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About 80 percent of Great Lakes shoreline in the United States is privately rather than publicly owned. That means most of the shoreline is vulnerable to impacts like water pollution from nitrogen and phosphorus in lawn fertilizers which can encourage algae build-up.  The rapid flow of rain water runoff into the lakes resulting from near-shore [...]

The Great Lakes’ endangered giant, the lake sturgeon, has been swimming in the lakes region for more than 10,000 years! Referred to as “fossils sprung to life,” the fish are also the only species of sturgeon native to the region and the largest of any kind of fish in the Great Lakes – capable of [...]

One-third of Great Lakes beaches were open less than 95 percent of the time during the swimming season in 2007, the EPA and Environment Canada concluded in last year’s State of the Great Lakes report. The findings were based on data from more than 1,600 beaches. The agencies found that Lake Erie and Lake Ontario [...]

Recent testing of Lake Michigan water has found pharmaceutical byproducts in the water, raising concerns about the potential health threats to people and wildlife for anyone getting drinking water from the Great Lakes. Though many experts say the levels are too low to show immediate effects on human health, scientists acknowledge they know little about [...]

Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) remain a key problem across the Great Lakes region.  CSOs occur when pipes carrying both sanitary sewage and rainwater overflow into streams, rivers and lakes during heavy rains. The Great Lakes account for 70 percent of CSOs in the United States, according to the International Joint Commission. Detroit is the leading [...]

Although it is the smallest of the Great Lakes, Lake Erie has lost more species of fish than the other four lakes. Lake Erie has lost ten fish species, Lake Michigan has lost eight, and Lakes Huron and Ontario have each lost seven. Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes hasn’t lost any species, [...]

The five Great Lakes provide us with some of the finest drinking water found anywhere. Drinking water quality was measured in the Great Lakes region, scoring the water on 10 different health-related measurements. The Great Lakes were found to have “some of the finest drinking water sources found anywhere in the world,” according to State [...]

The Great Lakes account for nine-tenths of North America’s surface freshwater, but less than one percent of their water is renewed each year by snow and rain. It would take 100 years for nature to replace even one gallon of water lost from the lakes. This slow recharge rate means we must take care to [...]

Leaf litter and grass clippings can clog storm sewers and contribute to combined sewer overflows and runoff pollution that taints the Great Lakes. In Wisconsin, for example, runoff is a leading source of water quality problems, according to the state Department of Natural Resources. The agency points to runoff as a problem degrading or threatening 40 [...]

Fall is a good time to tidy up the beach after a summer of heavy use by tourists, beachgoers and boaters. Beach litter is unsightly and can pose a threat to humans, and some forms can pose a hazard to people and wildlife. Cigarette butts are the most common form of litter on Great Lakes [...]

Fall is a good time to tidy up the beach after a summer of heavy use by tourists, beachgoers and boaters. Beach litter is unsightly and can pose a threat to humans, and some forms can pose a hazard to people and wildlife. Cigarette butts are the most common form of litter on Great Lakes [...]

Do you ever wonder why your local meteorologist advises you that it will be “cooler by the lake?” The answer is linked to the surface-to-volume ratio of the Lakes. The North American Great Lakes cover 94,000 square miles and hold 20 percent of the world’s fresh surface water. The Great Lakes are deep, wide and [...]

The Great Lakes are located in a unique region with a wide variety of habitats. Before settlers arrived about 400 years ago, the area consisted of tall grass prairies, oak savannas, woodlands and wetlands.  Native Great Lakes plants are those plants that thrive in the region’s natural conditions and weather.  By planting native species of [...]

Spring, like fall, often brings unpredictable and variable weather in the Great Lakes Region. Alternating cool air masses from the north and warm masses from the south frequently bring cloud cover and thunderstorms, eventually leading to warm sunshine which melts any lingering winter snow.  The Great Lakes are slower to warm than the land, as [...]

Although most of the Great Lakes states end up covered in snow throughout the winter, there are several steps you can take in the fall to keep your yard clean, healthy, and ready for spring.  The leaves that fall on your yard throughout the fall can be mowed along with the grass, where they provide [...]

Summertime brings people and their pets out for walks, and pet owners enjoy walking and playing with their pets at the beach.  Waste from our pets, whether in the backyard or at the beach, is a source of bacteria that can contaminate our beaches and Great Lakes waters during the next rain. Viewer Tip: You [...]

During the summer, many people pick up their fishing poles and head to the water to enjoy the Great Lakes fishery, which has been one of the largest freshwater fisheries in the world for over 100 years.  The greatest Great Lakes commercial fishing harvests were recorded in 1889 and 1899, with about 147 million pounds [...]