Temperatures have crested 70 degrees in the Saginaw Bay and nearing that threshold in Lake Michigan and Lake Erie. By August, temperatures are expected to be warmer than normal.
Great Lakes
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Free swim lessons part of larger Michigan effort to reduce drownings
Huron-Clinton Metroparks is offering 1,300 children free swim lessons this summer, part of an effort to close the poverty gap in learning to swim.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
How to feed a crew on a Great Lakes freighter: haute cuisine on the high seas
On many freighters sailing the Great Lakes, there are cooks known as galley stewards who are on a mission to elevate the on board dining experience, while also creating a sense of community.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Mayfly season in Michigan: Two days of sex, bright lights for pesky bugs
Millions of the critters could come as soon as next week to southeast Michigan. They are annoying and stinky but signs of healthy waterways.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Device dating to 234 B.C. may allow Michigan native fish to bypass dams
Great Lakes researchers are testing an ancient device known as the Archimedes screw to lift native fish such as trout and whitefish over barriers such as dams, while keeping out invasive species such as sea lamprey.
Posted inQuality of Life
Memorial Day waters will be cold, but not as cold as decades past
On what promises to be a sunny and warm-ish holiday weekend, waters on the Great Lakes will look inviting. They aren’t. Temperatures will mostly hover in the 40s, well below the 70 degree threshold for comfort.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
With lawsuits stalled in Michigan, Nessel seeks Line 5 shutdown in Wisconsin
The attorney general on Wednesday filed a brief in Wisconsin federal court supporting a Native American tribe’s effort to shut down the Line 5 pipeline over fears of a rupture into a river that runs through tribal land.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Closed trails due to harsh winter in Michigan’s UP parks prompt clean up
Heavy winter storms resulted in eroded trails and fallen trees at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Tahquamenon Falls State Park. Park rangers are now working long hours to finish the repairs for the summer season.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
More fallout from Midland dam failures: blood-sucking parasites in rivers
The Edenville and Sanford dams once blocked invasive lampreys from entering upstream rivers. But the 2020 dam failures provided an opening, and lamprey now threaten native fish. Regulators say they have a plan.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
New NASA satellite helps scientists understand Great Lakes
Mapping currents allows scientists to understand the path pollution takes and maximize the efficiency of boats and vessels.