News

In Michigan, a lighthouse near Mackinac Island has drawn an anonymous $65,500 winning bid at auction. More...

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is leading a drive to get a $500,000 grant from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund to buy at least 150 acres of a 315-acre privately held land in Saugatuck Township. More...

Iron ore producer Essar Steel Minnesota LLC announced Wednesday it has secured funding for an open-pit iron ore mine, as well as facilities for crushing, concentrating and pelletizing - a project the Hibbing-based company said will benefit the residents and economy of the Iron Range. More...

The Commission said this week that it is seeking a 40% reduction of the lake's annual load of phosphorus. More...

October is National Seafood Month, a time to highlight smart seafood choices, sustainable fisheries, and the health benefits of eating a diet rich in seafood. Learn more about seafood choices and sustainability at NOAA's FishWatch website. More...

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are overgrowths of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) that cause water quality problems in lakes and ponds, including the occasional production of potent toxins. Because HABs are increasing in many areas, the number of dog poisonings from cyanobacterial toxins is also on the rise. More...

Warning that a crude-oil train derailment in the densely populated Chicago, Ill., area could result in "unthinkable" devastation, city and suburban officials are calling for stricter rules on hazardous material shipments than the federal government has proposed. More...

The St. Lawrence Seaway reported that year-to-date cargo shipments of more than 24 million metric tons moved through the system for the period March 28 to Sept.30 - an increase of nearly 5 percent over September 2013. More...

The largest ship ever to sink in Lake Ontario has been located off the coast of Niagara County by a prolific group of local lake explorers. More...

A few days after autumn showed up on the calendar, it showed up on the landscape of North America. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite captured great views of fall colors around the Great Lakes on Sept. 26. More...

The Great Lakes Commission is inviting comments on a draft report that evaluates the potential benefits and risks surrounding the transport of crude oil in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River region. The draft report is available online, and comments will be accepted through Dec. 1. More...

The GLIN October Site of the Month is the newly redesigned Council of Great Lakes Governors website. The Council of Great Lakes Governors is a non-partisan partnership of governors from the eight Great Lakes States. For more than 30 years, the Council's mission has been to encourage and facilitate environmentally responsible economic growth. Check out their new site today! More...

The City of Sarnia has spent millions of dollars to prevent raw sewage from spilling into the St. Clair River, but it still remains a problem for some downriver communities, especially after a heavy rain. More...

A researcher monitoring belugas in the St. Lawrence estuary is warning of a looming "catastrophe" after another difficult calving season for the endangered whale. More...

Apart from creating a land use plan, Lundy said Lakefront Lorain County would work to grow economic activity through restaurants, recreational, and retail opportunities near the shoreline. More...

Algae blooms are millions of years older than you, but researchers think they're happening more often -- and sticking around longer -- thanks to two factors. One is warmer water; the other, an uptick in phosphorus levels, the algal blooms' favorite feast. More...

Snowfall has a large impact on communities, from road maintenance to water resources management. The next in the OSU Climate Change Webinar Series will explore snowfall trends in the United States and the Great Lakes region and introduce regions that show significant change in snowfall, including an increasing trend in the upper Midwest. More...

Underwater explorers say they've found the wreck of a 253-foot British-built steamship that sank off Lake Ontario's western New York shore after colliding with another vessel nearly 90 years ago.The four-man team says it found the wreck of the Nisbet Grammer in more than 500 feet of water. More...

The study released by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finds that sediment dumped into the lake isn't a main source of the phosphorus that feeds the algae. More...

If Superior's colder water has kept the invasives at bay thus far, the team says that's cause for greater concern when the Lake goes through a warm streak. More...

Gov. Mike Pence has named the Northwest Indiana Forum's environmental specialist Kay Nelson to represent Indiana on the Great Lakes Commission.Nelson, who worked previously with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, joined the Forum in 1998. More...

Snowfall has a large impact on communities, from road maintenance to water resources management. The next in the OSU Climate Change Webinar Series will explore snowfall trends in the United States and the Great Lakes region and introduce regions that show significant change in snowfall, including an increasing trend in the upper Midwest. More...

Fishermen and environmental officials alike have noticed populations of salmon in Grand Traverse Bay near Traverse City, Mich., are scaled back from previous years. More...

A series of projects that could be the start of a long-term vision to enhance waterfronts in Canada's water-rich Niagara region have been given a green-light for funding by regional politicians. More...

The Nature Conservancy of Canada has taken action to protect some pristine islands on Lake Superior's north shore. It has purchased the 162-hectare Powder Islands through the federal government's Natural Areas Conservation Program. More...