Great Lakes Daily News

The Swiss ship company Viking Cruises announced new cruise lines in the Great Lakes, starting in 2022. The cruises voyages will all start or end at the Port of Milwaukee and guest will have several opportunities for excursions into Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and other Great Lakes cities. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

PolyMet Mining Corp. will ask the Minnesota Supreme Court to reverse a ruling that blocked state mining permits for a copper-nickel mine on the Iron Range. The mine is at the center of a conflict between mining and environmental interests, including the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and other groups, about the environmental risks of copper-nickel mining to lakes and streams. Read the full story by the Star Tribune.

The Michigan Department of Environment Great Lakes and Energy expressed concerns to the owner of a collapsed dock on the Detroit River about the company’s response efforts and requested an updated response plan that details further clean-up plans by January 24. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security declined to declare a state of emergency regarding the beach erosion on Lake Michigan, citing a lack of loss to key infrastructure that would qualify for public assistance funding. Read the full story by the Northwest Indiana Times.

Rapid changes in water levels on the Great Lakes from record highs to record lows within a short time span makes climate change adaption harder for cities like Chicago than for coastal cities that only face sea-level rise, according to author Dan Egan. Read the full story by WTTW-TV – Chicago.

The last ships arrived in the Port of Duluth-Superior yesterday, marking the end of the Great Lakes shipping season as the Soo Locks in Lake Michigan close for seasonal repairs. Read the full story by KBJR-TV – Superior, WI.

Michigan Congressmen Fred Upton, Bill Huizenga, and Jack Bergman expressed concern to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over the continuing erosion along Lake Michigan and asked for solutions to mitigate damages. Read the full story by The Ripon Advance.

Forty-one members of Congress wrote a letter this week asking the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers asking the agency to prioritize protecting the Great Lakes by requesting funds to prevent the Asian carp invasion and to study coastal resiliency of the Great Lakes coast. Read the full story by the Lakewood, Ohio Patch.

A storm surge caused more than $10 million in damages along the Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, lakefront along Lake Michigan, and county officials will request state and federal disaster assistance funding for repairs, debris cleanup, and more. Read the full story by WTMJ-TV – Milwaukee, WI.

Record water levels on Lake Michigan are causing road closures in the Traverse City, Michigan, area and has required the upcoming Bayshore Marathon to change its course. Read the full story by the Traverse City Ticker.