Great Lakes are starting to rise but forecast to stay low into summer

The Great Lakes water levels have started their seasonal rise as the snow has melted and spring rains begin.

The typical Great Lakes water cycle has water levels going down through fall and winter on limited moisture in the cold air. The water levels typically bottom out in early March and then begin to rise. The water levels rise to a high water mark sometime in late summer, usually July or August.

The melting of the snow over northern Michigan and some heavier precipitation in March have combined to start the water level rise on the Great Lakes.

Read the whole story and view charts at https://www.mlive.com/weather/2025/04/great-lakes-are-starting-to-rise-but-forecasted-to-stay-low-into-summer.html

Icebreaking to begin near Bruce Mines, ON

The Canadian Coast Guard advises residents of Bruce Mines, ON, that the USCGC Neah Bay will carry out icebreaking operations in the area on or around April 16, 2025. The purpose of this operation is to break up the ice to allow commercial vessels safe and efficient movement. It is recommended that all traffic on the ice, including pedestrians, fishers, snowmobilers, and all-terrain vehicle operators, leave the ice during icebreaking operations. The ice may move, creating a real danger for anyone on it. Additionally, plan activities carefully and use extreme caution after operations are complete as the ice will remain unstable even once the icebreaker has left the area.

The date and assets are subject to change with no notice, as activities could begin before or after that period, depending on operational requirements or weather conditions.

Canadian Coast Guard

Toronto launches new fireboat to boost waterfront safety

TORONTO, ON – Toronto Fire Services has taken a significant step toward modernizing its marine emergency response capabilities with the introduction of a new fireboat. This cutting-edge vessel will replace the aging William Thornton, a 1982 former Canadian Coast Guard ship that has served as the city’s secondary fireboat.

Though the William Thornton has been reliable in providing medical response and assisting distressed vessels, it faced operational limitations. Its large wake required slow speeds within Toronto Harbour, and its limited firefighting capabilities—primarily a portable fire pump—could not keep pace with the growing demands of Toronto’s bustling waterfront.

After extensive research and planning, TFS selected the Firestorm-55, built by MetalCraft Marine in Kingston, Ontario. This 55-foot, aluminum-hulled vessel offers a blend of speed, maneuverability, and powerful firefighting systems.

The Firestorm-55 will operate alongside the William Lyon Mackenzie, TFS’s iconic primary fireboat, which has been in service since 1964. The Mackenzie underwent major refurbishments in 2004 to extend its operational life, including new propulsion and pump engines, generators, and a rebuilt wheelhouse.

While the Mackenzie remains Toronto’s primary marine response vessel, the Firestorm-55 enhances the city’s capacity to respond to growing marine emergencies and protect one of Canada’s busiest waterfronts.

Harbor dredging uncertain with Federal spending cuts

rand Haven, MI – Harbor dredging efforts along the Lake Michigan shoreline are uncertain right now with federal spending cuts. Congresswoman Hillary Scholten of Grand Rapids says this is as ports are increasingly busy. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducts dredging operations every few years in Grand Haven, Holland, Muskegon, South Haven, and St. Joseph.

 Listen to the story here: https://wghn.com/2025/04/11/harbor-dredging-uncertain-with-federal-spending-cuts/

 Anxiety increases over possibility that Duluth EPA Great Lakes lab could close

 DULUTH ‐ Anxieties are mounting that a water pollution laboratory buttressing Lake Superior’s North Shore is slated to be closed, potentially terminating work for dozens of scientists and shuttering an economic engine for northern Minnesota.

So far, no closure to the Environmental Protection Agency laboratory has been announced.

But on Tuesday, U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith sent a letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin asking a series of questions about rumored cuts and offering a blunt warning.

“Firing career scientists and shutting down a lab that leads the nation in freshwater toxicology research would have huge impacts on Minnesota and all Americans,” wrote Klobuchar and Smith.

Molly Vaseliou, a spokeswoman for the EPA, provided the Star Tribune with a statement that the agency is taking “exciting steps” toward “organizational improvements.”

The agency did not comment if any job cuts were coming to the lab.

Last month, the New York Times reported that officials with the EPA introduced a plan to cut more than 1,000 jobs across the federal agency’s research arm as part of a cost-cutting campaign.

Anxiety has mounted in Duluth since. People protested outside the facility, worried that water quality and other environmental effects would be affected with a closure or cutback.

The Duluth laboratory first opened in 1967 as the National Water Quality Laboratory before being subsumed by EPA in 1970.

Scientists use water from nearby Lake Superior to test effects of chemicals such as PFAS on freshwater ecosystems, and also the effects of invasive species and pollution.

In total, according to the facility’s website, more than 170 people are employed at the field office, producing more than $15 million in revenue through salaries and contracts for the region.

A 2018 University of Minnesota Duluth study found the lab’s economic impact to the region then was $24 million annually, considering employee spending.

Closure of a lab that employs highly and specifically trained scientists who may not find similar work locally could force the workers to move, said Monica Haynes, director of UMD’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research.

Those jobs are there to fulfill a mission set by Congress in the Clean Water Act of 1972, said research biologist David Bolgrien, who retired from the Duluth EPA lab in 2022. Along with freshwater quality research, the Duluth lab helps states ensure swimmable, fishable, drinkable water. If that work is not done, it would be hard for states to meet federal criteria, he said.

Minnesota Star Tribune

Help Wanted: Isle Royale ferry seeks engineers, deckhand

2025 “Know Your Ships” available now