Two of the Great Lakes, Lake Huron and Lake Ontario, are within a fraction of a degree of their warmest surface water temperature measured in the past 30 years. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250818-warm-greatlakes
A new nature reserve created by the Thunder Bay Field Naturalists includes high cliffs, scenic bays and offshore islands at a 213-acre site on Lake Superior south of Neebing, Ontario. Read the full story by TBnewswatch.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250818-superior-nature-reserve
A Wisconsin adaptive sailing program created by the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center, in coordination with the Abilities Center, allows anyone to go sailing in Lake Michigan. Read the full story by WDJT-TV – Milwaukee, WI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250818-adaptive-sailing
People interested in protecting and improving Little Lake Butte des Morts in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, intend to form a nonprofit lake association to help fund and implement projects benefiting the public. Read the full story by the Appleton Post-Crescent.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250818-littlelake-buttedemorts
For the first time in the history of Tall Ships Erie, the Brig Niagara won’t be leading the way into Presque Isle Bay in Erie, Pennsylvania. Read the full story by the Erie Times-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250818-brig-niagara
A new photo collection entitled The Third Coast: America’s Great Lakes Shoreline explores the locations, culture, and history that define the Great Lakes region—from the tulips of Holland to Sleeping Bear Dunes to the Straits of Mackinac and beyond. Read the full story by Northern Express.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250818-greatlakes-photography-culture
More than a dozen Michigan beaches are under bacteria advisories — or are closed — as Michiganders head into the third week of August. Read the full story by Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250818-beach-bacteria-advisories
Sheboygan, Wisconsin, has had a rich surf culture for more than half a century, and local tourism leaders eventually branded it “Malibu of the Midwest,” claiming the title of freshwater surfing capital of the world. Read the full story by KCUR – Kansas City, MO.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250818-surfing
By Rachel Lewis
With summer in full swing, you-pick farms have been seeing customers picking their own fruits and vegetables across the state. From blueberries and strawberries to tomatoes and asparagus, many people have opted for gathering their produce themselves. For some, this food gathering goes beyond the farm. In recent years, many people have been turning to wild berry foraging. Instead of grocery stores, these foragers seek out fresh fruits, nuts and herbs from local hiking trails or even off the side of the road.
Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2025/08/17/wild-berry-foraging-gains-popularity/
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.4cd504bffcb0c3377eba02a8b3296578139bb375.001.1.cap
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.f92ae144a77ae5da2d3c03c1b5785d5059b45405.001.1.cap
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.da2ab6f5e2ebf321c86d5a08f529d3e9069ee75f.001.1.cap
By Rachel Lewis
Michigan environmental officials found 1,4-dioxane, a toxic chemical, in six residential water wells in Scio Township during annual state testing. The dioxane, coming from the Gelman Plume, ranged between 0.33 to 0.86 parts per billion (ppb), well under the state Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy’s (EGLE) drinking water limit of 7.2 ppb. Although the state says the water is safe, some advocates for a more aggressive plume cleanup say the new detection suggests the plume is moving north. They say it could be dangerous if it reaches Barton Pond, Ann Arbor’s main water source.
Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2025/08/16/toxic-chemical-from-gelman-plume-found-in-water-wells-in-scio-township-michigan/
“Saving our Sturgeon” teaches young readers about Wisconsin’s iconic big fish. Cover image: Wisconsin Historical Society
Call it a fish story, but author Rebecca Hogue Wojahn’s latest book is absolutely true.
Set to be released on August 19, “Saving our Sturgeon: Protecting Wisconsin’s Ancient Fish,” tells the story of how conservation efforts rescued lake sturgeon from extinction in Wisconsin. With kid-friendly illustrations, photos, and maps, the book explains how factors like overfishing and dam building threatened sturgeon survival and how people banded together to save — and continue to support — the iconic big fish.
Anne Moser, Wisconsin Sea Grant education coordinator and senior special librarian at the Wisconsin Water Library, served as a consultant on the book. She kickstarted the project by pitching the idea to the Wisconsin Historical Society Press in 2022.
Author Rebecca Hogue Wojahn. Submitted photo.
“For many years, I’ve travelled to libraries and learning centers across the state teaching kids about Great Lakes fish and fishing, and their eyes always light up when I talk about lake sturgeon — how big they are, how they have barbels and scutes and how they can live to be 150 years old,” said Moser. “The conservation story shows kids how they can make a difference, and Rebecca was the perfect writer to bring that story to life.”
Wojahn, herself a public school librarian, has written several other science and animal-themed books for young readers. And while she didn’t initially know much about sturgeon, she felt drawn to the topic.
“ It was a really good fit for me because most of my life I’ve lived in Wisconsin, and I love the outdoors,” she said. “It’s history, it’s science, it’s everything I love.”
Wojahn did extensive research to write the book, digging through archives and conducting interviews with biologists, members of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, and volunteers of the Sturgeon Guard who worked to prevent poaching at spawning sites. She also made it a point to experience sturgeon in person and travelled across the state to visit hatcheries, observe spawning and spearing, and release baby sturgeon into Lake Michigan.
Fisheries outreach specialist Titus Seilheimer fact-checked the book, and of course, Moser was a big help. “Anne, as every librarian will, gave me tons of resources,” said Wojahn.
One of those resources was “People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin’s Love Affair with an Ancient Fish,” a book written by former Wisconsin Sea Grant staff members Kathy Kline and Fred Binkowski and sturgeon biologist Ron Bruch. The book, which was written for adults and published in 2009, served as a launching spot for Wojahn, who wrote “Saving our Sturgeon” to be appealing and accessible to readers aged 11 and up. Luckily, knowing what young people read is, quite literally, Wojahn’s day job.
“I’ve always felt that being a school librarian has been a huge secret weapon for my writing because I am interacting with my audience,” she said. “I can tell when their eyes glaze over and when they’re like, ooh!”
Both Wojahn and Moser said the story of the sturgeon is a special one, in part because it’s a rare conservation success story. Returning the lake sturgeon to Wisconsin’s waters took decades of hard work from many dedicated people, and the book shows young people that they, too, can get involved and have an impact.
Wojahn also hopes readers feel a sense of wonder. “There are so many wild creatures that you may not even know about that need their space in our state, too.”
You can purchase the book at the Wisconsin Historical Society’s online store or at your favorite bookstore.
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The University of Wisconsin Aquatic Sciences Center administers Wisconsin Sea Grant, the Wisconsin Water Resources Institute, and Water@UW. The center supports multidisciplinary research, education, and outreach for the protection and sustainable use of Wisconsin’s water resources. Wisconsin Sea Grant is one of 34 Sea Grant programs supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in coastal and Great Lakes states that encourage the wise stewardship of marine resources through research, education, outreach, and technology transfer.
The post New children’s book celebrates sturgeon conservation in Wisconsin first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/new-childrens-book-celebrates-sturgeon-conservation-in-wisconsin/
Freshwater jellyfish roughly the size of a penny have recently been spotted in western and eastern Lake Erie. Most of the time, they’re stuck to the bottom of the lake as polyps, but occasionally they grow into the traditional jellyfish form. Read the full story by the Times-Reporter.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250815-erie-jellyfish
Microplastics are everywhere, including the Great Lakes. They come in many forms but are typically smaller than 5 millimeters. Scientists are concerned about their impact on human health. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy will host its first virtual microplastics summit this October. Read the full story by WDET – Detroit, Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250815-microplastics-virtual-summit
Mining operations left behind uniquely colored beaches in Minnesota and Michigan, but the materials are different. Minnesota’s Black Beach in Silver Bay contains stamp sands from taconite tailings and is a popular tourist area. About 100 miles away in the town of Gay, Michigan, copper tailings have created a Superfund site. Read the full story by The Minnesota Star Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250815-mine-tailing-beaches
The Alpena County Library and the Friends of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary have installed a Story Walk along the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Trail in Alpena, Michigan, for all to enjoy. The picture book tells the story of how the lakes were formed, their importance as a major source of freshwater, and how to preserve this amazing resource. Read the full story by The Alpena News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250815-story-walk
The bottom of the Great Lakes are home to thousands of shipwrecks and other historical artifacts. The state of Michigan has an Underwater Salvage and Preserve Committee that works to protect and preserve these bottomlands. One Central Michigan University staff member was recently re-appointed to this committee. Read the full story by WCMU – Mt. Pleasant, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250815-bottomlands-protections
A 62-year-old lake trout named Mary Catherine was found in 2023 on the reefs of a remote island in the middle of Lake Superior. While lake trout can live for decades, the discovery of a fish this old is unusual. Read the full story by WJBK-TV – Detroit, Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250815-old-trout
In 1878, a vessel carrying a cargo of rye grain sunk to the bottom of Lake Huron after hitting a submerged sand bank during a storm. Thanks to the perseverance of a Michigan whisky distiller, its haul is about to be used to make whisky. Read the full story by The Drinks Business.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250815-shipwreck-whisky
Nothing says quintessential Wisconsin summer like days spent on the shores of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. And now, after the New York Times published a story highlighting six Great Lakes beaches, more than just Wisconsin residents may be flocking to the state’s lakeshores. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250815-nyt-highlight
Potential beach days are popping up across Michigan as drier and cooler weather approaches the state. However, 15 swimming spots are closed or under contamination advisories for water quality that’s unsafe or questionable for human contact. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250815-beach-closings
Hoping to plan a last-minute trip before the kids go back to school? Michigan’s Great Lakes offer a great opportunity to cool off and could be a quick trip, depending on where you live in the state. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250815-summer-ending
Another Impact of Zebra Mussels Zebra mussel cluster. Photo taken by D. Jude, Univ. of Michigan. Zebra mussels are an invasive species that can reshape entire lake ecosystems. Researchers have discovered that zebra mussels may be increasing mercury levels in popular game fish like walleye and yellow perch. Mercury is a potent [...]
The post How Zebra Mussels Are Changing Fish Contaminants appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.
Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance
https://fwwa.org/2025/08/14/how-zebra-mussels-are-changing-fish-contaminants/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-zebra-mussels-are-changing-fish-contaminants
By Rachel Lewis
With the goal of cutting food waste by 50% from 2005 levels by 2030, The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) has been helping to fund NextCycle Michigan. This program gives grants and advice to small companies in the state looking to reduce food waste. One of these start-ups is Penny Pickup. With robot food delivery vehicles becoming more popular, the company Orange Sparkle Ball decided to launch Penny Pickup as a pickup service, instead of delivery. Its focus is to remove trash and unwanted items, primarily food waste.
Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2025/08/14/nonprofits-and-robots-help-reduce-food-waste/
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/staff/josh-miller
A new study published in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, found a correlation between certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortions. According to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, there is often no found cause for more than half the cases of unexplained pregnancy loss. According to researchers in the study, this lack of understanding “poses significant challenges to clinical management and contributes to heightened psychological burden among patients.”
The director of the Social Science Environmental Health Research Institute at Northeastern University, Phil Brown, told Newsweek in a recent interview: “We already know that PFAS are associated with preterm birth, low birth weight, reproductive toxicity, preeclampsia, decreased fertility and single occurrence of miscarriage.”
In May, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced his intention to rescind PFAS limits that were put in place during the last administration.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/08/new-study-correlates-unexplained-frequent-miscarriages-to-pfas-exposure/
Nearly 100 people drown in the Great Lakes each year – an Upper Peninsula start-up called SwimSmart is working to address that. Read the full story by Second Wave Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250813-upper-peninsula-tech-company-beaches-safer
Though substantially reduced over the last 30 years by the impacts of invasive quagga mussels, yellow perch in Lake Michigan are showing signs of successful annual reproduction. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250813-yellow-perch-survival-reduction-wisconnsin
The St. Clair River is expected to be filled with floats this weekend for an unsanctioned event officials with the U.S. and Canadian coast guards are calling “inherently dangerous.” High risk factors include the fast-moving current, weather conditions, water temperature, large number of participants, lack of life jackets and alcohol consumption. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250813-us-canadian-coast-guard-warn-porthuron-floatdown
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says it has stockpiled Michigan waters with 18 million fish so far this year. Fish stocking, a process in which officials raise and release both cool and coldwater species in state waters, occurs year-round, with additional fish stockings planned for the fall. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250813-dnr-adding-fish-michigan-waters
The Great Lakes Fishery Commission will receive a $2.1 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to address the invasive sea lamprey in the Grand River in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250813-epa-grant-sea-lamprey-grandriver
Invasive sea lamprey are a huge problem for the Great Lakes, impeding efforts to restore the lake trout population and steelhead fisheries. Read the full story by the Pocono Record.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250813-lampreys-pa-lakeerie
Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Swim participants had to abort their swim nine miles short of their finish at Sturgeon Point Lighthouse in Alcona County, Michigan, due to mechanical issues. Read the full story by The Alpena News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250813-edmund-fitzgerald-memorial-swim
In Michigan, Huron-Clinton Metroparks will recommend removing the Flat Rock and Huroc dams on the Huron River and replacing them with installed rock arches that would maintain wetlands and water levels in the impoundment behind the dam — a key concern of area residents. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250813-metroparks-flatrock-dam
The contested case hearing over Wisconsin state permits issued to Enbridge Energy for its Line 5 reroute project have begun, and both sides in the case already have staked out positions at opposite ends of the spectrum. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250813-enbridge-line5-pipeline
Anchor Bay Woods Preserve in New Baltimore, Michigan, is expanding by adding nearly 5 acres of rare wet-mesic flatwood forest. Preserving the area area is important for water quality and the overall ecosystem of Anchor Bay and Lake St. Clair. Read the full story by The Voice News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250813-six-rivers
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.74fd87cb965cb26c6738827456b34a75b7d7c73e.001.1.cap
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.5d82fffee65faf20a78644d34a878d5cd8679333.001.1.cap
By Christiana Freitag, Circle of Blue
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan, Circle of Blue, Great Lakes Now at Detroit PBS, Michigan Public and The Narwhal who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/08/chicagos-quantum-prairie-promises-new-era-of-great-lakes-technology-and-water-use/
By Rachel Lewis
The Great Lakes Fishery Commission will receive a $2.1 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to address the invasive sea lamprey in the Grand River in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2025/08/12/epa-grant-will-fund-barrier-to-stop-spread-of-sea-lamprey-in-grand-river/
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Brown County (WIC009) WI
https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.8c4b4186fd7f8e4253efb0262f1d118a7672c2c0.001.1.cap
In Ontario, experts are sounding the alarm about the spread of water soldier, an invasive aquatic plant that could affect the environment, recreational activity and, eventually, the economy. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250811-invasive-watersoldier
In Ontario, experts are sounding the alarm about the spread of water soldier, an invasive aquatic plant that could affect the environment, recreational activity and, eventually, the economy. Read the full story by CBC News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250811-invasive-watersoldier
The 2025 Review of the International Joint Commission’s Report on the “Protection of the Waters of the Great Lakes” was issued in draft form in July and is accepting public comments until August 31. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250811-ijc-report
The 2025 Review of the International Joint Commission’s Report on the “Protection of the Waters of the Great Lakes” was issued in draft form in July and is accepting public comments until August 31. Read the full story by Michigan Public.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250811-ijc-report
The plan to reroute Enbridge’s Line 5 oil pipeline around tribal land in northern Wisconsin will begin its hearing on August 12 to examine whether the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources followed state law when it approved key permits for the project last year. Read the full story by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250811-line5-hearing
The plan to reroute Enbridge’s Line 5 oil pipeline around tribal land in northern Wisconsin will begin its hearing on August 12 to examine whether the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources followed state law when it approved key permits for the project last year. Read the full story by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250811-line5-hearing
As global aquaculture has grown to meet increasing demand for protein, a small but determined group of inland fish farmers in the Great Lakes region are working to build a more sustainable, local supply. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20250811-inland-aquaculture
