The Detroit River’s reputation has become notorious over the decades due to pollution, but restoration efforts are working, and scientists want to see those improvements reflected in the river’s environmental status. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231006-detroit-river
Michigan experts are encouraging residents to squash the invasive spotted lanternfly as the destructive insect rapidly spreads throughout the Great Lakes region. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231006-squish-invasive-bug
Enbridge Energy asked a state oversight panel for help as they complain that federal regulators are unreasonably delaying a key permit for the Line 5 tunnel project under the Straits of Mackinac between Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas. Read the full story by the Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231006-line5
Steel production fell by 7,000 tons in the Great Lakes region last week, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. Read the full story by the Northwest Indiana Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231006-steel-production
As climate change pushes the Great Lakes region’s cold water lakes and rivers to a breaking point, government officials acknowledge there simply isn’t enough capacity, time and money to save them all. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231006-climate-change
Hydrilla, called “one of the world’s most invasive aquatic plants,” by Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy officials, has been found for the first time in Michigan waterways. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231004-hydrilla
In Michigan, the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy is now a leader in softening the shoreline by using ecological principles and practices to achieve stabilization and safety while enhancing habitat and improving aesthetics. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231004-ralphwilson
Archeologists, historians and divers are trying to digitally capture more than 1,000 shipwrecks at the bottom of the Great Lakes before they become unrecognizable after a combination of invasive mussels and climate change have accelerated their deterioration at an alarming rate. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231004-ghosts
In Ohio, a donated wetlands area will benefit the Otsego Local Schools classrooms and community — but Lake Erie will get the biggest benefit. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231004-otsego
Thousands of water utilities across the Great Lakes region and nationwide will decide in the next three months whether to join two multibillion-dollar, class-action settlements against the largest producers of toxic PFAS chemicals that have tainted drinking water supplies. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231004-pfas
A water levels forecast could help coastal communities deal with the highs and lows of the Great Lakes, not only for things like habitat and ecosystem restoration, but also for navigation, infrastructure and city planning. Read the full story by WUWM – Milwaukee, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231004-waterlevels
A cyanobacteria bloom formed on Muskegon Lake near downtown Muskegon, Michigan, on Monday, Oct. 2, turning the water along the shoreline green with algae scum. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231004-algaebloom
More and more these days, conservationists are struggling over whether and how to intervene in the face of rapid human-induced ecosystem changes. In Michigan, the wolves of Isle Royale in Lake Superior are one example. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231004-isleroyale
Fall means popular splake fishing on Lake Superior. And the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is asking anglers to help them understand better how the fish live in the largest Great Lake. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231004-hybrid
A study by the University of Minnesota and Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa found that 117 chemicals from DEET bug spray, antidepressants, hormones, antifungals, antihistamines, antibiotics, and heart medications are found in fish and water in lakes across Northeastern Minnesota. Read the full story by the Duluth News Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231002-minnesota-fish-chemicals
Based on 2023 trawl surveys of state waters it conducts annually, the Ohio Division of Wildlife is rating this year’s walleye hatch as exceptional. That marks the fifth time in nine years dating back to 2015 that the walleye hatch has earned the division’s highest ranking. Read the full story by The Columbus Dispatch.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231002-ohio-walleye-hatch
In a September 6 survey, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service detected no evidence of invasive silver carp eDNA in the St. Joseph River near Berrien Springs, Michigan, after routine testing this summer turned up a single, positive sample. Read the full story by WXMI-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231002-carp-edna-update
Beaver Island, the largest island in Lake Michigan, is regarded among scientists to be one of the most ecologically pristine and biologically diverse spots in the Great Lakes region. Locals and scientists from Central Michigan University work to protect its unique habitats. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231002-beaver-island
The Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River Plan 2014 determines how much water should be released from Lake Ontario into the St. Lawrence River by the Moses-Saunders Power Dam in Massena, New York. In September, the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board deviated from Plan 2014 to provide higher and more predictable water levels on Lake St. Lawrence and the upper St. Lawrence River but in October has gone back to following Plan 2014 directives as Lake Ontario levels continue their seasonal decrease. Read the full story by the Niagara Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231002-ontario-water-levels
The Lake Express car ferry, designed to bypass Chicago area traffic, connects Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Muskegon, Michigan. In its 20th season, the high-speed catamaran is expected to have a banner year, experiencing increased traveler volumes in spring and summer even prior to the closure of the S.S. Badger car ferry in August. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231002-lake-express
The Platte River State Fish Hatchery in Benzie County, Michigan has stocked over 2 million salmon weighing over 79 tons this season. Coho salmon egg take will occur at the Platte River State Fish Hatchery around the third week of October and last for several weeks. Read the full story by WPBN/WGTU-TV – Traverse City, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231002-fish-hatchery
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources plans to stock adult Arctic grayling in select Upper Peninsula, Michigan lakes this fall as part of an effort to reintroduce the once iconic fish. The Arctic grayling was abundant in northern Michigan until the 1930s when intense logging wiped out its shaded spawning habitat. Read the full story by Michigan Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231002-arctic-grayling
October 1 marks the 135th anniversary of a tragedy in the waters of Lake Huron off the shore of the thumb of Michigan that resulted in the loss of five crew members of the barge St. Clair who died despite the heroic efforts of the U.S. Life-Saving Service Station in Harbor Beach, Michigan. Read the full story by the Huron Daily Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231002-st-clair-barge
The boundaries for two mosquito species, the yellow fever mosquito and the Asian tiger mosquito, are moving northward into the Great Lakes Basin, bringing with them the ability to transmit diseases of public importance including Zika, dengue, and yellow fever, according to a study by the Environmental Protection Agency. Read the full story by The Daily Telegram.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20231002-invasive-mosquitoes
Manoomin was once widespread across Michigan and the entire Upper Great Lakes. But hundreds of years of European settlement removed it from much of the landscape as settlers trenched and drained natural waterways, destroying countless acres of natural habitat. Now Great Lakes tribes like Bay Mills are working to restore wild rice to the ecosystem not only to reclaim cultural heritage but also to build thriving beds of the native species for the future. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230929-wildrice-greatlakes-anishinaabe
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved a plan Thursday to reduce the amount of phosphorus flowing into the Maumee River and eventually into Lake Erie, where the farm nutrient is considered the main contributor to the creation of harmful algal blooms. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230929-usepa-passesplan-habs
Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) levels are high in 13 areas around Erie County as of Sept. 27, according to the Erie County Beach Water Testing Results website. Read the full story by WJET-TV – Erie, PA.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230929-habs-highlevels-eriecounty
A beloved Windsor landmark’s tenure in Reaume Park has come to an end after 45 years of shooting water jets in the air and covering visitors with refreshing mist from the Detroit River. The Charles Brooks Memorial Peace Fountain — the biggest floating fountain in the world — was disconnected and barged to Lakeview Park Marina for the last time on Thursday. Read the full story by the Windsor Star.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230929-floating-peace-fountain
A federal judge on Thursday dismissed state officials from a lawsuit related to past lead contamination in a small southwestern Michigan city’s drinking water but said the case could proceed against city officials, including the mayor. Read the full story by ABC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230929-lawsuit-michigan-bentonharbor
The $7 million project, part of the massive Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, first dredged tons of muck out of the lake that had settled there over decades. Then it deepened parts of the lake and restored aquatic habitat and fish spawning habitat. Read the full story by the Duluth News Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230929-perch-stlouisriver
A new Michigan bill package is set to be introduced to the Senate next week regarding water affordability. The package includes creating a fund to help people statewide who are struggling to pay their water bills, but not everyone is on board. Read the full story by WDIV-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230929-wateraffordability-mi
The Ports of Indiana have an annual economic impact of $8.7 million, a new study concluded. Indianapolis-based port authority the Ports of Indiana commissioned the study to determine the economic contributions of its ports at Burns Harbor, Jeffersonville and Mount Vernon. The study looked at domestic cargo, international freight, wages, taxes and the economic output of companies at the ports, such as all the steel service centers that operate out of the Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor. Read the full story by the Northwest Times of Indiana.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230929-portsofindiana-economicimpactstudy
The Door County Maritime Museum’s annual Maritime Speaker Series kicks off its 2023-24 season Oct. 5 with the chance for guests to watch, listen and learn both in person and online. The speakers present on a variety of topics ranging from historical to current issues affecting the Great Lakes and the economy that relies on them. The programs are held the first Thursday of each month from October through May. Read the full story by the Green Bay Press Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230929-greatlakes-fringehistory-maritime
The Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center is having a golden moment. It turns 50 years old today. Read the full story by WDIO-TV – Duluth, MN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230929-lakesuperior-maritimecenter-50years
A federal oversight team is criticizing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its handling of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a grant program that received roughly $4 billion for environmental projects in the Great Lakes region since it launched in 2010. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230927-epa
The Great Lakes Fishery Commission says they will be treating for sea lampreys in Michigan’s Tahquamenon River on September 29. Read the full story by WWTC-TV – Cadillac, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230927-lamprey
Michigan Radio takes a look at the effects invasive species are having on the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Michigan Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230927-invasive-species
Led by the Bay Mills Indian Community, more than 60 tribal nations from Indian Country have weighed in on Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s lawsuit to move the Line 5 oil pipeline from the heart of the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Native News Online.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230927-tribal-support
Four bottles with messages inside are floating somewhere in Lake Michigan, waiting for someone to find them and win a stay in the White Shoal Lighthouse. Read the full story by WJBK-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230927-lighthouse-stay
This summer marked the arrival of three new cruise lines that added Cleveland, Ohio, to their list of stops. Read the full story by WEWS-TV – Cleveland, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230927-cleveland
Great Lakes tribes that cherish the Straits of Mackinac say Line 5 is a ‘ticking time bomb’ for the Great Lakes, which contain a fifth of the Earth’s surface fresh water, and risks destroying their relationship with land and water. Read the full story by The Guardian.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230927-line-5
Isle Royale, a National Park that sits in Lake Superior, is considering plans to open the park to more visitors. Read the full story by WJBK-TV – Detroit, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230927-isle-royale
The Great Lakes’ frigid fresh water used to keep shipwrecks well preserved. Now, an invasive mussel is destroying shipwrecks, forcing archeologists and amateur historians into a race against time to find as many sites as they can. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230925-shipwrecks-quagga-mussels
Only about 15 percent of the cumulative lake floor in the Great Lakes has ever been mapped in significant detail. Hoping to fix that is the project Lakebed 2030, an ambitious effort to map the totality of the Great Lakes by the end of the decade. Read the full story by The Leelanau Ticker.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230925-mapping-project
More than 9 million fish from state hatcheries have been added to the Great Lakes and inland waters across Michigan so far this year as part of the state’s annual stocking program. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230925-michigan-fish-stocking
t has been claimed there are 10,000 wrecks in the Great Lakes. Those in the Lower Georgian Bay represent an interesting glimpse into Ontario’s rich marine heritage. Read the full story by Barrie Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230925-hope-island-wrecks
Planners are in the early stages of an 18-month, $1.4 million project to plan a sustainable, climate-resilient future for Lakewood, Ohio’s coast. The plan will involve working with building owners to find a long-term erosion control measure. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230925-lakewood-ohio-erosion
Five flamingos have been spotted on Lake Michigan in Port Washington, Wisconsin, just north of Milwaukee. Audubon Florida speculates the birds were flying between Cuba and the Yucatan and got diverted by Hurricane Idalia. Read the full story by WDJT-TV – Milwaukee, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230925-flamingos
The historic Great Lakes car ferry, S.S. Badger will receive a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration. The contribution will go towards an ongoing feasibility analysis to convert the coal-fired steamship into a zero-emission ferry vessel. Read the full story by Trains.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230925-s-s-badger
The Goodtime I, based in Sandusky, Ohio, was stalled between Kelley’s Island and Marblehead due to an engine problem. The vessel was eventually towed back to shore. Read the full story by WKYC-TV – Cleveland, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230925-goodtime-ferry
