Matt Herbert

Communities, researchers measure ice thickness on the Great Lakes Researchers want help from ice fishers and others who go onto frozen lakes to collect crucial data, which could improve ice forecasting on the Great Lakes.

Researchers want help from ice fishers to collect data on ice thickness to improve ice forecasting in the #GreatLakes.
www.interlochenpublicradio.org/ipr-news/202...

This is excellent news for the Great Lakes. There are so many great people at USGS doing so much essential work to make sure the Great Lakes are effectively protected, managed and restored.
#GreatLakes
www.ourmidland.com/news/article...

Graphic from Toledo’s 13 ABC showing predicted top wave heights for the Great Lakes. Superior is forecasted at 34 feet, Michigan at 33 feet, Huron at 28 feet, Erie at 27 feet, and Ontario at 29 feet. There will undoubtedly be some lake surfers out there because people are nuts.

Ship traffic will be fun to watch. All the Great Lakes will likely have wave heights over 25 feet late tonight into late Monday night. The NWS in northern Michigan mentioned that the occasional hurricane force gust is possible on Lake Superior with top wave heights of 34 feet! #GreatLakes #weather

Invasive sea lamprey declining as control efforts in the Great Lakes resume During the COVID-19 pandemic, the amount of sea lamprey in the Great Lakes surged because treatments were limited.

Reduced Sea Lamprey control efforts during the 2020 Covid shutdown caused an increase in #GreatLakes lamprey numbers. But control efforts since then have already brought them back under control. This demonstrates the importance of maintaining control efforts.
www.michiganpublic.org/environment-...

Exactly. It's awesome that the Ford is such a natural flowing river. But you lose the advantage of being able to look for fish stacked up below a dam.

I'd have to look through files to tell you exactly where, but I know it was just the lower portions of the Ford and Cedar that we sampled.

Based on the one survey in the Ford and what we know about the distribution of river-spawning runs, I would DEFINITELY NOT conclude that there aren't Lake Whitefish running up the Ford. Like you, I think there is a good chance that there are.

(2 of 2) But as we anticipated, we have not collected river-running Lake Whitefish anywhere outside of Green Bay. These surveys are what led us to begin restoration efforts outside of Green Bay. We do want to continue to do more surveys in Green Bay rivers. But it's been difficult to fit that in.

(1 of 2) Our project team (Tribes, MDNR, TNC) has done surveys for Lake Whitefish in 17 Lake Michigan and northern Lake Huron tributaries. A DNR led team did do a survey in the Ford. No Lake Whitefish were collected, but our team has collected them in the Cedar and in the Escanaba below the dam.

Tribes move whitefish upriver in bid to revive Great Lakes runs Biologists are releasing live whitefish in Upper Peninsula rivers to see whether they can serve as a bridge for large-scale species restoration.

Re-establishing river-spawning populations of Great Lakes Lake Whitefish can help conserve their populations. And efforts are underway to develop and test ways to do exactly that. This article highlights work that Sault Tribe is leading. #GreatLakes @mlive.com
www.mlive.com/environment/...

Michigan lawmakers seek $500M to stop mussels, save Great Lakes whitefish - Bridge Michigan US Reps. Debbie Dingell and Tim Walberg are planning legislation to boost research to control invasive mussels, following Bridge Michigan reporting about the impending collapse of whitefish.

This could be a huge help!
bridgemi.com/michigan-env...

Bipartisan bill to protect Great Lakes fisheries moves forward in Senate The bipartisan legislation introduced by Senator Gary Peters aims to bolster Great Lakes fishery research and management efforts

This is a really important bill to ensure that critical science that supports Great Lakes fisheries management continues. #GreatLakes #Science #fisheries

www.sooleader.com/local-news/b...

Michigan cuts funding for invasive species projects MARQUETTE – The state budget has cut funding for the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program this year but it won’t reduce money for controlling invasive sea lampreys. The Legislature and governor thi...

Here is another example. #PureMichigan
www.miningjournal.net/news/front-p...

Michigan Senate greenlights big hike to fishing, hunting fees, House GOP says ‘No way’ • Michigan Advance Hunting and fishing fees in Michigan would increase to net revenue of more than $20 million under a bill passed by the Senate on Tuesday, which was met with staunch opposition from Republicans in both...

Michigan continues to reduce investment in the protection and management of our natural resources. #PureMichigan
michiganadvance.com/2025/10/22/m...

Sault Tribe releases over 500,000 fish in annual stocking effort The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians has completed its annual fish stocking, releasing over 500,000 walleye and whitefish to support fisheries and address invasive species challenges.

Sault Tribe released over 425,000 Walleye and over 100,000 Lake Whitefish in conservation efforts to support fish populations and healthy fisheries. #GreatLakes #PureMichigan #Indigenous
www.9and10news.com/2025/10/06/s...

The dismantling of the US Forest Service is imminent The public has less than a week remaining to comment on the administration's plans.

This massive restructuring of the Forest Service would vastly reduce capacity within the agency to protect & manage land/resources. It's also a shift in management away from western states. Public comment period ends Sept 30th. #conservation #outdoors #nature
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

Grand Portage Band launches first Indigenous-led coast guard on Lake Superior | WTIP When the U.S. Coast Guard closed its Grand Marais station in 2022, it left a significant gap in safety coverage along a large stretch of Lake Superior. For the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chip...

Grand Portage Band launches first Indigenous-led coast guard on Lake Superior

@GreatLakes

wtip.org/grand-portag...

More Than 99 Percent of Americans Disapprove of Roadless Rule Rollbacks, According to New Analysis A public comment period for the planned rescission of the Roadless Rule ended Friday with more than 99 percent of comments opposing the move.

There aren't very many large, contiguous roadless areas left in the US. And it turns out that 99% of Americans understand that and care that those lands remain roadless. I would have guessed #RoadlessAreas would be popular, but 99%?!?
#Conservation #Outdoors
www.outdoorlife.com/conservation...

Great day yesterday scouting sites with partners from Little Traverse Bay Band and Sault Tribe, in preparation for upcoming work this fall/winter, as part of our efforts to develop restoration strategies for tributary runs of Lake Whitefish. #GreatLakes

Great Lakes Region Unprepared for Increasing Water Use Demands - Alliance for the Great Lakes CHICAGO, IL (August 20, 2025) – The Great Lakes region faces the prospect of water shortages, groundwater conflicts, and contaminated aquifers as demand sharply increases from large water users such [...

New Report Sounds Alarm Over Lack of Planning and Oversight For Upcoming Great Lakes Water Demands
#Water #GreatLakes
greatlakes.org/2025/08/grea...

Deteriorating dams are being removed in Michigan. Will the money for that effort dry up? A number of deteriorating dams have been torn down and streams restored. It's expensive, and Michigan's budget is facing challenges.

Michigan has hundreds of dams that are well past their projected lifetime and pose threats to public safety. Funding has been helping to remove the worst dams, but that funding may be drying up.
#PureMichigan #Rivers #Dams #PublicSafety
www.michiganpublic.org/environment-...

Annual flood series for the Milwaukee River at Milwaukee, just downstream of I-43 bridge, 1915-2023. Top of the scale is 20,000 cfs, flood of record was 18,200 cfs. At 2:30 AM this morning it was at 19700 cfs, at 9AM, 19300 cfs, off-scale (too high for the gage?) in between.

Crazy rainfall event totals on the west coast 🌊🌊

New study shows that the contribution of Indigenous and community-governed lands are often overlooked or are undervalued in #biodiversity conservation assessments. These oversights can impact our goals and lead to lost opportunities.
#Indigenous #Conservation
www.nature.org/en-us/what-w...

It's really a question for @michiganegle.bsky.social, but I do know that there are coastal communities that are deeply engaged in Pathway's to Resilience. And I'm sure they will talk about some of those case studies during this webinar.

Live along the #GreatLakes coast in Michigan? Learn how the Michigan Coastal Management Program is helping coastal communities to be more environmentally/economically resilient and sustainable in an upcoming webinar.
#Michigan #PureMichigan
content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MID...

Photo of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron from the International Space Station. Photo by astronaut Jeanette Epps.

Photo of Lake Michigan, Michigan, and part of Lake Huron from the International Space Station. Part of the ISS' solar array is visible on the right edge of the shot. Photo by astronaut Jeanette Epps.

I stumbled across a few amazing photos of Lake Michigan taken from the ISS in April of 2024. These were shot by astronaut, Jeanette Epps.

The #GreatLakes are pretty great. Let's hope they stay that way.

On the Lake Superior shoreline, tribal national park holds special meaning Frog Bay Tribal National Park opened in 2012 to restore reservation lands back to tribal ownership and ensure tribal members and outsiders alike can access the area for generations.

Frog Bay Tribal National Park along Lake Superior (established by Red Cliff Band in 2012) was the first of its kind. Other Tribes have since followed with similar parks.
#GreatLakes #Indigenous
www.wpr.org/news/lake-su...

“Staggering” Water Loss Driven by Groundwater Mining Poses Global Threat A new study finds that freshwater resources are rapidly disappearing, creating arid “mega” regions and causing sea levels to rise.

💦So, let's build more Data Centers & Crypto Mining Sites .... [derp] #H2O #OhioBlues #Aquifer #Freshwater #GreatLakes www.propublica.org/article/wate...

(PDF) Unauthorized Translocations of Threatened Fauna in Freshwater Ecosystems: Insights From the Iberian Southeast PDF | Unauthorized translocations of native and threatened wildlife are widely conducted for conservation purposes. This illegal practice remains... | Find, read and cite all the research you need on ...

It's illegal to move fish and other wildlife around without authorization (and major evaluation). Increasingly, people are moving rare species, particularly because of concerns about #ClimateChange. This could become a major problem. #Fish #Conservation
www.researchgate.net/publication/...

Report: Climate change continues to drive warmer weather, extremes in Great Lakes region An updated report confirms that climate change is impacting the Great Lakes region through warmer and wetter weather, greater fluctuation in lake levels and disappearing fish populations.

Climate change continues to drive weather extremes in the Great Lakes region
#GreatLakes #ClimateChange
www.wpr.org/news/report-...