Four vessels will winter in the Twin Ports as the 2020-21 shipping campaign draws to completion Friday with the end-of-day closure of the Soo Locks connecting lakes Superior and Michigan. Read the full story by the Duluth News Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210115-duluth-superior-port
The latest estimates of Lake Michigan’s ice coverage are below average for the winter season so far, running at only 1.7%. The average ice coverage around this time is about 15%, 13.3% more than it is right now. Read the full story by the Duluth News Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210115-lake-michigan
The latest estimates of Lake Michigan’s ice coverage are below average for the winter season so far, running at only 1.7%. The average ice coverage around this time is about 15%, 13.3% more than it is right now. Read the full story by the Duluth News Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210115-lake-michigan
The National Museum of the Great Lakes is offering free admission Saturday through Monday as a gesture of gratitude to the Toledo, Ohio, community for its ongoing support, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. Read the full story by the Toledo Blade.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210115-maritime-museum
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that a new Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative Regional Dredging project has begun at Little Sodus Bay on Lake Ontario and more are planned. This Initiative was original developed in response unprecedented flooding along the shores of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River to help communities build resiliency. Read the full story by WWTI–TV – Watertown, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210115-st-lawrence-dredging
The Town of Newfane, New York, recently took another step to secure a breakwall in Olcott Harbor by submitting an application to the state Department of Environmental Conservation. Read the full story by the Niagara Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210115-olcott-breakwall
The rescue of a swan in Lake Ontario highlights the plight of many birds killed or injured by garbage carelessly discarded in parks and lakes. Read the full story by BlogTo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210115-swan-rescue
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — For much of the past four years, the residents of a pair of villages along Lake Erie have been on edge over the fate of their nuclear plants, which generate enough tax money to pay for nicer schools than their neighbors.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/01/ap-2-nuke-plants-1-bribery-scandal-no-answers/
By Kat Stafford, Mike Householder and Corey Williams, Associated Press Writers
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — Flint mother Ariana Hawk struggled to find words. Bittersweet came to mind, as did frustrated.
“I literally could have cried,” said Hawk, sitting in her car after learning Tuesday that former Michigan Gov.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/01/ap-flint-families-welcome-water-crisis-charges-seek-healing/
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI126188BB98C8.SpecialWeatherStatement.126188BC27C0WI.GRBSPSGRB.3b77a733acfe35fc01f412b80021d336
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI126188BB1D58.WinterWeatherAdvisory.126188BC75E0WI.GRBWSWGRB.a8c3926e6060fbf1b6d26722f891a8a2
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI126188BA6A0C.WinterWeatherAdvisory.126188BC75E0WI.GRBWSWGRB.a8c3926e6060fbf1b6d26722f891a8a2
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI126188BA3550.WinterWeatherAdvisory.126188BC75E0WI.GRBWSWGRB.266a856bfe9fd04a3ad3f6357cb109cc
NCEI News Feed
http://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202012
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI126188AD8EA4.WinterWeatherAdvisory.126188BC75E0WI.GRBWSWGRB.a5a32925195729e2cec38a356a8e26aa
By Ed White and David Eggert, Associated Press Writers
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder was charged Wednesday with willful neglect of duty after an investigation of ruinous decisions that left Flint with lead-contaminated water and a regional outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease.
The charges, revealed in an online court record, are misdemeanors punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/01/ex-michigan-gov-snyder-charged-in-flint-water-crisis/
As part of an access grant that the Port Authority received through the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission construction continues on Erie’s Bayfront as crews fix Holland Street Dock and restore recreational areas. View the full story by WJET – TV – Erie, PA.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210114-pennsylvania-dock-construction
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI126188AD21A8.WinterWeatherAdvisory.126188BC75E0WI.GRBWSWGRB.810542abc2a872eb2c293418a8e828e2
The price increases will raise more funds for beach upkeep, freeing up more money for needed improvements at the city’s other parks, city staff said. The first year of paid parking raised roughly $500,000 last summer. Read the full story by the Muskegon Chronicle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210114-michigan-beach-improvement
The Port of Thunder Bay shipping season closes today, marking the completion of the Port’s most successful year in over two decades. Annual cargo volumes tallied 10.2 million metric tonnes (MMT), exceeding the ten million mark for the first time since 1997. Read the full story by Lake Superior News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210114-shipping-season
MV American Courage, a 634-foot Great Lakes self-unloading bulker, is the largest ship ever to perform automatic dock-to-dock operation. This follows a decision by its owner —American Steamship Company, a subsidiary of Rand-ASC Holdings LLC —to fit the 1979-built ship with Wärtsilä SmartMove solutions for hands-off transit along the Cuyahoga River in Ohio. Read the full story by Marine Log.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210114-shipping-automatic-docking
The wait continues for the second phase of the Little Lake cleanup project in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin’s Sunset Park. Lake Michigan’s high water levels have seeped in during the past two years, deepening the normally shallow water body and helping to mitigate water-quality issues. Read the full story by DredgeWire.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210114-restoration-wisconsin
Federal officials say a bird called the interior least tern is being dropped from the endangered species list, after conservation efforts have boosted the interior least tern’s numbers in recent decades. Read the full story by The Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210114-endangered-tern-bird
A recently signed federal law will provide $11.6 million to begin restoration of the 1.25-mile creek, officially known as the South Fork of South Branch of the Chicago River. The investment in ecological health will benefit both people and wildlife. Read the full story by Chicago Sun-Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210114-chicago-restoration
The agency is looking to fund 10 large-scale projects as part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a multi-agency project that provides funding for projects affecting Great Lakes states, with at least $300,000 grants. Read the full story by the Indiana Environmental Reporter.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210114-epa-grant-pollution
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI126188AC2744.SpecialWeatherStatement.126188AC9760WI.GRBSPSGRB.7cf993e5980922796fa7f32918ee03c7
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI126188ABFD78.WinterWeatherAdvisory.126188BC75E0WI.GRBWSWGRB.810542abc2a872eb2c293418a8e828e2
A federal judge has slapped a Western Pennsylvania copper-processing company with a $550,000 fine for its years-long criminal violations of the Clean Water Act, including illegal discharging of oil into the Ohio River.
The post Pennsylvania company slammed for illegal discharges first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/01/14/pennsylvania-company-slammed-for-illegal-discharges/
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI126188AB3CE4.SpecialWeatherStatement.126188AC2230WI.GRBSPSGRB.6aa5f2eed3e702ea40d8087602c74917
Wisconsin Sea Grant is offering four summer internships for undergraduates. The internships come with a $5,000 stipend and are centered on:
One intern will visit beachgoers to let them know about water safety and dangerous rip currents (photo above by Sara Stathas). Another will produce videos and write blogs about Wisconsin’s local fish options. (photo below by David Nevala.)
Moira Harrington, Sea Grant’s associate director for communication, said, “Last year, we had an inaugural class of undergraduate interns. It was a positive 10 weeks for both the students and our staff members who acted as mentors for these young people who are now better prepared to join a workforce that makes a difference in aquatic sciences and outreach.”
Due to the ongoing pandemic and the program’s commitment to offering safe experiences, flexibility and understanding in the face of potentially changing work conditions, responsibilities and locations will be necessary.
The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. (CT), Thursday, Feb. 25. The program is particularly looking for a pool of applicants who reflect diverse backgrounds.
The post Wisconsin Sea Grant offering 10-Week undergraduate summer internships first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.
News Releases – Wisconsin Sea Grant
News Releases – Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/wisconsin-sea-grant-offering-10-week-undergraduate-summer-internships/
Skokie, Illinois is implementing new “smart water technology” that could save the village millions of gallons of water and hundreds of thousands of dollars annually through continuous monitoring of water main leaks. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210113-skokie
For the next five years, we won’t have to play the annual game of impressing on our leaders how important the Great Lakes are, not only to us, but the country and planet. We can focus our energy into protecting and enjoying them.. Read the full story by the Traverse City Record Eagle.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210113-funding
Many complain Michigan’s new restrictions on commercial fishing would shut down their businesses. The state supplies much of the Great Lakes’ whitefish, and there are warnings of looming shortages. Read the full story by NPR.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210113-fishing
A new project meant to help the water quality in Lake Erie is taking root in Hancock County, Ohio. Just south of Liberty-Benton High School, the Hancock Parks District is transforming a 100-acre farm field into 100 acres of restored wetlands. Read the full story by WTOL-TV- Toledo, Ohio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210113-hancock
Michigan’s Van Buren State Park has grown by 17 acres under a new agreement with an adjacent nature area. County officials approved a 25-year lease, which will add 340 feet of additional lakeshore to park’s existing mile-long stretch along Lake Michigan. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210113-van-buren
Lake Erie’s current ice coverage stands at less than 1%, much below average going back the past 40 years. Read the full story by WOIO-TV- Cleveland, OH.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210113-erie-freeze
A bill currently being evaluated by a Michigan House committee would make it easier for homeowners in Michigan to apply for permits to protect their property from high water on the Great Lakes. Read the full story by The Alpena News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210113-erosion-permits
The Soo Locks will be closing at midnight on Friday, Jan. 15, marking an end to Great Lakes shipping for another season. Read the full story by WLUC-TV – Sault Ste. Marie, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210113-soo-locks
The Great Lakes as a whole continue to slowly drift lower on water levels. The few Great Lakes that have been in record high water territory this past year are easing away from those milestones. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210113-water-levels
Former Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, his health director and other ex-officials have been told they’re being charged after a new investigation of the Flint water scandal, which devastated the majority Black city with lead-contaminated water and was blamed for a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease. Read the full story by the Associated Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210113-flint
Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, his health director and other ex-officials have been told they’re being charged after a new investigation of the Flint water scandal, The Associated Press has learned.
Questions and answers about the crisis that made Flint a symbol of the nation’s decaying drinking water infrastructure:
WHAT HAPPENED, AND HOW?
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/01/ap-flint-water-crisis-fallout-continues/
DETROIT (AP) — Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, his health director and other ex-officials have been told they’re being charged after a new investigation of the Flint water scandal, which devastated the majority Black city with lead-contaminated water and was blamed for a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in 2014-15, The Associated Press has learned.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/01/ap-michigan-plan-charge-ex-gov-snyder-flint-water-probe/
By Rachel Fritts, Eos
This story originally appeared in Eos and is republished here as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story.
Everything wears away in time, but human activities like farming can dramatically accelerate natural erosion rates.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/01/european-colonists-dramatically-increased-north-american-erosion-rates/
In a letter to Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Enbridge Energy stated that it will not stop operations on its Line 5 oil pipeline despite Gov. Whitmer’s November revocation of the pipeline’s 67-year-old easement and her May deadline for the line’s closure. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210112-enbridge
Michigan’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund has hundreds of millions of dollars available in funding to support Michigan municipalities seeking to upgrade and repair their wastewater infrastructure. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210112-cwsrf
The U.S. Coast Guard wants to replace one of its oldest cutters on the Great Lakes but delays in funding and congressional appropriations mean that a replacement boat may be several years away. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210112-coast-guard-cutter
The U.S. Justice Department announced charges against a Flint, Michigan-based oil processing company for dumping leachate into Flint’s sewer system in violation of the company’s discharge permits. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210112-usjd-flint
Akron Council has given initial approval of a deal to allow horizontal drilling and fracking under 475 acres of public land at the La Due Reservoir, which is upstream from the city’s main drinking water supply along the Cuyahoga River. Read the full story by the Akron Beacon Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210112-akron
The Lake Erie Agriculture Demonstrating Sustainability (LEADS) initiative in Ontario announced $2.58 million in available funding for farmers to adopt environmental sustainability and water quality improvement practices in the Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair watersheds. Read the full story by CTV News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210112-leads-initiative
After cancelling Great Lakes cruises in 2020 and 2021, Viking Cruise Lines is offering booking for 2022 cruise voyages from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Thunder Bay, Ontario. Read the full story by Radio K102.5 Kalamazoo, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20210112-cruises
