Great Lakes Daily News

The winner of a Great Lakes water quality competition is tackling microplastics pollution one washing machine at a time. Ten finalists from the United States and Canada presented their work to a four-judge panel at the AquaHacking Challenge at Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City, Michigan. Projects dealt with PFAS, lead contamination, microplastics, and nutrients. Read the full story by Interlochen Public Radio.

Purvis Fisheries located on Ontario’s Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron is one of 24 fisheries operating on the Great Lakes that have joined the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge. Through the project, signatories have committed to using 100 percent of their fish by 2025. The Manitoulin Island fishery’s commitment to make better use of its catch will create more value for the company while also improving its impact on the environment. Read the full story by BayToday.

An upcoming celebration of Great Lakes sturgeon is no big fish story, as the Friends of the St. Clair River will host its annual Sturgeon Fest on June 1 in Port Huron, Michigan. Those who attend the festival can experience the Great Lakes’ largest fish via a live sturgeon touch tank and hands-on activities. Read the full story by The Voice.

FishPass is a project aiming to reconnect the Ottaway or Boardman River in Traverse City, Michigan, to Lake Michigan. With recent money granted the project is slated to start in June, marking the start of a long process to make dams smarter and capable of sorting beneficial fish species from invasive species. Read the full story by WMNN-TV – Cadillac, MI.

The Huron River Watershed Council recently estimated the 148-year-old Peninsular Dam in Ypsilanti, Michigan, could come down in 2025 or 2026. The plan includes investing $10 million to revitalize a nearby public park that will grow as the river narrows. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.

There are a few active large fires in southern Canada. Due to upper air flow the smoke from those fires will be blown into the Midwest. Satellite images show the milky white haze of smoke moving from the Dakotas into the western portion of the Great Lakes basin. Read the full story by MLive.

Look fast or you may miss an elusive 170-year-old sunken schooner off the coast of Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin. The vessel comes in and out of view depending on the cyclical motion of sand in Lake Michigan. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.

Harmful algal blooms have become the talk of the summer for nearly a decade in Lake Erie, especially as the heat cranks up. The record-breaking rainfall experienced this April is the main driver for the above-average algal bloom forecast this coming summer. Read the full story by WTOL11 – Toledo, OH.

Nonprofit organizations in Northern Michigan will receive nearly $70,000 in funding from the Great Lakes Energy People Fund. With 21 grants awarded, the funds will support a variety of local initiatives including maritime preservation. Read the full story by Cheboygan Daily Tribune.

Central Michigan University’s Institute for Great Lakes Research recently acquired a two-person submersible that will help researchers get a better handle on what’s happening beneath the surface of the Great Lakes. Read the full story by Central Michigan University.