Bruce Beach Canada

Factors such as weather patterns, local bird or geese populations, and water flow can all impact E. coli levels, but the true source can be hard to pinpoint. Read the full story by Erie Times-News.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Lake Michigan Fisheries Forum will host a public meeting to discuss current and future rules governing the trawling for lake whitefish in Lake Michigan. Read the full story by Lake Geneva News.

St. Lawrence Seaway officials and guests gathered in Massena, New York Monday to celebrate the official opening of a new $7 million visitor center. The new facility includes a museum with 38 exhibits and a three-story viewing platform overlooking one of the Seaway’s two locks for huge ocean-going freighters. Read the full story by North Country Public Radio.

A bill containing $12 million to install a barrier in the Mississippi River in southern Minnesota to prevent invasive carp from swimming upstream is headed to Governor Tim Walz. If signed funding will become available July 1. Read the full story by Minnesota Public Radio.

The Coast Guard warns that water temperatures in the St. Lawrence River range from 49 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and despite the recent warm weather, boaters should follow safety precautions to prevent hypothermia. Read the full story by WWTI-TV – Watertown, NY.

The story of two intrepid explorers crossing the Georgian Bay on foot during a freeze-up highlights the disquieting future of the Great Lakes without ice coverage. Read the full story by Biinaagami.

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The Municipality of Kincardine is looking for volunteers to monitor Station Beach during the summer tourism season.
“Beach Blazers are volunteers who will interact with our Station Beach visitors in the summer months,” said Director of Community Services Jayne Jagelewski in a May 17 news release. “They’ll have recommendations for local services, be conducting surveys, and collecting user feedback while monitoring the area. Depending on the comment or concern, they will report it to staff, bylaw enforcement or the Ontario Provincial Police, as appropriate.”
Like the Trail Blazers program launched in the fall of 2023, Beach Blazers will walk the Station Beach waterfront during peak beach times, acting as ambassadors and an extra set of eyes for the Municipality.
The development of the program came from recommendations made in the Pier Safety Ad-hoc Committee report received by council in March.
The Beach Blazers will begin their work at Station Beach the week of June 24 and continue through to Sept. 2, covering various peak times throughout weekdays and weekends. Beach Blazers will not be acting or trained as lifeguards.
Applications for the program are now open online at kincardine.ca/Volunteer. For more information on the program, contact Anne-Marie Thomson, manager of recreation, by emailing athomson@kincardine.ca or by calling 519-396-3468 ext. 7301. Read More

Huron County is mourning the death of Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the iconic author whose short stories set in small-town Ontario brought her worldwide acclaim. Read More

The winner of a Great Lakes water quality competition is tackling microplastics pollution one washing machine at a time. Ten finalists from the United States and Canada presented their work to a four-judge panel at the AquaHacking Challenge at Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City, Michigan. Projects dealt with PFAS, lead contamination, microplastics, and nutrients. Read the full story by Interlochen Public Radio.

Purvis Fisheries located on Ontario’s Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron is one of 24 fisheries operating on the Great Lakes that have joined the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge. Through the project, signatories have committed to using 100 percent of their fish by 2025. The Manitoulin Island fishery’s commitment to make better use of its catch will create more value for the company while also improving its impact on the environment. Read the full story by BayToday.

An upcoming celebration of Great Lakes sturgeon is no big fish story, as the Friends of the St. Clair River will host its annual Sturgeon Fest on June 1 in Port Huron, Michigan. Those who attend the festival can experience the Great Lakes’ largest fish via a live sturgeon touch tank and hands-on activities. Read the full story by The Voice.