Ten years ago, Toledo warned about half a million residents not to drink the water for nearly three days due to algal toxins. Thus far, some studying Erie say we haven’t flexed enough muscle to live up to commitments made in the wake of the crisis. Read the full story by Crain’s Cleveland Business.
Through a collaboration between water operators and scientists, yellow smart buoys bobbing on the surface of Lake Erie are serving as an early warning system for algae blooms. Read the full story by CBC News.
In June 2025, an underwater remotely operated vehicle contest will be hosted by the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Alpena, Michigan. More than 1,000 guests from 15 countries are expected to attend. Read the full story by MLive.
Foam from Muskegon Lake in Muskegon, Michigan, contained over 4,000 parts per trillion of PFOS. The source has not been identified because a number of former industries along the shoreline could have used the foam for fire protection or in their industrial processes. Read the full story by the Midland Daily News.
Veteran policy experts discuss how a Harris or Trump presidency may deal with three key topics: Great Lakes restoration, groundwater, and the Line 5 oil pipeline. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Chequamegon Bay near Ashland, Wisconsin, hasn’t seen algae blooms unlike other areas of the Great Lakes struggling with high phosphorus levels. A recent study found that the area doesn’t have the same kind of dissolved phosphorus that is associated with intense agricultural production. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Using trackers to follow the path of plastic bottles in rivers around the Greater Toronto Area, students found hot spots for garbage before it enters Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Read the full story by The Narwhal.
The closed Palisades nuclear plant, located on Lake Michigan, is in the first steps of reopening: on-the-ground efforts are already underway at the site to co-locate a pair of small-modular reactors there by 2030. Read the full story by MLive.
Closely intertwined with Indigenous culture and identity, wild rice was decimated after the arrival of European settlers. But today, many partners are supporting initiatives to restore wild rice. Read the full story by WXPR – Rhinelander, WI.
About a mile from Cleveland’s Lake Erie shore, in a stretch of water once among America’s most polluted, a team of conservationists just released a few dozen lake sturgeon into the Cuyahoga River. Lake sturgeon need a nice clean substrate so their eggs don’t suffocate, and biologists believe the Cuyahoga’s improved water quality has made that possible. Read the full story by NPR.
On Oct. 18, the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians will release a new mini documentary about the fisheries program at the Fresh Coast Film Festival in Marquette. The 15-minute documentary, “Sacred Waters: Anishinaabeg Naagdawenmaanaanig Giigoonhkewin,” discusses the tribe’s ancient connection to the Great Lakes and how tribe biologists are leading efforts to restore whitefish populations, whose numbers have been severely diminished by invasive species. Read the full story by the Sault Ste. Marie Evening News.
Thousands of water service lines across the state are made from the original infrastructure, at times, dating back 100 years. With infrastructure developments throughout the years, the state has passed a bipartisan bill to replace service lines made with lead pipes. Read the full story by Spectrum News.