Great Lakes News

<> Little things matter in Great Lakes beach, water pollution - While volunteers can pluck debris left on the beaches, a new threat from tiny plastic beads is on the rise in the water."What we find on the beach is closely linked to what we find in the water," said Sherri A. Mason, associate professor. . .

 

<> Great Lakes states examine alternatives to coal-fired power plants - Even as environmental groups push for alternative energy sources across the Great Lakes Basin and as some lawmakers encourage efforts to reduce greenhouse emissions, most energy powering homes still comes from coal. . .

<> Crews to survey St. Clair River for sea lampreys - Sea lampreys look alien, and Jim Frazer had a close encounter of the worst kind with one last weekend during the Port Huron Spring Fling salmon fishing tournament. . .

<> Algae bloom likely on Lake Erie - The forecast for Lake Erie this summer looks like it will be calling for another outbreak of algae on the water.

<> Lake Erie sediment dumping debate isn't going away - A decision preventing sediment dredged out of Cleveland's harbor from being dumped into Lake Erie has satisfied those worried about it fouling fish and drinking water but it won't end the debate over what to do with silt scooped out. . .

<> Coal-fired SS Badger ferry returns to service - The S.S. Badger, last coal-fired, steam-powered passenger ferry in North America is back in service.

<> OP-ED – Toledo Blade: To restore Lake Erie and the other Great Lakes, cut phosphorus - Toledo Blade. May 18, 2014 GUEST EDITORIAL By Jim Olson To restore Lake Erie and the other Great Lakes, cut phosphorus The principle of public trust, and the duties it imposes. . .

Great Lakes News

<> Senators Stabenow, Levin Applaud Efforts to Protect Great Lakes in Water Resources Development Act - U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin applauded the House-Senate conference agreement on the Water Resources Development Act that for the first time treats the Great Lakes as a single navigational system, increases funding for harbor maintenance, and provides broader authority for the Army Corps of Engineers to prevent breakthrough of Asian carp into the Great Lakes.

• Great Lakes deal in Congress may boost dredging efforts - A compromise measure on water resourcesdevelopment unveiled in Congress Thursday could result in more spending for dredging Great Lakes harbors and shipping channels, though it wasn't immediately known how. . .

• H.R.3080 Legislative Details

<> Lake Michigan finally thaws after months of record-breaking ice - Although the swimming season remains weeks away, Lake Michigan finally has shaken off winter's grip and is officially free of ice.

<> National Park Service maps Lake Superior's floor, uncovering mysteries along the way - Lake Superior's bottom will be scanned by sonar and laser beams around national parks this summer, as part of a U.S. National Park Service project to map the lake floor.

Great Lakes News

<> Adaptation in the Great Lakes Region - Join researchers and practitioners from the Great Lakes region and beyond from June 24-26th to learn about climate adaptation efforts in various sectors and across various scales, foster collaboration, and discuss next steps. . .

<> Federal Court says no to new nuclear reactors on Lake Ontario - May 15, 2014 - 9:29pm Photo: Darlington Nuclear Generating Station on Lake Ontario. The proposal to build two new nuclear. . .

<> Council of Great Lakes Governors' COMPASS Newsletter - the May 2014 edition of the newsletter is available

<> Virtual Townhall Webinar (Recorded) – Nutrient Pollution, Harmful Algal Blooms, and Dead Zones in the Great Lakes

<> SUNY Buffalo State heads $2 million project to investigate ecology of emerald shiner - Scientists at SUNY Buffalo State are taking the lead in a $2 million project to safeguard the environmental health of the upper Niagara River, N.Y., for the Western New Yorkers end all that may depend on the emerald shiner.

<> Great Lakes Governors Meet with Protection Fund Board Members in Chicago - Great Lakes Protection Fund board members reviewed 25 years of Fund activity with several member governors, senior staff representing the premiers of Quebec and Ontario. . .

Great Lakes News

<> Lake Superior could have ice linger into June - Many lakes across northeastern Minnesota still have plenty of ice on them, and that includes the largest of the Great Lakes. At the end of the weekend, Superior was still more than 23% ice covered.

<> Inland Seas needs Facebook votes to set sail with $25,000 grant - A group that teaches people about the Great Lakes from aboard a schooner is vying for $25,000 to provide scholarships and scientific equipment to further its work. The deciding factor? Facebook votes.

<> Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Water Resources Regional Body and Compact Council Meetings--June 13, 2014

• Regional Body
• Compact Council

Great Lakes News

7,000-mile Great Lakes trail through U.S., Canada goal of Saugatuck conference - "The idea is to develop something we can market as a world class trekking destination to the United States, Canada and the rest of the world."

Great Lakes News

<> EDITORIAL: On Great Lakes restoration, let's make sure we finish the job - U.S. Representative Sander Levin writes about the immense challenge of cleaning up the Great Lakes.

<> Forecasting the future of Michigan's great lakes - While the forecast for rising lakes levels does look pretty good right now, it does appear that a new El Nino event may be brewing for next winter and in the long-term forecast, you can expect ups and downs of the lake levels.

<> Ontario study: climate change impacts freshwater fish range - New research in Ontario shows that climate change is affecting where some freshwater fish species gotta swim. The northern boundaries of sportfish species have moved further north in the past three decades. . .

Great Lakes News

<> Lake Erie Improvement Association presents Healing the Lake: Bring Back the Blue - LEIA is a Lake Erie watershed-wide economic sustainability initiative dedicated to healthy waters and fish by promoting cooperation and wise resource management for the benefit of the Lake Erie basin.

<> Latest IJC Bi-Weekly Newsletter - Includes:IJC Receives Progress Reports from Boards, Publishes 2013 Activities Report, and more