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Great Lakes Daily News is a collection of news articles of interest to the Great Lakes community, curated by Great Lakes Commission staff. This valuable service provides a selection of recent coverage of Great Lakes issues from professional media outlets in the United States and Canada. Subscribers receive a email digest, making it easy and convenient to keep up with important regional news. Sign up now to get Great Lakes Daily News in your inbox!
All views and opinions presented are solely those of the author or attributed source, and do not necessarily reflect those of the Great Lakes Commission or its party states and provinces.
Latest Daily News
Experts warn of climate change impact on Great Lakes fish populations by 2030s
Despite a colder-than-average winter in the Great Lakes and across the country, climate change may reduce ice cover on the Great Lakes over the long term. Declines in ice cover could impact fish populations. Read the full story by WPBN-TV – Traverse City, MI.
Second round of funding to support Lake Erie watershed projects opens
The Ohio Lake Erie Commission announced the second round of funding is open for a grant program to help communities restore habitats, combat invasive species, and clean or divert storm water with infrastructure techniques. Read the full story by Spectrum News 1.
Muskegon to expand warning light system, boosting safety at 3 beachfront parks
Five more solar-powered signs will help alert beachgoers to rip currents and dangerous conditions at Muskegon, Michigan beaches starting summer 2026. The warning system uses red, yellow, and green lights similar to a traffic signal to indicate swimming conditions. Read the full story by MLive.
Lake Erie has huge, lake-long crack clearly seen from above, and now close up
An 80-mile-long ice crack runs along Lake Erie from Cleveland to the north shore of Lake Erie near Port Bruce in Canada. In addition to photos from satellites, there are now drone images from right on top of the crack. Read the full story by MLive.
Army Corps of Engineers releases final report on Line 5 tunnel leading up to permitting decision
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released the final version of its Environmental Impact Statement on Enbridge’s proposed Line 5 tunnel project, starting a 30-day waiting period before making its final decision on whether to grant the pipeline company a permit to move forward with the proposal. Read the full story by Michigan Advance.
Environmental officials in U.S. and Canada meet to discuss Great Lakes successes, future priorities
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Canadian officials met in Chicago last week to discuss shared priorities and success stories throughout the Great Lakes watershed following the 2025 State of the Great Lakes Report. Read the full story by Ideastream Public Media.
Stalled plan revived to bring electricity under Lake Erie from Canada
A proposal to build an underwater line to transmit electricity from Canada to Erie County is once again seeking government approvals. Read the full story by the Erie-Times News.
Complete freeze of Great Lake now ‘unlikely’ following strong winds that ‘shoved’ ice southward
Although Lake Erie’s surface had been nearing a complete freeze — a state it has not reached in 30 years — the chances of it reaching 100 percent have now waned after strong north winds over the weekend disrupted the amount of ice coverage. Read the full story by The Chronicle.
Sturgeon fishing season on Black Lake lasts only 48 minutes for 679 registered anglers
The 2026 lake sturgeon fishing season on Black Lake in Michigan’s Cheboygan County lasted only 48 minutes for 679 registered anglers — 31 minutes longer than last year. The harvest limit for the 2026 season on Black Lake was six lake sturgeon. Read the full story by the Alpena News.
Data center concerns lead to push for a one-year moratorium on projects
Concerns over data centers in Michigan have led to advocates pushing for the Michigan Legislature to enact a one-year moratorium on the construction of new data centers until more comprehensive regulations can be put into place. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.