Great Lakes News

Dec. 31, 2008 - Rain, snow clouds have a silver lining Wells, Great Lakes are filling up: A year of heavier than normal precipitation has helped top up groundwater reserves throughout Grey and Bruce after a prolonged dry spell, area water watchers say.

Dec. 31, 2008 - Granholm expected to sign phosphorus limits law: There's been a victory in the ongoing battle against muck in Saginaw Bay and the Great Lakes.

Dec. 29, 2008 - Great Lakes water levels rise up: Near-record snowfall has translated into healthy Great Lakes water levels, officials say. Lakes Michigan and Huron are a foot higher than at this time a year ago, according to U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers officials in Detroit.

Dec. 26, 2008 - Superior refinery expansion at center of Great Lakes debate: SUPERIOR — There is indeed a growing awareness of just how precious the Great Lakes are — and will be — in a century in which many are predicting fresh water will become more coveted than oil.

Dec. 19, 2008 - NYS to Adopt Tough New Policies to Stop Devastating Aquatic Invasive Species Introductions: Environmental & Conservation Groups Applaud New Ballast Treatment Regulations. ALBANY, NY - Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River advocates today applauded New York State's latest effort to shut the door on aquatic invasive species introductions.

Dec. 19, 2008 - Why buy water?
Water is essential to life as we know it on our planet.Humans are composed of about 70 per cent water, so naturally it is necessary to consume water daily in order to survive.Water is an abundant resource in our western society. We clean ourselves with it.

Dec. 18, 2008 - Great Lakes and mighty Mississippi: breaking up not so hard to do:
Leading Great Lakes advocates are calling today for federal leadership and funding for “ecological separation” of the Great Lakes from the Mississippi River basin to protect both great watersheds from the perils of invasive species.

Dec. 17, 2008 - Coast Guard OKs barrier to keep Asian carp from Great Lakes: Less than a week after a group of 29 U.S. senators and representatives wrote a letter demanding answers as to why an electric Asian carp barrier built in 2006 to keep the monstrous fish from invading the Great Lakes hadn’t been turned on, the Coast Guard has given it the green light.

Dec. 16, 2008 - Controversy over cormorant cull about to re-ignite: Brighton – The possible return of a cormorant cull at Presqu'ile Provincial Park after a two-year absence has once again aroused strong emotions on both sides of the issue.

Dec. 16, 2008 - Wisconsin retreats on ballast treatment, for now: Wisconsin has backed off a dispute with the federal Environmental Protection Agency over ballast water regulation, allowing Great Lakes ships to enter Wisconsin ports after Dec. 19 after all. Wisconsin has backed off a dispute with the federal Environmental Protection Agency over ballast water regulation, allowing Great Lakes ships to enter Wisconsin ports after Dec. 19 after all.

Dec. 10, 2008 - Festival puts focus on Great Lakes: TRAVERSE CITY -- Merging environmental education and activism with music, art and community, The Water Festival is uniting the generations to protect the future.

Dec. 09, 2008 - Great Lakes surfers pay no mind to frigid temps
CP goes to Duluth to see what kind of brave souls partake of winter boarding: "Summer means many different things to different people. To some it might mean the thrill of a high-speed catamaran. Others like to float around and soak up a few stray rays. Still others like some kind of inland activity. But for us, it's the sport of surfing."

Dec. 08, 2008 - Great Lakes Compact Takes Effect: After four long years of negotiations, the federal Great Lakes Basin Compact -- a plan to protect the world’s largest supply of freshwater from being diverted across the country -- goes into effect today.

Dec. 08, 2008 - Half a billion dollar project could be largest on Great Lakes in a generation: Toledo, OH – Congress is considering the possible funding of the construction of a new lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, a half-billion dollar undertaking that would rank as the largest navigation infrastructure project on the Great Lakes in a generation.

Dec. 04, 2008 - Critics call for alternatives to spreading of sewage sludge: Critics made the case for looking harder at the spreading of sewage sludge and its alternatives at a Dec. 2 public meeting in Colborne.

Dec. 04, 2008 - City, UWS contemplate waterfront research center: The Waterfront Initiative is just a concept. However, city and university officials are working together on this idea to create a Great Lakes research facility on the Montreal Pier on Superior’s waterfront.

Dec. 04, 2008 - Producers proactive in medication disposal: PETERBOROUGH - Ontario’s farmers took a pro-active approach last month, walking a path that’s never before been trod.

Dec. 03, 2008 - Tar Sands Oil Development Could Claim More Than 160 Million Boreal Birds
New Science-Based Report Outlines Devastating Impact for Birds in U.S. and Canada: CHICAGO (December 2, 2008) - Extraction and refining of heavy oil from Canada's tar sands is taking a significant toll on migratory birds throughout North America, according to a report released today.

Dec. 03, 2008 - Algae blooms cost billions in damages: Nutrient pollution that causes noxious algae blooms to blanket lakes is more than an environmental nightmare -- the problem also reduces lakefront property values and causes billions of dollars in other economic losses, according to a new study.

Dec. 02, 2008 - Canaries in the oilsands mine
New report warns of oilsands devastation to migratory birds: A new report says some 166 million migratory birds will be modern day canaries in a coal mine, harbingers of the destructive nature of the oilsands.

Dec. 02, 2008 - 100,000 Gallon Plus Water Users Should Register with State Soon: INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Facilities located in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin that have the capability to withdraw 100,000 gallons per day need to register with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources before Dec. 8, 2008, according to Indiana Farm Bureau.

Nov. 30, 2008 - EAST CHICAGO -- The salmon are running in East Chicago. This month marks the 20th annual return of a prized and ecologically sensitive game fish to a stream that is fed, essentially, by the toilets and drains of this city of 30,000 residents.

Nov. 30, 2008 - Michigan scores a victory in war against lake invaders: As the tail that wags the Great Lakes policy dog, Michigan scored a big win for the region on Nov. 21.

Nov. 30, 2008 - Science news in brief: Oceans' acidity is worsening. MARINE LIFE: Oceans' acidity is worsening

Nov. 29, 2008 - Scientists say they've found bacteria that will fight invasive mussels
But germ can't be used on wide scale, so its utility is limited, they warn: Researchers seeking to slow the spread of invasive zebra and quagga mussels in American lakes and rivers have found a bacterium that appears to be fatal to the problematic species without affecting native mussels or freshwater fish.

Nov. 28, 2008 - Shipping need less talk, more action: There have been endless conversations about how best to protect the Great Lakes, the entire St. Lawrence Seaway system for that matter, against the further introduction of aquatic invasive species.

Nov. 28, 2008 - Growth of invasive species has engineers rethinking waterways: CHICAGO - The Great Lakes are connected to the Mississippi River via a man-made system of waterways in the Chicago area, created in the early 1900s and famously reversing the flow of the Chicago River.

Nov. 25, 2008 - Ethanol Plant May Come to Northwest Indiana: Officials in Northwest Indiana have already Ok'd the construction of a facility that will turn garbage into ethanol. But finding a suitable site may come with some challenges.

Nov. 25, 2008 - It would be a boon to the north central U.S., supporters argued. Foes cited extracting methods used for the oil: Minnesota energy regulators gave their approval Tuesday to a new pipeline that will come out of Canada carrying crude oil across northern Minnesota and on to Wisconsin.

Nov. 25, 2008 - Link to oilsands means another record for port: Link to oilsands means another record for port.

Nov. 21, 2008 - Estimating the True Costs of Invasive Species in Great Lakes: The Great Lakes currently harbor well-established populations of more than 50 non-native species that were dumped into those waters by ocean-going ships.

Nov. 21, 2008 - Federal court upholds Michigan ballast water law: TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — A federal appeals court Friday upheld a Michigan law designed to prevent oceangoing freight ships from bringing invasive species to the Great Lakes in their ballast water.

Nov. 20, 2008 - Exotic mussels confirmed in Utah waters DNA tests - Electric Lake tests positive for invaders: It was only a matter of time.

Nov. 20, 2008 - Group requesting Great Lakes bailout: First it was Wall Street, then the automakers.

Nov. 19, 2008 - In the U.S., environmental change gets green light: Obama's plans for environmental legislation may have big impact - After eight years of disappointment, frustration and legal wrangling with the Bush administration, environmental groups think Barack Obama could be the nation's greenest president.

Nov. 19, 2008 - Reaching the boiling point
H2O hits the environmental mainstream: To most James Bond fans, the villain in Quantum of Solace may come as a surprise - this time, it isn't some disfigured, revenge-obsessed arms dealer working out of an underground lair in Russia, but rather a plain-looking guy in khakis named Dominic Greene, head of a prominent environmental organization

Nov. 18, 2008 - Environmental groups want pact controlling Great Lakes water strengthened: TRAVERSE CITY — A coalition of environmental groups wants to amend a recently enacted Great Lakes water management compact, contending it has loopholes that could enable water grabs by multinational corporations.

Nov. 17, 2008 - Info sought on Great Lakes levels' effect Panel wants to hear residents' viewpoints: Envision the future of the Great Lakes.

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