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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
Ice caves and a frozen Lake Erie – Winter in Niagara puts on a spectacular show
At the peak of the deep freeze, ice caves and ice volcanoes appeared along the shores of Lake Erie in Crystal Beach, Ontario. Lake Erie is nearly 95% covered in ice; if the cold weather continues across the Great Lakes Region, the possibility exists that Lake Erie could reach 100% ice cover for only the fourth times since records began. Read the full story by BurlingtonToday.com.
Discovery of Lake Michigan shipwreck recalls history of Cleveland shipbuilding
The recent discovery of the Lac La Belle, which sank to the bottom of Lake Michigan in 1872, does more than scratch it from the list of long-sought shipwrecks. It takes one back – if only for a moment – to when traveling around the Great Lakes didn’t mean climbing in a car or boarding a train but buying a ticket on a steamer. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
‘Hoping that river smells like home’: Great Lakes whitefish efforts turn to tributaries
Whitefish have declined because of invasive species and climate change-fueled loss of winter ice cover on the Great Lakes. Now scientists are testing whether rivers can serve as spawning refuges. Read the full story by MLive.
Lake Michigan shipwreck hunter finds elusive steamer lost in 1872
A shipwreck hunter has located the Lac La Belle, a sidewheel steamer that has eluded searchers for more than a century. The wooden-hulled American passenger ship sank October 13, 1872, in a Lake Michigan gale about 20 miles off Racine, Wisconsin. Read the full story by MLive.
For first time in more than a decade, foot access to Apostle Islands ice caves may open
A natural spectacle along the Lake Superior shore that’s been off-limits to hikers for more than a decade may be accessible again starting Monday. Officials at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in northern Wisconsin announced Saturday that they’re planning to open foot access to the famed ice caves near Meyers Beach. Read the full story by MPR News.
Ruling upheld: State permits for Line 5 reroute project are green lit
On Friday, an administrative law judge upheld a key permit for Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline. Granted last year by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the permit allows for 41 miles of new oil pipeline to be built as part of the company’s reroute plan. Read the full story by WDIO-TV – Duluth, MN.
Biologist seeks in-depth study of winter’s effect on Great Lakes
Diminishing ice cover heightens wave action and stirs up trouble for fish below the surface, an Algoma University scientist cautions. Read the full story by Sault This Week.
Lake Michigan shoreline walker case moves to Court of Appeals
In Wisconsin, a Madison-based environmental law firm filed an appeal to Milwaukee Circuit Court on behalf of a Shorewood resident who last summer received a citation from the village for walking the shoreline beyond the public beach. The resident believes it’s everyone’s right to enjoy the Lake Michigan shoreline. Read the full story by WUWM – Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
City council resolution moves ‘Route 66’ starting point to Navy Pier
The Chicago City Council has officially designated Navy Pier in southwest lake Michigan as the new eastern terminus of the iconic route 66 highway, which stretches 2,448 miles through eight states. Read the full story by Loop North News.
What over a century of ice data can tell us about the Great Lakes’ future
Michigan researchers have gone back in time to get a picture of how ice cover on the Great Lakes has evolved since the late 19th century. Using historical temperature records from weather stations around the region, researchers improved their understanding of where ice might have formed and for how long it lasted. Read the full story by WXPR – Rhinelander, Wisconsin.