Decades into the mussel invasion, whitefish are on brink of collapse. Scientists are working on a Hail Mary bid to save the fish, using tarps, paint scrapers and a 1,200-pound steel plate.
Great Lakes News Collaborative
Bridge Michigan, Circle of Blue, Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television, The Narwhal and Michigan Public work together to report on the most pressing threats to the Great Lakes region’s water. This independent journalism is supported by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.
Water’s True Cost
As the nation prepares to pour hundreds of billions of federal dollars into rescuing water systems, the Great Lakes News Collaborative investigates the true cost of water in Michigan. Read the series.
Ready or Not
The Great Lakes region is frequently touted as one of the most climate-resilient places in the U.S., in part because of its enviable water resources. But climate change also threatens our water. The Great Lakes News Collaborative explores what it will take to prepare. Read the series.
Posted inOutdoors Life
50 years after Edmund Fitzgerald sank, swimmers to complete ‘final voyage’
The Edmund Fitzgerald was carrying Iron Ore to Detroit when it sank in 1975, killing all crew members. Now, 68 swimmers — Led by Jim “The Shark” Dreyer — will complete the mission.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
A record year for Great Lakes piping plovers
The Great Lakes piping plover recovery effort has been ongoing since the mid-1980s when the population got as low as a dozen nesting pairs. This year, the number reached 85 nesting pairs for the first time.
Posted inOutdoors Life
Video: Freighter's near sinking shows risk still exists on the Great Lakes
It’s been 50 years since a freighter sank on the Great Lakes, but the the Michipicoten’s close call shows the risk still exists.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan fishing regulators to discuss Great Lakes whitefish crisis
The Michigan Natural Resources Commission on Thursday will hear a presentation on the looming collapse of whitefish in lakes Michigan and Huron. Bridge Michigan is spending the summer exploring the ramifications.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Life goes on, even at uninhabited Lake Huron island, sometimes surprisingly
In nature, a lot can change on a largely uninhabited Great Lakes island over the course of a century. And a lot can stay the same.
Posted inOutdoors Life
Meet Michigan’s floating post office: How mail gets to Great Lakes freighters
You’ve Got Mail: How a small boat delivers packages and more to passing Great Lakes freighters.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
US Supreme Court to hear Line 5 pipeline dispute between Michigan, Enbridge
For six years, Attorney General Dana Nessel and Enbridge have been fighting over which court should rule on a lawsuit Nessel filed in 2019. The lawsuit seeks to shut down the petroleum pipeline that runs in the open water of the Great Lakes.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Great Lakes scientists discover new lifeform microbe, name it ShipGoo1
Researchers at the University of Minnesota Duluth found the previously-undiscovered microorganisms hiding in the tar-like goo oozing out of a research vessel’s rudder shaft.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Years after high water crisis, lax policies leave Michigan coast vulnerable
Extreme erosion along the Great Lakes coasts grabbed lawmakers’ attention and inspired proposals to pull development back from the shoreline. Five years later, regulatory gaps still leave some communities more vulnerable than others.