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In: Daily News

Ice coverage over Lake Michigan was below average this past year, meaning it experienced less ice and warmer lake temperatures. Taking the 5-season average of the highest ice coverage from 1989 to 1993 and the lowest ice coverage from 2003 to 2007, we can draw a pretty strong conclusion that less ice coverage leads to more severe weather. Read the full story by WXMI-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.  

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230519-lake-ice

James Polidori

On:
In: Daily News

Lake Zurich, Illinois, leaders this week approved an “engagement proposal” with the Central Lake County Joint Action Water Agency, committing the village to partner with the agency that connects municipalities to Lake Michigan water. Read the full story by the Daily Herald.  

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230519-drinking-water-partnership

James Polidori

On:
In: Daily News

President Joe Biden’s administration took the first step Thursday toward designating the Pennsylvania-owned section of Lake Erie as the state’s first national marine sanctuary. The designation would apply to an approximately 740-square-mile area of water off Pennsylvania’s 75 mile-long shoreline and would attract federal funding to help find and preserve shipwrecks in the lake and boost education and outreach around the area’s history. Read the full story by The Associated Press.  

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230519-erie-sanctuary

James Polidori

On:
In: Daily News

The River Institute has been recognized with the John R (Jack) Vallentyne Award, presented by the International Association of Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) Board of Directors. It was chosen for its valuable education and outreach efforts that engage and excite researchers, communities, and educators about many aspects of the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Seaway News. 

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230519-iaglr-award

James Polidori

On:
In: Daily News

International marine conservation nonprofit Mission Blue has named the Great Lakes the first and only freshwater Hope Spot – special places across the globe, championed by local organizations and conservationists, that are scientifically recognized as critical to the health of the ocean. Championing the nomination and application effort was Chicago’s John G. Shedd Aquarium with support from more than 24 Great Lakes organizations across the region. Read the full story by the Chicago Star.  

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230517-hope-spot-recognition

James Polidori

On:
In: Daily News

The “Beach Closings” Beneficial Use Impairment, used by the Remedial Action Plan program to indicate water quality issues in parts of the Niagara River caused by human sources of bacterial pollution, has officially been declared “not impaired.” Read the full story by the Niagara On The Lake Advance.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230517-niagara-river

Jill Estrada

On:
In: Daily News

Canada is “extremely concerned” about the potential fate of the Line 5 pipeline, emissaries warned Tuesday in advance of a Wisconsin court hearing that threatens to shut down what they call a vital cross-border oil and gas corridor. Read the full story by The Canadian Press.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230517-line5

Jill Estrada

On:
In: Daily News

The Superior National Forest and three northeastern Minnesota Chippewa tribes have made a first-of-its-kind agreement, one that gives the tribes a stronger voice in managing national forest and federal trust land that was ceded to the federal government nearly 170 years ago. Read the full story by the Star Tribune.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230517-superior-forest

Jill Estrada

On:
In: Daily News

The city of Chicago trumpeted a deal with the Illinois city of Joliet to divert treated drinking water from Lake Michigan, starting in 2030. But how and why Illinois can divert that much water inland underscores risky concessions the other seven Great Lakes states had to make when they negotiated the 2008 Great Lakes Compact. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230515-joliet-diversion

Connor Roessler

On:
In: Daily News

Partners working to clean up a polluted hotspot on Lake Superior are now looking to monitor emerging threats from harmful algal blooms. A team of scientists is now deploying sensors to collect more than 300 water samples from the St. Louis River Estuary to track emerging water quality issues. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230515-estuary-monitoring

Connor Roessler

On:
In: Daily News

New York state water officials are keeping an eye on the Lake Ontario shoreline as the water is higher but still below flooding levels. The lake is seeing more water flow in from seasonal snowmelt up north, and less water flow out a dam on the New York-Canadian water border. Read the full story by WAER – Syracuse, NY.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230515-lake-ontario-levels

Connor Roessler

On:
In: Daily News

In a move to tackle an acute mariner shortage accentuated by the rapid retirement of boomers, Canada has signed an unprecedented agreement with the Philippines, allowing Filipino merchant mariners to serve on Canadian-flagged vessels. This marks a significant shift in international labor arrangements, opening new doors for the robust Filipino seafarer population, but causing worry among Canadian Merchant Mariners that wages could fall. Read the full story by gCaptain.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230515-filipino-mariners

Connor Roessler

On:
In: Daily News

Michigan remains the only state without a septic code, with recent efforts failing to gain traction within the Legislature. As the state contends with flooding and sewer backups, addressing individual septic systems is yet another element in addressing aging infrastructure and water quality issues for both inland waters and the Great Lakes. Read the full story by The Michigan Advance.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230515-septic-code

Connor Roessler

On:
In: Daily News

Local officials have been pursuing a public marina off the Belle River, citing a lack of docking space for boaters around the mid-point along the St. Clair River waterfront between Algonac, Michigan and the city of St. Clair. Read the full story by the Port Huron Times Herald.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230515-marine-city-marina

Connor Roessler

On:
In: Daily News

On a windy, Saturday morning, the UAL Fortitude arrived under the Aerial Lift Bridge in Duluth, Minnesota. The Fortitude’s arrival is significant because she’s the first of a regular liner service from overseas. Read the full story by WDIO-TV – Duluth, MN.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230515-fortitude-duluth

Connor Roessler

On:
In: Daily News

In Michigan’s Port Huron Township, fifth graders released 65 chinook salmon into the Black River as part of an education program with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. An aquatic education coordinator for the DNR said the program teaches students the importance of Great Lakes ecology. Read the full story by the Port Huron Times Herald.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230515-student-salmon

Connor Roessler

On:
In: Daily News

In Michigan, the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center recently partnered with Alpena Public Schools to host the first-ever “3rd grade Get Into Your Sanctuary Program”, a multi-visit field trip that culminated with the students taking a boat ride to explore the 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/20230515-sanctuary-program

Connor Roessler

On:
In: Daily News

The village of Geneva-on-the-Lake in Ohio has joined the Lake County Communities Shoreline Special Improvement District, which will provide an additional funding option for the village to deal with erosion issues harming Lake Erie. Read the full story by the Star Beacon.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230515-shoreline-improvement

Connor Roessler

On:
In: Daily News

An eco-friendly beach robot known as BeBot made its debut Thursday as it cleaned microplastics from Pere Marquette Beach in Muskegon, MI. The remote-controlled technology can clear debris that is as small as 3 cm. Microplastics are often overlooked during beach cleanups, but they contribute to the pollution of the country’s waterways. Read the full story by WOOD-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230512-beachcleanup-robot-microplastics

Hannah Reynolds

On:
In: Daily News

The Michigan DNR is asking Michiganders for help in reporting marked splake when fishing on Lake Superior. Splake are a hybrid cross between lake trout and brook trout. Splake have been stocked in Lake Superior most years since 1971. The data collected from anglers assists the DNR in making decisions on how to best manage Michigan’s fisheries. Read the full story by WW-J-TV – Detroit, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230512-dnr-report-splake-lakesuperior

Hannah Reynolds

On:
In: Daily News

Sturgeon are native to Lake Michigan and historically made spawning migrations up the Milwaukee River and other tributaries. However, dams, pollution and overfishing combined to wipe out the local sturgeon population by the late 1800s.  Since 2003, sturgeon have been stocked in the Milwaukee River or harbor as part of “Return the Sturgeon,” a joint effort of the DNR, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Riveredge Nature Center in Newburg, WI. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.  

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230512-upperpeninsula-cruiseport

Hannah Reynolds

On:
In: Daily News

The City of Houghton, Michigan has a new $5 million pier that’s equipped to dock cruise ships, which are becoming increasingly popular on the Great Lakes. Opened in the fall of 2022, the new pier serves as the city’s town square and event space but with its size, deep water and a few extra elements, it has the added function of being a cruise ship dock. Read the full story by MLive.com.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230512-upperpeninsula-cruiseport

Hannah Reynolds

On:
In: Daily News

The Township of Archipelago, ON is a municipality of 979 people located 200 kilometres north of Toronto on the eastern shoreline of Georgian Bay, part of the Lake Huron watershed. Its residents are concerned about the impacts of Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s Bill 23 on the Great Lakes ecosystem. Read the full story The Narwhal.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230512-ontario-seeksprotection-greatlakesbill

Hannah Reynolds

On:
In: Daily News

The City of Cleveland held its final Community Visioning Workshop Thursday to get feedback on its proposed North Coast Connector project to connect Lake Erie to Downtown Cleveland. Read and listen to the full story by WVIZ-TV – Cleveland, OH.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230512-cleveland-connectingdowntowntolakefront

Hannah Reynolds

On:
In: Daily News

A number of Canadian cities have exceeded acceptable chloride levels in watersheds in recent years, raising concerns about the impact on freshwater wildlife and other species. The problem largely stems from road salt and saline solutions, which have a chemical compound of chloride to keep roadways safe during winter weather. Chloride has both long- and short-term impacts on wildlife, and some experts believe it is adversely affecting fish, frogs and aquatic ecosystems across Canada. Read the full story by CTV News-TV – Toronto, Canada.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230512-wintermaintenance-effects-freshwater

Hannah Reynolds

On:
In: Daily News

The Great Lakes cruising season is now well underway and Ports Toronto said this year is once again setting another record. Fifty-four ships are scheduled to visit the city of Toronto between May and October, bringing more than 22,000 passengers to the city. Read the full story by CityNews Toronto.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230512-cruiseships-toronto-recordyear

Hannah Reynolds

On:
In: Daily News

As the two-year anniversary approaches since Canadian oil company Enbridge began defying a state shutdown order, environmental groups this week are renewing their call for the Biden administration to take immediate action to protect the Great Lakes from a controversial 70-year-old crude oil pipeline. Read the full story by Energy News Network.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230512-enbridge-line5-shutdown-bidenadministration

Hannah Reynolds

On:
In: Daily News

Snowmelt and recent rain have brought Great Lakes water levels up. This spring rise is normal – and water levels are projected to increase even more this month. Water levels for the Great Lakes are still lower than their record high from a couple of years ago. However, all the lakes are up from their long-term average, by between six and 13 inches, as of May 5. Read the full story by WKAR – East Lansing, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230512-greatlakeswaterlevels-up-historicalaverage

Hannah Reynolds

On:
In: Daily News

U.S. representatives Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo, and Bob Latta, R-Bowling Green, are leading a bipartisan group of 15 House members from Ohio and Michigan urging U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm to support a proposal for the Great Lakes Clean Hydrogen Hub. Read the full story by the Sentinel Tribune.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230510-hyrdogen-hub

Jill Estrada

On:
In: Daily News

Back-to-back court dates scheduled for this month could determine whether a proposed consent decree between the state, feds, and five sovereign tribes will cause drastic impacts to parts of our Great Lakes fishery. Read the full story by the Ludington Daily News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230510-tribal-fishing

Jill Estrada

On:
In: Daily News

In Wisconsin, Milwaukee’s rivers that converge downtown and feed into Lake Michigan were once dumping grounds for industrial pollution. A remediation project is helping to restore the Milwaukee Estuary. Read the full story by WUWM – Milwaukee, WI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230510-remediation

Jill Estrada

On:
In: Daily News

Heavy spring flooding has made Line 5 an “imminent threat” to Lake Superior and a key Indigenous watershed in Wisconsin, lawyers argued Tuesday in an emergency motion to shut down the controversial cross-border pipeline. Read the full story by The Canadian Press.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230510-line5

Jill Estrada

On:
In: Daily News

Wisconsin’s Lower Fox River that flows into the bay of Green Bay was one of the many places throughout the Great Lakes polluted with polychlorinated biphenyls. A new book examines the battles behind one of the largest, most divisive PCB river cleanups in history. Read the full story by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230510-pcbs

Jill Estrada

On:
In: Daily News

Commercial fishers are catching fewer whitefish in parts of the Great Lakes – and the Anishinaabe people are trying to figure out why. The Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians is looking into low reproduction rates for the fish. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230508-anishinaabetribes-savemiwhitefish

Hannah Reynolds

On:
In: Daily News

Water levels tend to fluctuate during the year, but seasonally speaking, lake levels typically rise during the spring and early summer. Highest water usually occurs in July. The water level of Lake Michigan and Huron, (hydrologically, a single lake) has fallen a net 4 inches from one year ago. However, this level still stands 6 inches above the May average, which has been tracked since 1918. Read the full story by WXMI-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230508-lakemi-lakehuron-waterlevels-aboveaverage

Hannah Reynolds

On:
In: Daily News

An aging sewer main that crosses the Muskegon River poses a “high environmental risk” and needs to be replaced at an estimated cost of $43 million. The county public works board agreed to apply for a state loan to pay for replacement of the approximately 6 miles of metal pipe that is at risk of breaking and does not meet capacity needs. Read the full story by MLive.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230508-muskegonlake-sewermain

Hannah Reynolds

On:
In: Daily News

Single-use plastics are one of the world’s most pervasive pollutants. More than 22 million pounds of plastic end up in the Great Lakes every year, and the concentration of plastic in the Great Lakes surface water is among the highest in the world. Because unlike our oceans, which flow fairly freely around the world, the Great Lakes are more of a closed system, and so that plastic just stays there. Read the full story by WGRZ-TV -Buffalo, NY.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230508-sourgeofplastic-greatlakes

Hannah Reynolds

On:
In: Daily News

Once plentiful in Lake Huron, the Chinook salmon fishery collapsed after its main food source, the herring-like alewife, dried up in 2003. The salmon — a species that is not native to the Great Lakes — never fully recovered, and although many fishermen competing at the derby prefer it, it’s unlikely to fetch the weights of 20 years ago. Read the full story by CBC News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230508-lakehuron-chinooksalmon-rapiddecline

Hannah Reynolds

On:
In: Daily News

Fish sticks, also known as shoreline woody habitat structures, will be among several conservation projects on Michigan lakes and streams funded by $1.7 million in grants. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is awarding the fisheries habitat grants for projects that will rehabilitate and protect valuable fish habitats that provide the foundation for Michigan’s world-class fisheries. Read the full story by The Detroit News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230508-michigandnr-grants-aquaticsystems

Hannah Reynolds