Scientists have found evidence the flathead catfish—a species from the southern U.S. known for its huge size and monstrous appetite for fish—has established itself in the Thames River in southwestern Ontario. Read the full story by the CBC.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240508-catfish-canada
Fifty-five years after Ohio’s Cuyahoga River last caught fire, its health continues to improve; but determining what prevention and cleanup practices are most effective remains difficult. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240508-cuyahoga-comeback
For the last four years, the Cleveland Water Alliance has launched computerized smart buoys in Lake Erie to monitor water conditions. The month of May marks the start of what they call their smart lake season. Read the full story by WEWS-TV – Cleveland, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240508-erie-buoys
$20 million will be pumped in to rebuild the crumbling breakwall on Sodus Bay in New York. The project will protect the shoreline from severe flooding, including communities who got slammed during the springs of 2017 and 2019. Read the full story by WHAM-TV – Rochester, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240508-sodus-breakwall
Lake whitefish is an important commercial fishery in Lake Erie and is culturally and economically important to local First Nations. Although Lake Erie’s population has declined in recent years due to poor survival during their first year of life, fishery biologists have shown that the Detroit River is an important source for young lake whitefish. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240508-whitefish-recruitment
At their height, there were 30 U.S. naval militias but now there are only three; and New York’s is one of them. From protecting ship passengers during a cholera outbreak in 1892 to preventing flooding off Lake Ontario and Lake Erie in recent years, the militia has missions across the state’s coastline. Read the full story by Spectrum News 1 – Buffalo, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240508-naval-militia
In pursuit of a deeper understanding of the Great Lakes, a novice sailor embarked on a journey from Traverse City to the Atlantic Ocean and wrote a book detailing his adventure. Coinciding with a 20th Anniversary Edition of the book, the author discusses his work, and his hopes and concerns for the future of these waters. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240508-author-interview
A section of US-2 in Delta County in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was recently damaged by high water, forcing officials with the Michigan Department of Transportation to close the road to all traffic. Emergency repairs will take two to three weeks. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240508-highway-damaged
A second fishery in Leelanau County, Michigan, has signed a compact committing to the use of 100 percent of each Great Lakes-caught fish. Read the full story by The Leelanau Ticker.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240508-fish-pledge
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/national-climate-202404
Trolling for muskie in the St. Louis River. Image credit: Todd Furo
Between the Fond du Lac Dam and Minnesota and Wisconsin points, the St. Louis River Estuary is becoming a destination for many types of water recreation. Thanks to pollution remedies and controls combined with habitat restoration, the river is cleaner than it has been in decades.
Despite these improvements, there are still safety hazards people should consider before recreating in the estuary. Whether people swim, paddle, hunt waterfowl, fish, sail or pleasure cruise on the river, local partners including the St. Louis River Area of Concern Coordinators and Sea Grant Programs in Minnesota and Wisconsin offer a web page with tips for appropriate precautions.
A shorter, “quick tips” fact sheet with similar information can be downloaded from here.
“We receive a lot of inquiries from people who want to know if it’s safe to swim in the estuary now,” said Barb Huberty, St. Louis River Area of Concern coordinator with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. “I reached out to the Sea Grant programs for help because of their community connections and communications expertise. We worked since last fall to gather input on what should be included in the fact sheet and web page from various water safety and harbor groups, and we are happy to have compiled information to give people.”
The text was written by Kelsey Prihoda, Great Lakes transportation extension educator with Minnesota Sea Grant. Editing and design services were provided by Wisconsin Sea Grant, which also distributes the information.
The post Heading for the St. Louis River? Local groups offer water safety tips first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/heading-for-the-st-louis-river-local-groups-offer-water-safety-tips/
Jerry Dennis wasn’t seeking adventure when as a novice sailor he joined a veteran captain and crew to sail from Traverse City to the Atlantic Ocean. He was looking for a deeper understanding of the Great Lakes, but adventure found him.
Similarly, he wasn’t seeking notoriety when he wrote The Living Great Lakes: Searching for the Heart of the Inland Seas, which was based on the sailing adventure.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/05/michigan-author-reflects-on-20th-anniversary-of-landmark-book-the-living-great-lakes/
Fifty-five years after the Cuyahoga River last caught fire, its health continues to improve.
But determining what prevention and cleanup practices are most effective remains difficult.
The post Cuyahoga comeback: Remediation is working but it’s hard to measure first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/05/08/cuyahoga-comeback-remediation-is-working-but-its-hard-to-measure/
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:2.49.0.1.840.0.1457631cbf0a1f726759a05839f58526fd9d6b30.001.1.cap
By Izzy Ross, Interlochen Public Radio
This coverage is made possible through a partnership with IPR and Grist, a nonprofit independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future.
Walking around Traverse City, it’s hard to miss the yard signs with a smiling cartoon bee proclaiming “No Mow May.”
The signs are part of a conservation initiative aimed at raising awareness of how lawn care can impact pollinators and plant life.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/05/no-mow-may-grows-in-traverse-city/
NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
https://noaaglerl.blog/2024/05/07/award-winning-science-celebrating-public-service-recognition-week-during-glerls-50th-year/
This story is a part of “A Year in the Wild Kitchen of the Great Lakes,” a series in partnership with expert forager Lisa M. Rose with the mission of nurturing a deeper connection with the natural world through foraging.
As spring unfolds its vibrant hues, what better way to celebrate the season than by embracing the often overlooked splendor of dandelions and violets?
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/05/foragings-spring-backyard-splendor-dandelions-and-violets/
A Wisconsin Court of Appeals decision that upheld the state’s first ordinance requiring bird-friendly building construction could spread similar policies to other cities.
Already Middleton, Wisconsin, has passed such an ordinance following the ruling last October, said Brenna Marsicek, director of outreach at the Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance.
The post Wisconsin court case paves way for bird-friendly buildings first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/05/07/wisconsin-court-case-paves-way-for-bird-friendly-buildings/
Great Lakes Moment is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor John Hartig. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
Lake whitefish is an important commercial fishery in Lake Erie and is culturally and economically important to local First Nations.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/05/great-lakes-moment-detroit-rivers-important-role-in-lake-whitefish/
On May 3, Great Lakes surface waters were very close to beating the 2012 record for all-time warmest water. It can be expected that the lakes will be warmer than normal throughout the summer. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240505-water-temps
New York native Robert Gioia has been confirmed to the International Joint Commission (IJC), which was established by the Boundary Treaty of 1909 to prevent and resolve disputes over the U.S. and Canada’s shared waterways, including the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. Read the full story by the Finger Lakes Daily News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240505-ijc-commissioner
Parks Canada broke ground on Saturday on the new Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area Administration and Visitors Centre. The center is being constructed on the Nipigon Marina and will allow visitors to learn about some of the things Parks Canada does to keep the big lake healthy. Read the full story by SN News Watch.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240505-lake-superior-national-marine-conservation-area
In 2019, the state of Illinois confirmed what advocates had long suspected, coal ash from the Waukegan Generating Station had leached into nearby groundwater right next to Lake Michigan. Plans were submitted to clean up the operation, but those plans are still on hold. Read the full story by Grist.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240505-coal-ash
The Minnesota Governor’s Fishing Opener took place on Saturday and anglers were eagerly waiting to drop a line, hoping to reel in trout, bass, walleye and muskie. But the state’s unseasonably warm winter may have had an effect on fish hatch for some species. Read the full story by Minnesota Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240505-spring-fishing-mn
The White House has nominated Matt Kaplan to serve as the first federal co-chair of the Great Lakes Authority (GLA). The GLA was authorized by Congress in 2022 and will promote regional economic development. Read the full story by Marine Link.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240505-great-lakes-authority
The disappearance of wolves from a large island on Lake Superior means the timing is good for restoring its caribou herd. The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks says plans are underway to transport a dozen boreal caribou to Lake Superior’s Michipicoten Island. Read the full story by SN News Watch.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240505-caribou
Ohio’s environmental regulators will have until the end of June to finish a plan to aimed at combating toxic algae blooms that have flourished in Lake Erie since the late 1990s. The deadline is part of the settlement agreement a federal judge approved Thursday. Read the full story by AP News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240505-lake-erie
In Illinois, the Oswego Village Board on Tuesday will consider an intergovernmental agreement concerning costs associated with bringing in Lake Michigan water. Read the full story by the The Beacon-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240506-oswego
One-fifth of the planet’s surface freshwater sits in our Great Lakes. Demand for it will only grow, which gives us both an opportunity and a responsibility to speed the pace of water innovation. Over the next 10 years, a bipartisan coalition called Great Lakes ReNEW will invest millions of dollars in new technologies to recover and recycle valuable minerals, such as nickel, cobalt and lithium, from our water, and remove toxic chemicals such as per- and polyfluorinated substances, known as PFAS. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240506-pritzer
By Native News Online Staff, Native News Online
This article originally appeared on Native News Online. Founded in 2011, Native News Online reaches millions of Native and non-Native readers annually including American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and others interested in Native American concerns.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/05/new-interagency-agreement-supports-water-tribal-water-and-sanitation-projects/
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.b1bed49badbcf8e1881c8923ba1a125cf4a750af.001.1.cap
Cells from an invasive algae known as didymo or “rock snot” have been found in the Au Sable River in Oscoda County, Michigan. Didymo can create thick mats that cover river and stream bottoms which alters habitat, recreation, and food resources for fish. Read the full story by WDIV – TV – Detroit, Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240503-invasive-didymo-found
St Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation and Great Lakes St Lawrence Seaway have agreed a deal to deploy a new Voyage Information System from Global Spatial Technology Solutions to enhance joint management of the bi-national waterways between Canada and the United States. Read the full story by the Smart Maritime Network.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240503-ai-seway-traffic-assistance
The federal government is closer to spending $500 million a year to extend a nearly 15-year effort to stop contamination throughout the Great Lakes. Read the full story by The Center Square.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240503-legislation-clears-senate
Early indications and forecasts from the International Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River Board, which maintains outflow from Lake Ontario for the International Joint Commission, show that the normal mid-summer high point for Lake Ontario levels will remain slightly below average. Read the full story by WROC – TV – Rochester, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240503-ontario-water-levels
A feasibility study released in 2022 by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority did not support the placement of turbines in Lakes Erie and Ontario. This was thought to be the end to future consideration but a recent proposal from Pennsylvania says otherwise. Read the full story by The Post-Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240503-wind-turbine-dispute
After 12 years and $7.5 million, the habitat restoration of a large wetland preserve in the very southeast corner of Michigan is now complete, just in time for the migratory birds heading this way. Read the full story by WJBK – TV – Detroit, Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240503-wetland-restoration
Efforts to kill sea lamprey larvae in Conneaut Creek in Pennsylvania were conducted in late April at the start of a six-month-long lampricide program slated for the entire Great Lakes. Read the full story by Outdoor News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240503-lampricide-treatments-underway
The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) once again called on Canada and the U.S. to decommission the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline. Indigenous communities on both sides of the border have repeatedly called for the decommissioning to protect a broad range of human rights. Read the full story by the Center for International Environmental Law.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240503-line5-opposition
A 195-foot wooden steamship that vanished in 1909 on Lake Superior has been found. The vessel, The Adella Shores, was found with sonar technology in more than 650 feet of water about 40 miles northwest of Whitefish Point in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240503-shipwreck-found
Lucas County in Toledo, Ohio, and the Environmental Law and Policy Center filed a lawsuit that alleges that the EPA’s does not measure the actual amount of phosphorus from sources like manure primarily from unregulated large-scale animal feeding operations called CAFOs. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20240503-epa-lawsuit
There’s been plenty of federal attention aimed at the Great Lakes region over the past couple of weeks. The Biden administration last Thursday announced four new “workforce hubs” in Upstate New York, Michigan, Milwaukee and Philadelphia. The hubs — which join the five announced last year in Columbus, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Augusta, and Phoenix — are intended to help communities access training for jobs in the clean energy space.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/05/energy-news-roundup-federal-money-pours-in-to-accelerate-energy-transition/
Lake Superior is running for president.
The self-proclaimed #GLOAT (Greatest Lake Of All Time) is running on a “Water First Agenda.” The lake is active on X (formerly known as Twitter) and maintains a campaign website.
The post Lake Superior runs for president, ponders running mate first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/05/03/lake-superior-runs-for-president-ponders-running-mate/
By Meghan Rutigliano
This article was republished here with permission from Planet Detroit.
This story is from Planet Detroit’s Neighborhood Reporting Lab, where community reporters write about health and climate issues in their neighborhood. Neighborhood Reporting Lab is supported by the Americana and Kresge Foundations.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/05/a-detroit-renters-quest-for-drinking-water-clarity/
Wisconsin Water Library
https://waterlibrary.aqua.wisc.edu/young-leaders-in-the-environmental-justice-movement/
By Maria Parazo Rose
This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grist’s weekly newsletter here.”
This story is published as part of the Global Indigenous Affairs Desk, an Indigenous-led collaboration between Grist, High Country News, ICT, Mongabay, Native News Online, and APTN.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/05/indigenous-peoples-rush-to-stop-false-climate-solutions-ahead-of-next-international-climate-meeting/
Scientists and experts at the U.S. Geological Survey now have access to historic natural resource investments through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law with approval of $7 million for science support of wildland fire management.
Midcontinent Region
https://www.usgs.gov/news/featured-story/bipartisan-infrastructure-law-funds-stoke-wildland-fire-science-investments?utm_source=comms&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=news
By Wajeeha Kamal Editor’s note: This is one in a series of stories coming out of a recent meeting of the Society of Environmental Journalists in Philadelphia. Communities are suffering in silence. There’s no question that mainstream media doesn’t cover the systemic inequalities exposed and exacerbated by environmental habits, said Evlondo Cooper, senior writer for […]
The post Reporting on climate change impacts on marginalized communities first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/05/02/reporting-on-climate-change-impacts-on-marginalized-communities/
By Kelly House, Bridge Michigan
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit PBS; Michigan Public, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; 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/2024/05/new-study-great-lakes-beaches-are-littered-with-plastic-trash/
There are a lot of eyes on Michigan’s Palisades nuclear power plant as the public and private sectors try, together, to bring it back from the dead.
Plenty of nuclear reactors in the United States have successfully started back up after prolonged stretches of inactivity. The difference is that every other nuclear plant that restarted after an extended outage retained its operating license, meaning that it had to comply with strict federal maintenance standards, even at the times when it wasn’t sending electricity out onto the grid.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/05/the-murky-process-of-reopening-palisades-and-why-its-a-turning-point-for-nuclear/
