Great Lakes Now
@greatlakesnow.bsky.social
Catch our monthly show — produced by Detroit PBS — on our network of stations in the Midwest. Get the latest news and program updates in our weekly newsletter: greatlakesnow.org/great-lakes-now-newsletter/
Dive to the bottom the Great Lakes and chances are you’ll encounter a carpet of invasive quagga mussels. In All Too Clear, @hiddenbelow.bsky.social uses cutting-edge underwater camera technology to explore the lakes (and the mussels) like never before. Watch it now: www.pbs.org/show/all-too...
Long before green algae coats Lake Erie’s shoreline, researchers use river data, weather patterns and satellites to forecast blooms and their potential impacts. www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/08/04/h...
How scientists can predict Lake Erie's harmful algal blooms months before they appear - Great Lakes Now
Long before green algae coats Lake Erie's shoreline, researchers use river data, weather patterns and satellites to forecast blooms and their potential impacts.
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Northern Ontario’s record wildfire season exposed gaps in emergency management for First Nations communities. Read more from @thenarwhal.ca: www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/08/03/f...
First Nations had a wildfire plan. Ontario ignored it. Then came the flames - Great Lakes Now
Premier Doug Ford was presented with dozens of recommendations to improve emergency response in northern Ontario. Little progress was made before what's now estimated to be the province's worst wildfi...
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The court ruled that the Michigan Public Service Commission’s review of a key permit for the petroleum pipeline tunnel was overly narrow, failing to consider whether the tunnel will harm public trust resources. Story by @bridgemi.com: www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/08/03/m...
Michigan Supreme Court vacates key Line 5 permit - Great Lakes Now
The court ruled that the Michigan Public Service Commission’s review of a key permit for the petroleum pipeline tunnel was overly narrow, failing to consider whether the tunnel will harm public trust ...
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In Wisconsin, @tomkertschernews.bsky.social of @wisconsinwatch.org has been reporting on how developers have been using non-disclosure agreements to keep information about proposed data centers under wraps. Check out our conversation: youtu.be/xgmXCmOdYuM
What Data Center Developers Don't Want Wisconsin To Know | Freshwater People
YouTube video by Great Lakes Now
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A Black-run boating club, Cleveland’s Inter City Yacht Club, was founded at the height of the Civil Rights Movement in the late 1960s — making it one of the first established anywhere in the country. Read more: www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/29/t...
Nearly half of Great Lakes beachgoers rarely or never check water quality before swimming, according to a new study by researchers at @torontomet.bsky.social. www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/29/g...
Going to the beach? Check the water quality - Great Lakes Now
Nearly half of Great Lakes beachgoers rarely or never check water quality before swimming, according to a new study by researchers at Toronto Metropolitan University.
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Quadrillions of tiny mussels are reshaping the Great Lakes. In our latest episode, we bring you an excerpt from "All Too Clear." Also, Ohioans are pushing back against data centers. Zaria Johnson from Ideastream Public Media tells us why. Watch it MONDAY, 7/27 at 7:30p ET on Detroit PBS!
There are seven Ojibwe Nations in Minnesota and five of these communities have embraced alternative energy sources over the last decade. And now, there are six. Bois Forte has made the leap to energy sovereignty through a program called The Solar Commons. www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/23/n...
No One Owns the Sun - Great Lakes Now
Building energy ingenuity through a solar commons in Ojibwe country.
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For the first time, Michigan’s Fisheries Division is getting funding specifically for whitefish recovery, but officials say it's not enough to solve the ecosystem issues causing the species' decline. Story by @michiganpublic.bsky.social: www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/23/m...
Michigan fisheries get one-time funding for whitefish restoration - Great Lakes Now
For the first time, Michigan’s Fisheries Division is getting funding specifically for whitefish recovery, but officials say it's not enough to solve the ecosystem issues causing the species' decline.
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Read our latest on how pets and animals are impacted by prolonged exposure to wildfire smoke: www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/21/h...
How wildfire smoke impacts pets and wildlife - Great Lakes Now
As smoke spreads, experts explain how animals can suffer serious health effects and what we can do to help.
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Despite “adverse” impacts on ecological and tribal resources, state regulators said these updates to Line 5's permits are better than an oil spill in the Great Lakes. www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/17/l...
Line 5 tunnel in Michigan clears major permitting hurdle, in blow to opposition - Great Lakes Now
Despite "adverse" impacts on ecological and tribal resources, state regulators said it's better than an oil spill in the Great Lakes.
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Rural Indiana helped power America’s 20th-century coal boom. Now, many communities are living with growing piles of toxic coal ash, and the health impacts that come with them. Read more from @circleofblue.bsky.social www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/15/a...
Air quality alerts issued for northern Michigan as wildfire smoke blankets region - Great Lakes Now A boat sits on Duck Lake near Interlochen on Wednesday afternoon, amid thick wildfire smoke that pou...
Events were canceled and people were urged to stay indoors amid warnings of health risks from the plume drifting down from Minnesota and Canada.
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“There is ash on our cars right now and it smells like burning tires,” Jenny Clasman, executive director of the Boyne Area Chamber of Commerce said following Air Quality alerts being issued in northern Michigan. Read more about the effects of the wildfires: www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/15/a...
Air quality alerts issued for northern Michigan as wildfire smoke blankets region - Great Lakes Now A boat sits on Duck Lake near Interlochen on Wednesday afternoon, amid thick wildfire smoke that pou...
Events were canceled and people were urged to stay indoors amid warnings of health risks from the plume drifting down from Minnesota and Canada.
greatlakesnow.org
While urbanization continues to displace natural ecosystems across the Great Lakes region, the black-crowned night heron has managed to adapt to city life. Read more about the endangered bird’s life Chicago: www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/15/r...
Refuge in the Windy City: Declining wetland bird makes a home in downtown Chicago - Great Lakes Now
While urbanization continues to displace natural ecosystems across the Great Lakes region, one declining wetland bird has managed to adapt to city life — the black-crowned night heron.
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Indiana has the most coal ash sites in the country. Now it wants to be the first state in the Great Lakes region to oversee how the toxic waste from coal-burning power plants is disposed of and managed. www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/14/i...
Indiana wants to be in charge of its own coal ash dumps - Great Lakes Now
More energy news as Ohio makes hundreds of millions from fracking beneath public lands and a shuttered Michigan nuclear plant nears a highly anticipated restart.
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Friends of the Detroit River needs $350 million in matching funds to complete a cleanup of 3.6 million cubic yards of contaminated sediment. Story by @planetdetroit.org: www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/10/d...
Detroit River tour highlights restoration successes, $1-billion cleanup hurdle: ‘We all have a role to play’ - Great Lakes Now
The Detroit River lost 97% of its coastal wetlands to development but remains one of the most biologically important Great Lakes waterways, with millions of fish spawning there each spring.
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Invasive mussels are stripping the Great Lakes of nutrients that baby whitefish need to survive. Could this doom the species? All Too Clear is a documentary by @hiddenbelow.bsky.social that uses cutting edge technology to explore the lakes like never before: video.detroitpbs.org/video/all-to...
People filled a meeting on Wednesday to voice support for a temporary ban on data centers. The township is the latest northern Michigan municipality to consider such a move as local and regional pushback grows. Story by @iprnews.bsky.social and @grist.org: www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/09/g...
Garfield Township inches closer to a possible data center moratorium - Great Lakes Now
People filled a township planning commission meeting on Wednesday to voice support for a temporary ban on data centers. The township is the latest northern Michigan municipality to consider such a mov...
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A Wisconsin man is one of seven former Environmental Protection Agency staffers suing federal regulators for their firings, alleging the agency violated their First Amendment rights. www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/09/f...
Former EPA staffer from Wisconsin sues after he was fired for signing letter of dissent - Great Lakes Now
Internal EPA records show agency staff found no ethics concerns and advised against firings.
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The storied river is beloved by boaters and anglers alike — and one side no doubt will be unhappy by the resolution of Consumers Energy’s proposal to sell six hydroelectric dams. Story by @bridgemi.com: www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/07/o...
On fabled Au Sable River, a fight for soul of Michigan’s holy waters - Great Lakes Now
The storied river is beloved by boaters and anglers alike — and one side no doubt will be unhappy by the resolution of Consumers Energy’s proposal to sell six hydroelectric dams.
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Are Michigan and Huron separate lakes – or have we been counting the Great Lakes wrong? Story by @michiganpublic.bsky.social: www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/08/a...
Are Michigan and Huron actually one large Great Lake? - Great Lakes Now
Are Michigan and Huron separate lakes – or have we been counting the Great Lakes wrong?
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Setting a price for power might seem straightforward, but in reality it’s extremely complicated — and residential customers have very little influence in the decision. Story by @theconversation.com: www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/08/i...
It may be almost impossible to make data centers pay their 'fair share' of electricity costs - Great Lakes Now
Setting a price for power might seem straightforward, but in reality it’s extremely complicated — and residential customers have very little influence in the decision.
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The Northern Highland Fishery Research Area turned 80 years old this month. The internationally recognized fisheries science is one of the longest-running fisheries research projects in the world. Story by @wxpr.org: www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/07/t...
These five northern Wisconsin lakes were set aside 80 years ago for research - Great Lakes Now
The Northern Highland Fishery Research Area turned 80 years old this month. The internationally recognized fisheries science is one of the longest-running fisheries research projects in the world.
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Situated on the shores of the largest body of freshwater in the world by surface area, you wouldn’t think there’d be a battle over water in Superior. But one is brewing over how that water gets to residents’ homes, or more specifically, who brings it there. www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/02/s...
Superior mayor makes case for takeover of Wisconsin’s only private water utility - Great Lakes Now
Mayor Jim Paine says municipal ownership would lower rates, which Superior Water, Light & Power disputes.
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ICYMI: Elin Warn Betanzo is suing for a violation of her First Amendment rights and the Whistleblower Protection Act, among others. Story by @michiganpublic.bsky.social: www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/06/23/f...
Former EPA adviser claims agency violated whistleblower protections after petition criticism - Great Lakes Now
The EPA is being sued this week by Elin Warn Betanzo, a water safety engineer who was also instrumental in the Flint water crisis investigation.
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Throughout the country, people are having difficult conversations about whether or not they want data centers in their communities. And in Ohio, they're pushing back. Zaria Johnson from Ideastream Public Media tells us why. Learn more in our latest podcast episode: open.spotify.com/episode/66nW...
Do Ohioans Want Data Centers?
Freshwater People · Episode
open.spotify.com
The company didn't report the spill to Wisconsin environmental regulators for more than a year. www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/06/26/e...
Enbridge to Pay $275K Settlement for 2019 Wisconsin Spill After DOJ Action - Great Lakes Now
The Wisconsin Department of Justice announced a $275,000 settlement Thursday with energy firm Enbridge for alleged violations of the state’s spills law over a 2019 spill in Jefferson County.
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After years of fighting to curb toxic pollution in communities of color, Illinois activists are celebrating a step forward. Story by @insideclimatenews.org: www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/06/25/i...
In a Years-Long Fight, the Illinois Environmental Justice Movement Gets a Win - Great Lakes Now
A bill, newly passed by legislators, will expand the state’s capacity to enforce limits on health-harming emissions in overburdened communities.
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Professional climbers met at the Davey Seed Campus in Kent for the National Tree Climbing Competition to spread awareness for the sport and the career field to everyone — women included. www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/01/w...
Women find community at tree climbing competition in Ohio - Great Lakes Now
Professional climbers met at the Davey Seed Campus in Kent for the National Tree Climbing Competition to spread awareness for the sport and the career field to everyone — women included.
greatlakesnow.org