GLIN

Gravel, sand and silt dredged from the bottom of the Buffalo River were once so toxic they had to be hauled off to a special site. But now, after a $75 million cleanup, sediment coming out of the river is healthy enough to be used to build new natural habitat on Buffalo’s Unity Island. Read the full story by the Buffalo News. View the full article

Results from a recent study show that Lake Michigan’s E. coli and swimming advisories are down from previous years, which is in part due to the invasive quagga mussel. Read the full story by Michigan Radio. View the full article

The U.S. Coast Guard is reminding boaters of a few safety tips including to wear bright colors so rescue crews have an easier time finding you in the water – because many of Michigan’s lakes are huge and you are small. Read the full story by MLive. View the full article

It’s heating up this holiday weekend in Greater Lansing, but those traveling to take a dip in one of the Great Lakes shouldn’t expect ideal swimming temperatures just yet. Read the full story by the Lansing State Journal. View the full article

Rep. Dan Kildee of Michigan’s 5th Congressional District is speaking out following reports that one of his office staff members was not allowed to participate in the EPA’s National Leadership Summit on PFAS. Read the full story by The Hill. View the full article

Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River are not likely to see a repeat of last summer’s high-water levels, but regulators are still trying to help things return to normal in the wake of heavy rains and snowmelt over the past year. Read the full story by North Country Public Radio. View the full article

A bevy of baby Blanding’s turtles made the slow plunge into their new home on a coastal plain of Lake Michigan this past week as part of a continuing effort to restore the population of the seemingly smiling turtle. Read the full story by the Daily Herald. View the full article

It’s one of the Great Lakes’ most enduring mysteries: What happened to Northwest Airlines Flight 2501? The Douglas DC4 carrying 58 people disappeared over Lake Michigan in 1950 and researchers who have spent years hunting for the plane’s remains set out again this spring. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press. View the full article

The ship, the USS LST 393, was restored by veterans, their families and supporters and is now anchored in Muskegon, Michigan. Visitors from 40 states and 13 countries came to explore the ship’s history last year alone. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press. View the full article

Beach season is here and Chicago public health officials are using cutting edge technology to monitor water quality to protect the health of beachgoers. Read the full story by WLS-TV – Chicago, IL. View the full article

GoPro footage of the bottom of Lake Michigan obtained during NOAA research operations show images of an invasive blanket of quagga mussels covering the lakebed. Read the full story by the Record-Eagle. View the full article

GoPro footage of the bottom of Lake Michigan obtained during NOAA research operations show images of an invasive blanket of quagga mussels covering the lakebed. Read the full story by the Record-Eagle. View the full article

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder approved the six-month ban as a response to an April mishap that caused damage to Enbridge Line 5 and a mineral oil spill. Read the full story by WMUK – Kalamazoo, MI. View the full article

Scientists from the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory using GoPro cameras attached to Ponar dredges have documented a nearly continuous carpet of invasive quagga mussels covering the bottom of Lake Michigan. Read the full story by the Traverse City Record-Eagle. View the full article

Unless serious action is taken, Hamilton Harbour’s worst-ever algae bloom could become an annual event, according to John Stark, freshwater conservation director for The Nature Conservancy in Ohio. Read the full story by the CBC. View the full article

Federal wildlife crews are headed to metro Detroit in the hunt for a parasite that literally sucks the life out of Great Lakes fish: the sea lamprey. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press. View the full article

Petroleum is being shipped out of the Port of Milwaukee this spring for the first time in at least a decade, a development that brings a new source of business to the area but also raises concerns about environmental threats to the harbor and Lake Michigan. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. View the full article

Some businesses near Lake Ontario battled flooding for much of summer 2017, while others were just high enough to avoid a direct hit — but still dealt with lost revenues. With lake levels down nearly two feet since last year’s peak, owners are optimistic while keeping a wary eye on a lake that is still a few inches above average. Read the full story by the Democrat & Chronicle. View the full article

In Michigan, the Sable Points Lighthouse Keepers Association is in the process of restoring 14 portholes that adorn the 57-foot Ludington North Breakwater Light on Lake Michigan, an update that will allow visitors to better experience the historic structure. Read the full story by the MLive. View the full article

High water levels and a cold April will lead to very chilly, and potentially dangerous, water temperatures around the Great Lakes for the Memorial Day holiday weekend. Read the full story by MLive. View the full article

An eighth grader in Elk Rapids, Michigan, is organizing a “Great Lakes Floatilla” to educate people on how to protect fresh water bodies such as the Great Lakes. Read the full story by WPBN-TV – Traverse City, MI. View the full article

While recent high Great Lakes water levels have caused problems for many people, in the shipping industry high water levels make it easier for ships to enter and leave harbors and allow ships to carry heavier loads. Read the full story by the Duluth News Tribune. View the full article

News Ann Arbor, Mich. – The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) sent a letter to Great Lakes Senators supporting provisions in America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 (S.2800), Senate legislation that strengthens important Great Lakes programs and addresses critical challenges to upgrade and maintain water infrastructure across the eight-state Great Lakes region. The bill increases the authorized funding level for the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Act and for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative; authorizes the Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study, which will recommend actions to protect the Great Lakes from threats such as lake level fluctuations, erosion, flooding, and nutrient runoff; and calls for the completion of a key decision document for construction of a new lock at the Soo Locks complex, which connects Lake Superior to the lower Great Lakes and is a vital link in the Great Lakes maritime transportation system. “Nearly $10 billion is needed annually over the next two decades for water infrastructure in the eight Great Lakes states,” said John Linc Stine, chair of the GLC and commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. “The Great Lakes provisions in S. 2800 will help address our region’s most pressing water-related challenges while committing to the protection and restoration of the lakes. We thank Chairman Barrasso and Ranking Member Carper for their leadership in advancing this legislation.” The GLC also expressed support for the water infrastructure provisions in S. 2800 that reauthorize and strengthen existing programs, study new approaches, and promote reforms and best practices to support states and local communities in repairing, maintaining and upgrading wastewater, drinking water and stormwater infrastructure. These provisions will support state and local efforts, increase federal investments and improve access to federal programs, and are consistent with the GLC’s 2017 Joint Action Plan for Clean Water Infrastructure and Services, which recommended actions to advance a more sustainable water infrastructure system for the Great Lakes region. The Senate legislation advances the GLC’s 2018 federal priorities, which call on Congress and the Administration to take actions to protect and leverage the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River as vital economic and environmental assets for the eight-state, two-province region. To read the letter, click here. ← Previous news release The Great Lakes Commission, led by chairman John Linc Stine, commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, is an interstate compact agency established under state and U.S. federal law and dedicated to promoting a strong economy, healthy environment and high quality of life for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region and its residents. The Commission consists of governors’ appointees, state legislators, and agency officials from its eight member states. Associate membership for Ontario and Québec was established through the signing of a “Declaration of Partnership.” The Commission maintains a formal Observer program involving U.S. and Canadian federal agencies, tribal authorities, binational agencies and other regional interests. The Commission offices are located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Learn more at www.glc.org. Contact For questions or media inquiries, please contact Beth Wanamaker, [email protected]. Recent GLC News Great Lakes Commission applauds inclusion of Great Lakes provisions in water infrastructure legislation NOAA, Great Lakes Commission habitat restoration efforts showcased in new video at 2018 AOC Conference Great Lakes Commission urges Congress to fully fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative in FY 2019 Great Lakes Commission statement on passing of former Michigan Sen. Patty Birkholz Upcoming GLC Events 2018 Great Lakes Commission Annual Meeting October 2 - October 3 View GLC Calendar > View the full article

A volunteer advisory board for Great Lakes Restoration Initiative programs has gone dormant under President Donald Trump, and Reps. Dave Joyce and Marcy Kaptur want to make sure it’s revived. Read the full story by the Cleveland Plain Dealer. View the full article

Taiwan-based Foxconn Technology Group said that it remains committed to its proposed $10 billion Wisconsin manufacturing facility, rejecting a report that it’s considering reducing its initial investment. Read the full story by the Chicago Sun-Times. View the full article