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A pumped hydroelectric storage facility on Lake Michigan was built more than 50 years ago to help absorb nuclear energy during overnight hours when customer demand for electricity was low. Now, the facility generates additional electricity for Michigan’s power grid via a system of turbines pumping water out of and into the lake. Read the full story by MLive.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230816-water-battery

Connor Roessler

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In: Daily News

While Lake Erie’s water level remains above average, it was expected to resume its seasonal decline in August and is projected to go down 5 inches by mid-September. Even though the lake didn’t reach record highs in 2023, any kind of decline that takes levels closer to average can be beneficial for lakeshore property owners. Read the full story by the Erie Times-News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230816-erie-decline

Connor Roessler

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In: Daily News

The ongoing drought that has plagued Wisconsin over the last couple of months has had little to no impact on the water levels on Lake Michigan and Lake Superior as the lake levels remain above long-term averages. Read the full story by Spectrum News 1 – Milwaukee, WI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230816-drought-lakes

Connor Roessler

On:
In: Daily News

Climate change is influencing changes to Lake Erie’s water levels, ice cover, and water temperatures, all of which have an impact on the breeding conditions and habitat for walleye. This uncertainty in the future of the walleye population could cause issues for towns which rely on fishing for the local economy.  Read the full story by WKSU – Kent, OH.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230816-walleye

Connor Roessler

On:
In: Daily News

Michigan will spend more than half a million dollars on a slate of projects meant to support the state’s transition to renewable energy — for boats. Six companies will receive a total of $506,000 as part of a new grant program aimed at decarbonizing the region’s maritime industry. The first round of projects will develop electric boats, deploy solar-powered vessels and install charging stations. Read the full story by Interlochen Public Radio.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230814-chargingstations-electricboats-michiganmarinas

Hannah Reynolds

On:
In: Daily News

There is a project in the works to install a “gantlet” system in the Des Plaines River at Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet to stop silver and bighead carp from reaching the Great Lakes. The $1.14 billion project is funded by the federal government and the states of Illinois and Michigan. Although the cost estimate has increased and progress has been slow, the project is in the last stages of design as Illinois prepares to sign an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin construction. Read the full story by The Pantagraph.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230814-scientists-invasivecarp-creativestrategies-protectlakemichigan

Hannah Reynolds

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In: Daily News

Port Colborne could enable an all-season Lake Erie shipping option when the St. Lawrence Seaway system’s locks are not operating, says a study from Fluid Intelligence. The study looks at the potential advantages of short-sea shipping services between southern Ontario and the U.S. Great Lakes region and was released in May. Read the full story by the Welland Tribune.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230814-portcolborne-shortseashipping-lakeerie

Hannah Reynolds

On:
In: Daily News

Volunteers came together Sunday morning to help clean up trash at International Park located in Toledo, OH. The effort was put on by a group whose goal is to protect and preserve our Great Lakes. Sunday was the fourth stop on the Ultimate Great Lakes Cleanup Road Trip where organizers and volunteers are beautifying each of the Great Lakes in just one week. The first step in helping Lake Erie is to clean up the Maumee River. Read the full story by WTVG-TV – Toledo, OH.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230814-greatlakes-greatresponsibility-cleanup

Hannah Reynolds

On:
In: Daily News

The state is recommending that Michigan residents lower how much smelt they eat from some local bodies of water. New guidelines for smelt consumption were included in the state health department’s 2023 Eat Safe Fish Guides, with the agency saying people should limit their smelt consumption to just one serving per month for fish from Lake Michigan, as well as Portage Lake in Houghton County.  Read the full story by The Detroit News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230814-smelt-michigan-lakes-guidelines

Hannah Reynolds

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In: Daily News

For decades, scientists have been drawn like magnets to a cluster of remote islands thirty-some miles out into northern Lake Michigan, halfway between Michigan’s Upper and Lower peninsulas. The islands in the Beaver Island archipelago are a hub for scientific research about Great Lakes water quality, microplastics pollution, wetlands monitoring, and more. Read the full story by MLive.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230814-wetlands-waterquality-beaverisland

Hannah Reynolds

On:
In: Daily News

Swimmers and some boaters are being warned to stay out of parts of Lake Erie on Monday. A Beach Hazard Statement has been issued for swimmers in Erie, Lucas, and Ottawa Counties beginning in the afternoon on Monday, August 14. The warning then goes into effect for Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Lake, and Lorain Counties later in the evening. According to the alert, wind and wave action could make for a high risk of rip currents. Read the full story by WJW-TV – Cleveland, OH.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230814-lakeerie-weatheralert

Hannah Reynolds

On:
In: Daily News

An opportunity to learn about shipwrecks and underwater photography is coming up on Thursday at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center in Alpena. As part of the Sanctuary Lecture Series, renowned underwater photographer and author Chris Roxburgh will host a free presentation, Exploring Shipwrecks of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Read the full story by The Alpena News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230814-shipwrecks-thunderbay-explore

Hannah Reynolds

On:
In: Daily News

Did you hear about the Michigan man who crossed Lake Michigan in a bathtub (sitting backwards, no less) because of a $5 bet? Well, the 54-year anniversary of his voyage was this week. Read the full story by WDIV-TV – Detroit, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230814-lakemi-crossedlake-bathtub

Hannah Reynolds

On:
In: Daily News

Toledo-Lucas County, Ohio, Health Department officials announced Wednesday that the public should avoid all contact with water at Maumee Bay State Park due to cyanotoxin levels caused by the Lake Erie Algal Bloom. The public is not permitted to swim at Lake Erie Beach at the park and pets should be kept away from the water. Read the full story by WTOL-TV – Toledo, OH.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230811-algal-bloom

James Polidori

On:
In: Daily News

The latest twice-a-year check of Flint’s water pipes by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) shows lead levels in its water dropped slightly during the first six months of this year, which follows a steady pattern of improvement. Flint is close to reaching a goal of replacing all lead service lines, as 95% of Flint residences have had their lead lines replaced. Read the full story by WKAR – East Lansing, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230811-lead-levels

James Polidori

On:
In: Daily News

The U.S. Coast Guard announced on Thursday that original estimates of the amount of diesel fuel that spilled into Lake Michigan from the damaged Manitowoc were too high. The cause of the hull breach that led to the spill and the exact amount of spillage continues to be investigated. Read the full story by the Traverse City Record-Eagle.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230811-spill-investigation

James Polidori

On:
In: Daily News

The Great Lakes region is getting about $2.8 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office for Coastal management. The money can be used to assess a community’s vulnerabilities, buy land to be a coastal buffer, and preserve or restore wetlands. Read the full story by WUOM – Ann Arbor, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230811-resiliency-funding

James Polidori

On:
In: Daily News

All of the Great Lakes’ water levels are higher than their long-term average, but the forecast shows the lakes are getting ready to start lowering as we head into fall, fitting into the annual cycle of rising and falling water levels. Read the full story by MLive.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230811-water-levels

James Polidori

On:
In: Daily News

In Saginaw Bay, Michigan, the Saginaw Bay Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area is conducting an ongoing project to restore habitats that have been degraded by phragmites, an invasive species from Europe. It grows along shores and in places where water gathers or the ground is wet and can cause problems for native animals, other plants, and people. Read the full story by the Huron Daily Tribune.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230811-phragmites-project

James Polidori

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In: Daily News

Lake Superior is historically home to some of the largest shipping enterprises North America has ever seen. Michael Schumacher’s new book, “Too Much Sea For Their Decks,” is full of short sea-stories and shipwrecks along Minnesota’s North Shore and Island Royale. Read and listen to the full story by Minnesota Public Radio.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230811-shipwreck-book

James Polidori

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In: Daily News

Scientists with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa have, for 20 years, been traveling to the uninhabited High Island in northern Lake Michigan to monitor endangered piping plovers as they nest and fledge their chicks. Read the full story by MLive.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230811-plover-monitoring

James Polidori

On:
In: Daily News

In June, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers promoted what the agency hopes will be a new strategy to control European frog-bit, an invasive aquatic plant. The agency offered researchers a $200,000 grant to develop a biological control for European frog-bit and its relative, water soldier. Read the full story by Michigan Public Radio.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230809-frogbit

Jill Estrada

On:
In: Daily News

Saginaw Bay Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA), in partnership with Arenac Conservation District, Michigan Natural Features Inventory, Michigan Technological University, and US Fish and Wildlife Service are conducting an ongoing project along the Saginaw Bay shoreline. Read the full story by WEYI -TV – Saginaw, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230809-saginaw-bay

Jill Estrada

On:
In: Daily News

The just-released results of a joint United States and Canadian research study shows that the Port of Oswego Authority in Oswego, New York, made a $513 million impact on the local and regional economy and supported 2,229 jobs by its maritime activity. Read the full story by Oswego County Today.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230809-port-economics

Jill Estrada

On:
In: Daily News

A sheen of diesel fuel spilled from the freighter Manitowoc has dissipated north of Manistee, Michigan after a storm. The Manitowoc is headed to Muskegon for repairs while the cause of the spill remains under investigation. Read the full story by MLive.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230807-spill-cleanup

James Polidori

On:
In: Daily News

Waukesha, Wisconsin, will begin using Lake Michigan water for public supply once construction crews finish building a pumping station and two reservoirs. To tap into Lake Michigan for water, Waukesha had to reach a special agreement with Milwaukee and get the okay from the Great Lakes States and Provinces under the Great Lakes Compact. Read the full story by Spectrum News 1.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230807-waukesha-water-supply

James Polidori

On:
In: Daily News

The North Shores of Saugatuck, Michigan, wants to build 50 homes and a marina basin along the Kalamazoo River, but the Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance argues the development would remove 250,000 tons of sand from one of the state’s critical dune areas. The coming weeks could mark a crucial point in the 17-year long battle over this proposed development. Read the full story by WVGR – Grand Rapids, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230807-development-issue

James Polidori

On:
In: Daily News

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has raised $15 million of its $20 million goal to build the most technologically advanced freshwater research vessel in the United States. When built, the Maggi Sue, named by an anonymous donor, will further advance scientists’ understanding of the Great Lakes. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230807-research-vessel

James Polidori

On:
In: Daily News

According to a new study, Lake St. Clair and its coastal zones in Macomb County, Michigan, brings a $1.6 billion economic impact and more than 18,000 jobs to the county and region. In the next few months, the Macomb County Chamber is forming a task force to support the study and further boost the economy around the lake. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230807-economic-study

James Polidori

On:
In: Daily News

No cause has been determined yet for a massive fish kill stretching several kilometers up the Ausable River to the shores of Lake Huron, centered in Port Franks, Ontario. Everything from water temperature to run-off could be to blame. Read the full story by CTV News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230807-fish-kill

James Polidori

On:
In: Daily News

Marine Pollution Control (MPC), an oil spill removal organization based in Detroit, recently held a simulated oil spill exercise at a Lake Huron harbor in Rogers City, Michigan. MPC’s training exercises aim to use tactics in a manner that addresses the trajectory and fate of any oil release in the Great Lakes. Read the full story by WKAR – East Lansing, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230807-oil-spill-preparation

James Polidori

On:
In: Daily News

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources continues to help enhance fish populations in Lakes Michigan and Superior. Stocking efforts will continue throughout the year, including stocking 50,000 brook trout, 44,468 brown trout and 258,228 coho salmon into the Great Lakes, to ensure the 2023 stocking quotas are fulfilled. Read the full story by the Lake Geneva News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230807-fish-stocking

James Polidori

On:
In: Daily News

According to the International Lake Superior Board of Control, Lake Superior’s average water level at the beginning of August is above the seasonal long-term average and the level of a year ago. Meanwhile, Lake Michigan-Huron is above the seasonal long-term average, yet below the level of a year ago. Read the full story by SooToday.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230807-lake-levels

James Polidori

On:
In: Daily News

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District announced the start of $1.25 million dredging operations at two Lake Michigan harbors in Ludington and Pentwater, Michigan, to keep the federal navigation system safe and open for commercial and recreational traffic. Read the full story by the Midland Daily News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230807-dredging-projects

James Polidori

On:
In: Daily News

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is one step closer to creating a new wetland ecosystem in Buffalo’s Outer Harbor. Construction on a stone breakwater in the abandoned shipping slip adjacent to Wilkeson Pointe is scheduled to begin in the fall and should be completed by November, the Corps announced last week. The new wetland will help reverse nearly a century of environmental degradation. Read the full story by The Buffalo News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230804-buffalooutharbor-10years-revival

Hannah Reynolds

On:
In: Daily News

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday signed Michigan’s $57.4 billion general government budget for Fiscal Year 2024, which included funding for clean energy, conservation and environmental justice. Nearly $600 million is budgeted for Michigan’s water infrastructure, protecting access to drinking water, replacing lead service lines, rebuilding sewers, and more. Read the full story by the Michigan Advance.  

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230804-michigan-newbudget-greatlakes

Hannah Reynolds