Bruce Beach Canada

In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the lack of ice, combined with the lack of typical winter weather, has led to a lot of evaporation that can impact water levels on Lake Michigan. Another issue is salt applied during winter storms that runs off into the lake, polluting the water. Read the full story by WTMJ-TV – Milwaukee, WI.

The DeTour Reef Light in northern Lake Huron has expanded its lighthouse keeper program, previously only available on weekends, to include weeknight stays for $50 per person per night. The 83-foot lighthouse, built in 1931, is a strategic and historic landmark that marks a dangerous reef to help guide ship traffic to and from Lake Huron and Lake Superior via the St. Marys River. Read the full story by The Detroit Free Press.

Three Michigan artists are spreading awareness about the value of the Great Lakes by creating trash murals, shredding waves and telling legends about shipwrecks. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.

Submitted by Robin Hilborn, Bruce County Historical Society Read More

This spring, the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians’ fisheries team will start using underwater cameras in select areas of Grand Traverse Bay and Lake Michigan to capture video footage of fish communities without disturbing them. Read the full story by WICA – Traverse City, MI.

Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) has approved $2.5 million in university funding to support construction of a $10 million facility along the Saginaw River. When completed, SVSU’s Lake Huron Environmental Research Station will be the first university environmental research facility on Lake Huron. Read the full story by WEYI-TV – Saginaw, MI.

In northwest Ohio, WIN Waste Innovations is seeking Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval to expand its landfill. Because the landfill lies within the vicinity of Lake Erie tributary watersheds, residents fear toxins from the landfill could affect water quality all the way to Lake Erie, and they worry that an expansion of the landfill could worsen the negative environmental impact in their towns. Read the full story by The Beacon.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this year’s historic lack of ice coverage could have a big impact on people living in communities around the lake, as well as some fish species that use the ice for protection from predators during spawning season. Read the full story by WXYZ-TV – Detroit, MI.

A study in Niagara County, New York, determined sport fishing put $58.55 million into the local economy in 2022. One facet of the county’s success story is the fishing pens operated and maintained by the Lake Ontario Trout and Salmon Association. The Niagara County Legislature will be looking at a resolution to grant the volunteer group $4,000 for the repair and replacement of those pens. Read the full story by The Lockport Union-Sun & Journal.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced some $7.5 million earmarked for Barcelona Harbor, and other harbors in western New York. The funding came as a bipartisan effort between Schumer and Buffalo-area House Representative Nick Langworthy; both noted the state of disrepair the harbor has fallen into. Read the full story by WJET-TV – Erie, PA.

Michigan bills to get rid of the state’s Environmental Rules Review Committee are on their way to the governor after passing the state Senate on Tuesday. The committee was created six years ago as an extra check on the rulemaking process for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, or EGLE. Read the full story by Michigan Public.

About 250 acres of Indiana wetlands have been lost in the two years since wetland protections were eased in a 2021 law, according to the Hoosier Environmental Council. A new bill that advanced through the state Senate recently would further reduce wetland protections, allowing developers to avoid costly permitting and mitigation. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.