Great Lakes Daily News

Traverse City, Michigan, is working on multiple fronts to improve the Lower Boardman River, including habitat and shoreline improvements, retaining wall repairs, and public placemaking projects. However, the river’s proximity to many hard surfaces and buildings is constraining efforts. Read the full story by The Traverse City Ticker.

Plastic pollution is a growing problem in the Great Lakes region. Microplastics threaten aquatic ecosystems, fish populations, and drinking water for millions of people. Plastic companies have largely placed much of the responsibility for addressing pollution on consumers, with experts arguing the need for stronger regulations and greater corporate accountability to protect the Great Lakes. Read the full story by the Chicago Tribune.

The Toledo Zoo and Aquarium’s annual Sturgeon Fest released 1,500 juvenile lake sturgeon into Ohio’s Maumee River to help restore the species’ historically depleted Lake Erie population. In partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the program raises and tags the fish to improve survival rates and track their growth. Read the full story by Michigan Public. 

A study reconstructing 125 years of Great Lakes data found that ice cover has declined much more rapidly over the past 30–40 years, although historical patterns also show natural fluctuations roughly every 60 years linked to Atlantic Ocean temperature cycles. Read the full story by WCMU Public Media.

Michigan communities are investing hundreds of millions of dollars in river restoration projects to improve water quality, restore wildlife habitat and create recreational opportunities that attract visitors and support local economies. While studies show restoration can generate significant economic returns, some projects lack formal assessments of long-term financial benefits. Read the full story by Bridge Michigan. 

Clean water advocates are raising concerns about the impact of expanding data centers on drinking water supplies and Great Lakes ecosystems, citing their heavy water use and the potential for contaminated wastewater and stormwater runoff.  Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is studying whether the Muskegon River could provide an alternative spawning habitat for declining lake whitefish populations in Lakes Michigan and Huron, and the department is asking anglers for help.  Read the full story by WOOD-TV – Grand Rapids, MI.

Cargo traffic on the St. Lawrence Seaway increased 3.5% through September 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, reaching nearly 24.9 million metric tons as vessel transits also rose by 5.35%.  Read the full story by the Welland Tribune.

The Great Lakes Commission is calling for stronger efforts to combat harmful algal blooms and address a looming water workforce shortage following its 2026 Annual Meeting, held last week in Toronto, Ontario. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.

A new study reporting on 125 years of historical air temperature and ice data on the Great Lakes reported findings that a warming climate might not be the only explanation for freezing fluctuations during the last century.  Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.