Bruce Beach Canada

Members of the Ojibwe and other Indigenous Nations in the northern Great Lakes region have spearfished walleye for centuries, but the threat of climate change to the habitat for this traditional source of food is adding another difficulty on top of historical government and local opposition. Read the full story by The Associated Press.

The newly built river valley in Toronto’s Port Lands has been officially connected with Lake Ontario through the Polson Slip, a milestone in the grand eastern waterfront project that brings it closer to completely rerouting the mouth of the Don River. Read the full story by the Toronto Star.

A $110,700 investment from the province of Ontario will allow the Lakehead Region Conservation Authority and the City of Thunder Bay, Ontario, to team up to create a depression around Boulevard Lake that will serve as a wetland to filter storm water runoff. Read the full story by TB News Watch.

Two Wisconsin tribes are defending a new rule issued by the Environmental Protection Agency that requires states to consider tribal treaty rights when setting water quality standards. The rule aims to help protect water quality where tribes hold rights outside their reservations under treaties with the federal government. A dozen red states have brought a lawsuit challenging the new regulation. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.

Michigan rivers continue to face an ecological threat known as didymo (Didymosphenia geminata), commonly referred to as “rock snot”. By covering streambeds, didymo displaces crucial food sources for fish such as trout, including stoneflies and larvae. Read the full story by Michigan Public.

In June 2023, the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced it was starting the designation process for a new national marine sanctuary in Lake Erie. Now NOAA is establishing a pre-designation Sanctuary Advisory Council to provide advice and recommendations for the proposed sanctuary. Read the full story by WZTE – Union City, PA.

Since 1995, The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians’ fish-rearing program has introduced 20 million walleye into the ecosystem. This year, over one million walleye and 45,421 whitefish were released into Northern Michigan waters. Read the full story by WLUC-TV – Marquette, MI.

Read More

The 100th running of the Bayview Mackinac Race, where boats sail from Lake Huron off Port Huron, Michigan, and Sarnia, Ontario, to the finish line at Mackinac Island, will be its largest. Read the full story by The Sarnia Observer.

Foam on lakeshores is often a natural occurrence, usually caused by dying aquatic plants or algae that’s stirred up by waves. Natural foam is usually off-white and has an earthy smell, but some foam — that’s artificially white — contains toxic “forever chemicals.” Read the full story by Midland Daily News.

The Great Lakes vary significantly in depth, but exactly how deep are they, and where does Lake Ontario fit in? Read the full story by the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.

The Aquarium of Niagara in Niagara Falls, New York, has set a date for the grand opening of its “Great Lakes 360” project. The long-awaited and first-ever expansion will welcome the public for the first time on July 13. Read the full story by WGRZ-TV – Buffalo, NY.