Companies that manufacture, use or transport nurdles also must develop plans to limit them in storm runoff, making the state the first in either watershed to officially designate bits of wasted plastic as pollution. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260812-illinois-law-greatlakes-industrial-plastic-pellet-pollution
Sightings of double-crested cormorants, a voracious fish-scarfing seabird, have lately been on the rise in New York’s Great Lakes region, causing concern among anglers and residents of lakeshore communities. Read the full story by New York Upstate.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260812-voracious-fish-eating-ny
Scientists found that fish in Lake Erie often congregate along the edges of low-oxygen “dead zones” rather than simply avoiding them. The discovery could help researchers better predict how climate change will alter fish habitat and fisheries across the Great Lakes. Read the full story by The Times of India.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260812-lake-erie-low-oxygen-climate-change
The R/V Steelhead II, a new fisheries research vessel being built to replace the aging S/V Steelhead, will enhance the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ ability to conduct fish population surveys and fisheries management research in Lake Huron and other northern Michigan waters, helping guide future conservation and management decisions. Read the full story by The Alpena News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260812-future-fisheries-research-northern-michigan
Michigan lake sturgeon were already known as “living dinosaurs” – but they may be a lot older than you might think, according to a new study from Michigan and Wisconsin officials and universities. Some of the spiny, whiskered females may live for as long as 427 years the groups found, following an analysis of populations in the Great Lakes. Read the full story by The Independent.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260812-greatlakes-fish-old-age
Water-safety advocates are reminding beachgoers about the dangers of rip currents, high waves, and sudden weather changes on Lake Michigan. The warning comes during one of the busiest periods of the recreational season. Read the full story by the Manistee News Advocate.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260812-lake-michigan-august
The 208-foot Thomas Jefferson, operated by NOAA Corps officers, has been surveying and mapping the Lake Ontario lakebed since late June. Officials said the area has not been comprehensively surveyed in more than 80 years. Read the full story by WROC-TV – Rochester, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260812-noaa-mapping
With hot summer weather creating stressful conditions for fish in lakes, rivers and streams across the state, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is sharing what people can do if they see a fish mortality event — and how they can help prevent them. Read the full story by the Morrison County Record.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260812-dnr-reports-fish-mortality-heat
A major reconstruction of the harbor channel wall at Holland State Park will begin this fall, causing significant disruptions to parking, beach access, and boating facilities over the next two years. Officials say the project is necessary to stabilize the aging structure, protect navigation into Lake Macatawa, and ensure the long-term safety and functionality of one of Michigan’s most heavily visited state parks. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260812-harbor-wall-michigans-busiet-state-parks
Conservation groups in western Michigan announced educational events focused on combating the hemlock woolly adelgid, an invasive insect threatening forests along the Lake Michigan shoreline. Organizers are also promoting strategies to improve long-term forest resilience. Read the full story by the Manistee News Advocate.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260812-forest-restoration-august
An ongoing series of federal waivers has created uncertainty for the United States maritime industry, with experts foreseeing potentially devastating implications for Great Lakes shipping. The waivers suspend a century-old federal law called the Jones Act, which requires cargo shipped between domestic ports to be transported on vessels built in America, owned and operated by American companies, and predominantly crewed by American workers. Read the full story by the Traverse Ticker.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260810-maritime-waivers
In Michigan, the Macomb County Chamber and Macomb County Planning & Economic Development will host the inaugural Great Lakes Policy Conference to bring together groups that often work separately to discuss how Lake St. Clair and the Great Lakes can drive economic development, tourism, infrastructure investment and workforce growth. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260810-stclair-conference
Representatives from the Burt Lake Band and the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians discuss traditional practices, climate goals, and the steps to take to ensure Lake Michigan and its sibling lakes remain healthy for future generations. Read the full story by the Northern Express.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260810-tribes-great-lakes
Researchers are now exploring a new approach to controlling invasive sea lamprey focused on the chemical signal lamprey use to find each other. Read the full story by the Alpena News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260810-lamprey-research
A Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge could decide next week whether a Shorewood resident was trespassing when he walked on what the village considers to be private property. Read the full story by WUWM – Milwaukee, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260810-shoreline-access
Erie County is holding a celebration event to honor the 100th anniversary of Perry Monument at Crystal Point at Presque Isle State Park in Pennsylvania. The monument honors Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, the naval war hero who defeated the British in the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. Read the full story by the Erie-Times News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260810-perry-monument
On July 7, the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House project opened to the public in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan. This was after a decade of advocacy and effort, and over $7 million in funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260810-ford-house-open
The Lassonde Art Trail is part of a $1 billion redevelopment project to revitalize Toronto’s relationship with its waterways. Read the full story by the Art Newspaper.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260810-toronto-trail
Hundreds of surfers of all skill levels gathered for the annual Great Lakes Surf Festival at Pere Marquette Beach in Muskegon, Michigan on Saturday to celebrate Michigan’s surfing culture with music, yoga and surfing lessons. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260810-surf-festival
A Lake Michigan shipwreck off the coast of Door County, Wisconsin, was missing for almost 140 years and only found last summer. The 144-foot schooner F.J. King was named to the National Register of Historic Places. Read the full story by Green Bay Press Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260807-historic-shipwreck
A Lake Michigan shipwreck off the coast of Door County, Wisconsin, was missing for almost 140 years and only found last summer. The 144-foot schooner F.J. King was named to the National Register of Historic Places. Read the full story by Green Bay Press Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260807-historic-shipwreck
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources recently released images that show the reconstructed Skyline Trail situated atop Ludington State Park’s southern dune ridge. Construction is slated to being in September with completion mid-2027. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260807-new-boardwalk
About 96 million gallons of untreated wastewater was discharged into local waterways in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Lake Michigan because of a recent storm that resulted in over 3 inches of rain. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260807-watsewater-discharge
A new accessible trail connecting Southwick beach in Henderson, New York, to Lake Ontario has been completed as part of a $9.5 million improvement at two state parks. Read the full story by the Watertown Daily Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260807-ontario-connector-trail
Congressional representatives are calling for the Trump Administration to reverse its work stoppage on the Brandon Road Interbasin Project to prevent invasive species from entering the Great Lakes and permanently altering aquatic ecosystems. Read the full story by ENR Midwest.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260807-carp-barrier-halted
Lev Goldberg, a Toronto based, trans athlete has now successfully swum across Lake Huron and Lake Ontario. His goal is to swim across all five Great Lakes in five years. Read the full story by The Sarnia Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260807-historic-swimmer
A soft buzzing sound and the gentle lapping of water against the hull make for a relaxing excursion on the famous Portage Canal in Michigan’s Keweenaw peninsula. New all-electric ‘Buzzy Boats’ are available for hourly rentals along the waterway. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260807-electric-boats
After years of being plagued by high fecal bacteria levels, Bay View’s South Shore Beach in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was moved and reopened last year. The new beach is three times more likely to stay below the E. coli limits. Read the full story by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260807-new-bay-view-beach
After years of being plagued by high fecal bacteria levels, Bay View’s South Shore Beach in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was moved and reopened last year. The new beach is three times more likely to stay below the E. coli limits. Read the full story by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260807-new-bay-view-beach
The Village of Channahon in northeast Illinois is one step closer to getting their water from Lake Michigan. The Village board approved the project as an agenda item on upcoming meetings and the village mayor hopes to keep the project moving forward. Read the full story by WCSJ – Morris, IL.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260807-water-supply-change
The Alliance for the Great Lakes is inviting everyone to take part in its annual Adopt a Beach cleanup program along Great Lakes’ shorelines and celebrate the program’s 35th anniversary. Read the full story by WSJM-Benton Harbor, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260807-beach-cleanup
Every spring, as the Great Lakes region warms, scientists begin watching for the return of harmful algal blooms. While the average passerby doesn’t notice the blooms until the bright green layer covers the shoreline, scientists can begin predicting the blooms weeks or even months before they become visible. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260805-erie-algal-blooms
Local communities are issuing drought declarations and urging residents to conserve water in response to a drought warning for the Western Lake Superior Watershed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Read the full story by the Mesabi Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260805-superior-watershed-drought
Following the Michigan Supreme Court’s ruling striking down state energy regulators’ decision to permit the Line 5 tunnel project, pipeline opponents convened to celebrate the decision and talk about the next steps. Read the full story by Michigan Advance.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260805-line5
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s largest research vessel began a month-long survey Monday to assess water quality and food-web conditions across all five Great Lakes. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260805-epa-water-quality
Lake Michigan has been named the best fishing lake in the United States for 2026 by FishingBooker, a website that helps people book fishing trips. Read the full story by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260805-lakemichigan-fishing
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy hired GEI Consultants this year to chart a path for the aging Au Train Dam in Alger County, which lost its hydropower license in December following years of unresolved safety violations. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260805-mi-hydro-dam
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources announced that Milwaukee’s beaches are closed due to poor water quality and a “sewage spill” from the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District. Read the full story by WISN-TV – Milwaukee, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260805-wilwaukee-beach-closures
Swarms of mayflies have been observed across Northwest Ohio this season, and experts say the abundance of mayflies in this region owes its thanks to the current health of Lake Erie. Read the full story by the Ohio Newsroom.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260805-mayflies-erie-health
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will hold two public meetings this week to discuss ongoing walleye research in Sodus and Irondequoit bays. Read the full story by the Finger Lakes Daily News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260805-dec-walleye-research
The Elberta Heritage Center in Elberta, Michigan, will present a free screening of “The Wreck and Rescue of the Schooner J. Hazard Hartzell” at 7 p.m. on Sunday, August 16. Read the full story by the Benxie County Record Patriot.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260805-elberta-maritime
Four U.S. congressional representatives from Ohio and Michigan joined political leaders from around the Great Lakes in calling for the reversal of a work stoppage order at the Brandon Road Interbasin Project near Joliet, Illinois, which aims to keep invasive carp from moving into the Great Lakes. Read the full story by WTOL-TV – Toledo, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260803-work-stoppage-reversal
The Michigan Supreme Court has ordered state regulators to reconsider a key permit that allowed a planned tunnel to carry an oil pipeline under part of the Great Lakes to move forward. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260803-permit-rejection
Great Lakes Piping Plovers have tallied 99 pairs this mating and breeding season, which is 11 more couples than last year’s record total; it’s the most piping plover pairs counted since the birds were listed as federally endangered in 1986. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20260803-plover-record
