Great Lakes Daily News

Researchers are beginning to see ice form on the Great Lakes. Historically, ice creation begins in earnest in early December and ice remains on the lakes until late May. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.

The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) has confirmed that quagga mussels have been found in the north end of Black Bay on Lake Superior, marking the latest appearance of the invasive species on the lake’s north shore. The mussels were first flagged earlier this month through a post on the iNaturalist app. Read the full story by CBC.

The outcome of a municipal court trial in Shorewood, Wisconsin, could become a decisive flashpoint over public access to Lake Michigan’s shoreline. Similar legal battles have been settled in other Great Lakes states, but the topic hasn’t been litigated in Wisconsin. Read the full story by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The piping plover shorebird is a rare sight in Indiana, but here’s why they wear so many colorful bands. Read the full story by the Indianapolis Star.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is recommending a 39% reduction in the lake whitefish quota for commercial fishers in the Wisconsin waters of Lake Michigan but no change in Green Bay. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Despite recent news of data center development in Michigan, the development boom is much more dramatic in Illinois and Ohio, two states that account for half of all operational facilities in the Great Lakes. Read the full story by The Detroit News.

An environmental crisis is unfolding in Lake Erie, where plastic pollution has increased dramatically over the past decade despite widespread conservation efforts. The findings are dramatic in Cleveland, Ohio, but more so near the eastern end of Lake Erie, where researchers found up to 700,000 particles per kilometer – up from just 19,000 a decade ago. That’s surface-area plastic and does not account for whatever has sunk to the bottom. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.

Canadian builder, owner, and pilot of the houseboat, The Neverlanding, wanted to sail her through the Straits of Mackinac, down Lake Michigan to be in Chicago by Christmas. Wintry weather on the Great Lakes gave him second thoughts. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.

Strong winds that prompted an Environment Canada alert this week have laid bare Lake Erie shoreline not often seen, but they also briefly uncovered a rarely seen shipwreck. Read the full story by the CBC.

Looking for a holiday gift for a reader who loves the Great Lakes? There are several prospects to consider. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.