Great Lakes Now

In its debut episode, Great Lakes Now travels across the region to learn what life is like on a Lake Erie island – especially without tourists — and how a Chicago port helps get one of your favorite candies made. With help from reporting partner MLive Media Group, we look at how Ann Arbor, Michigan is dealing with industrial chemicals in the city water supply.

In its debut episode, Great Lakes Now travels across the region to learn what life is like on a Lake Erie island – especially without tourists — and how a Chicago port helps get one of your favorite candies made. With help from reporting partner MLive Media Group, we look at how Ann Arbor, Michigan is dealing with industrial chemicals in the city water supply.

We travel to Lake Huron off the coast of Alpena, MI to examine the peaceful and majestic underwater beauty of shipwrecks at the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, come aboard the CSL Welland to discover what goes on behind the scenes of a cargo freighter, and we visit the J.W. Westcott Co., the most reliable marine delivery service on the Great Lakes.

We travel to Lake Huron off the coast of Alpena, MI to examine the peaceful and majestic underwater beauty of shipwrecks at the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, come aboard the CSL Welland to discover what goes on behind the scenes of a cargo freighter, and we visit the J.W. Westcott Co., the most reliable marine delivery service on the Great Lakes.

In the third episode of the Great Lakes Now monthly show, see how Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River has been cleaned up since it famously caught fire 50 years ago. Go on a fishing trip for Asian carp and learn to identify all four species that are in or near the Great Lakes. And find out how organic hydroponic farming is creating connections between sustainability, technology, water conservation and food.

In the third episode of the Great Lakes Now monthly show, see how Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River has been cleaned up since it famously caught fire 50 years ago. Go on a fishing trip for Asian carp and learn to identify all four species that are in or near the Great Lakes. And find out how organic hydroponic farming is creating connections between sustainability, technology, water conservation and food.

The fight over an oil-and-gas pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac heads to the courts, and microplastics are being detected in waters around the region. The newest U.S. National Park on Lake Michigan’s shoreline means increased visitors but not necessarily more protection against erosion, contaminants and native plant loss.

The fight over an oil-and-gas pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac heads to the courts, and microplastics are being detected in waters around the region. The newest U.S. National Park on Lake Michigan’s shoreline means increased visitors but not necessarily more protection against erosion, contaminants and native plant loss.

Explore three of the region’s timely issues in this episode of Great Lakes Now: Travel aboard one of the growing number of cruise ships as passengers visit First Nation communities on a Canadian island in Lake Huron. See who is winning and losing from the record-high water levels around the lakes, and learn more about the latest technology on freighters.

Explore three of the region’s timely issues in this episode of Great Lakes Now: Travel aboard one of the growing number of cruise ships as passengers visit First Nation communities on a Canadian island in Lake Huron. See who is winning and losing from the record-high water levels around the lakes, and learn more about the latest technology on freighters.

Floating islands on the Chicago River are creating habitats for fish, turtles and birds inside the city waterway, while up north in Lake Superior, scientists are working to protect a rocky reef from legacy mining pollution. Also on this month’s Great Lakes Now program, see what happened after a fast-growing western Michigan community started running out of drinking water.

Floating islands on the Chicago River are creating habitats for fish, turtles and birds inside the city waterway, while up north in Lake Superior, scientists are working to protect a rocky reef from legacy mining pollution. Also on this month’s Great Lakes Now program, see what happened after a fast-growing western Michigan community started running out of drinking water.

On this week's edition of Great Lakes Now: Fatbergs are lurking in our sewers - big, gross & forcing raw sewage into rivers & homes. An ailing bald eagle is receiving treatment at a rehab facility in Wisconsin. Plus, the roots of Lake Erie’s perennial harmful algal blooms go back more than a century.

On this week's edition of Great Lakes Now: Fatbergs are lurking in our sewers - big, gross & forcing raw sewage into rivers & homes. An ailing bald eagle is receiving treatment at a rehab facility in Wisconsin. Plus, the roots of Lake Erie’s perennial harmful algal blooms go back more than a century.

One sunken hotel, four shipwrecks and five Great Lakes -- in 24 hours with 1,000 miles of diving. Great Lakes commercial fishing once employed tens of thousands of people, but the industry has shrunk dramatically. Lake levels have neared record highs in 2019, & Lake Ontario has been especially hard hit. Plus, a profile on Doctoral student Katie O’Reilly.

One sunken hotel, four shipwrecks and five Great Lakes -- in 24 hours with 1,000 miles of diving. Great Lakes commercial fishing once employed tens of thousands of people, but the industry has shrunk dramatically. Lake levels have neared record highs in 2019, & Lake Ontario has been especially hard hit. Plus, a profile on Doctoral student Katie O’Reilly.

On this episode of Great Lakes Now, search for a meteorite on the bottom of Lake Michigan. Learn how a little striped fish might help us understand the health impacts of industrial chemicals on people, and see how a Milwaukee community is UN-developing a river to improve the environment and water quality.

On this episode of Great Lakes Now, search for a meteorite on the bottom of Lake Michigan. Learn how a little striped fish might help us understand the health impacts of industrial chemicals on people, and see how a Milwaukee community is UN-developing a river to improve the environment and water quality.

The western shore of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula is feeling the devastating effects of high water levels in the Great Lakes. In 2001, mysterious sinkholes were discovered in northern Lake Huron. They’ve attracted researchers from around the world. A remote Canadian research station works to understand the effects of pollution on freshwater.

The western shore of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula is feeling the devastating effects of high water levels in the Great Lakes. In 2001, mysterious sinkholes were discovered in northern Lake Huron. They’ve attracted researchers from around the world. A remote Canadian research station works to understand the effects of pollution on freshwater.

Winter doesn’t stop work around the Great Lakes. See what happens at the Soo Locks when they close for maintenance, and drop into the chilly water with commercial divers who battle the zebra and quagga mussel invasions in the lakes. In a warmer setting, join us in the Mackinac Island school gym for a tournament just for island school teams.

Winter doesn’t stop work around the Great Lakes. See what happens at the Soo Locks when they close for maintenance, and drop into the chilly water with commercial divers who battle the zebra and quagga mussel invasions in the lakes. In a warmer setting, join us in the Mackinac Island school gym for a tournament just for island school teams.

This year’s relatively warm winter boosted ice-fishing tourism in one part of the Great Lakes while potentially spelling disaster for businesses that depend on colder weather. Also in this episode, catch up with the communities featured in our award-winning documentary “The Forever Chemicals,” and learn what Great Lakes states and provinces are doing to fight PFAS contamination.

This year’s relatively warm winter boosted ice-fishing tourism in one part of the Great Lakes while potentially spelling disaster for businesses that depend on colder weather. Also in this episode, catch up with the communities featured in our award-winning documentary “The Forever Chemicals,” and learn what Great Lakes states and provinces are doing to fight PFAS contamination.

Climate change may affect the growth of Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, in Lake Erie. A massive storm hit Chicago in early January seriously eroding some of the city’s beaches. Buffalo has begun to put into place a number of green infrastructure projects.

Climate change may affect the growth of Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, in Lake Erie. A massive storm hit Chicago in early January seriously eroding some of the city’s beaches. Buffalo has begun to put into place a number of green infrastructure projects.

Produced fully during the COVID-19 pandemic, this episode of Great Lakes Now checks in with people, businesses and institutions from previous episodes to see how work has changed during the public health emergency and its economic fallout. But while social distancing keeps people inside, it lets the residents of some Great Lakes aquariums get out.

Produced fully during the COVID-19 pandemic, this episode of Great Lakes Now checks in with people, businesses and institutions from previous episodes to see how work has changed during the public health emergency and its economic fallout. But while social distancing keeps people inside, it lets the residents of some Great Lakes aquariums get out.

The pandemic raises questions: As stay-at-home orders end around the Great Lakes, does Wisconsin’s experience opening businesses predict anything for other communities that depend on tourism? How are researchers, reef restorers and hydroponic farms reacting to the pandemic? Plus, with an increase in use of personal wipes, will there be more fatbergs growing in our sewer systems?

The pandemic raises questions: As stay-at-home orders end around the Great Lakes, does Wisconsin’s experience opening businesses predict anything for other communities that depend on tourism? How are researchers, reef restorers and hydroponic farms reacting to the pandemic? Plus, with an increase in use of personal wipes, will there be more fatbergs growing in our sewer systems?

Large-scale dairy and animal farms fuel the annual toxic algal blooms in Lake Erie — are regulation loopholes contributing? Record-high water levels are costing lakefront towns millions of dollars, and the Midland dam breach came after years of warning from regulators.

Large-scale dairy and animal farms fuel the annual toxic algal blooms in Lake Erie — are regulation loopholes contributing? Record-high water levels are costing lakefront towns millions of dollars, and the Midland dam breach came after years of warning from regulators.

Learn more about a little-known Chicago shipwreck that took more lives than the Titanic. Check in on the Kalamazoo River’s wildlife 10 years after the Line 6B pipeline spilled over a million gallons of oil there, and find out if COVID-19 means no basketball tournament in 2020 for four Great Lakes island schools.

Learn more about a little-known Chicago shipwreck that took more lives than the Titanic. Check in on the Kalamazoo River’s wildlife 10 years after the Line 6B pipeline spilled over a million gallons of oil there, and find out if COVID-19 means no basketball tournament in 2020 for four Great Lakes island schools.

The health of the Great Lakes is inextricably linked to the health of the rivers that feed them. In northern Minnesota, one river faces environmental threats from a proposed mine. In Michigan, a second river is unleashed when aging hydroelectric dams are removed. In Indiana, a third river is protected from invasive Asian carp, which have infested rivers further south.

The health of the Great Lakes is inextricably linked to the health of the rivers that feed them. In northern Minnesota, one river faces environmental threats from a proposed mine. In Michigan, a second river is unleashed when aging hydroelectric dams are removed. In Indiana, a third river is protected from invasive Asian carp, which have infested rivers further south.

In the Chicago River, fish populations have suffered since the river became a steel-lined channel, but can floating garden islands restore a more natural habitat? Our region offers spectacular night sky views, but will new satellites mar their beauty? And how are Great Lakes parks coping with COVID-19 and record-setting lake levels?

In the Chicago River, fish populations have suffered since the river became a steel-lined channel, but can floating garden islands restore a more natural habitat? Our region offers spectacular night sky views, but will new satellites mar their beauty? And how are Great Lakes parks coping with COVID-19 and record-setting lake levels?

Rising lake levels continue to challenge homeowners who, in protecting their property, may be threatening other shoreline sites. Scientists are watching wastewater at college campuses for clues to COVID-19, and two invasive species are helping re-weave the food web in the Great Lakes.

Rising lake levels continue to challenge homeowners who, in protecting their property, may be threatening other shoreline sites. Scientists are watching wastewater at college campuses for clues to COVID-19, and two invasive species are helping re-weave the food web in the Great Lakes.

The White House and the U.S. Senate have changed hands, and the federal government may move in a new — and in some ways dramatically different — direction. What does the future look like for the Great Lakes with Joe Biden in the Oval office? The economy, the environment, the climate and our health hang in the balance.

The White House and the U.S. Senate have changed hands, and the federal government may move in a new — and in some ways dramatically different — direction. What does the future look like for the Great Lakes with Joe Biden in the Oval office? The economy, the environment, the climate and our health hang in the balance.

A mysterious decades-old home movie chronicles a Great Lakes freighter journey, and our team of experts answer some questions about the film. Can our audience help with more information? And a journalist wondered how much PFAS was in his blood, his home, and his cat so he tested everything and shared the results.

A mysterious decades-old home movie chronicles a Great Lakes freighter journey, and our team of experts answer some questions about the film. Can our audience help with more information? And a journalist wondered how much PFAS was in his blood, his home, and his cat so he tested everything and shared the results.

Invasive mussels are hastening the deterioration of historic Great Lakes shipwrecks, like the submerged Prins Willem V off Milwaukee. Zebra and quagga mussels are also a big problem for water treatment and power plants. But science — and another invader, the round goby—could help fight them.

Invasive mussels are hastening the deterioration of historic Great Lakes shipwrecks, like the submerged Prins Willem V off Milwaukee. Zebra and quagga mussels are also a big problem for water treatment and power plants. But science — and another invader, the round goby—could help fight them.

Carrying oil through the waters of the Straits of Mackinac, the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline is arguably the biggest international, political and environmental issue in the Great Lakes region. Now, with a state-ordered shutdown, rigorous company defenses, debates about acceptable risk, and local jobs at stake, the legal fight involves courts, state politics, and tribal, Canadian and U.S. governments.

Carrying oil through the waters of the Straits of Mackinac, the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline is arguably the biggest international, political and environmental issue in the Great Lakes region. Now, with a state-ordered shutdown, rigorous company defenses, debates about acceptable risk, and local jobs at stake, the legal fight involves courts, state politics, and tribal, Canadian and U.S. governments.

One lakeside town struggles with PFAS pollution from a local Air Force base, while cities around the region race to remove and replace thousands of lead water pipes. And after a year-long delay, Great Lakes sailors head to the “2020” Olympics.

One lakeside town struggles with PFAS pollution from a local Air Force base, while cities around the region race to remove and replace thousands of lead water pipes. And after a year-long delay, Great Lakes sailors head to the “2020” Olympics.

After storms wreak havoc with a waterfront park in Duluth, the city rebuilds — but will the new park withstand the next storm? Chicago is a tough place for birds, but at one sanctuary on the city’s shoreline, endangered birds are finding a home. And in creeks on Lake Michigan’s western shore, researchers track the movements of suckers, a Great Lakes fish that’s misunderstood and under appreciated.

Archeology students and Host Ward Detwiler study shipwrecks at Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, NOAA designates a new sanctuary along Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan shoreline, and volunteers guard lake sturgeon against poachers looking for valuable caviar.

A school preserves the craft of wooden boat building, regular folks get underwater garbage out of the Great Lakes and connected rivers, and fossils discovered by two amateur paleontologists open a window onto the region’s prehistoric past.

Chicago may be the most dangerous city in North America for birds, but a group of volunteers is trying to change that. Lake Superior was once thought to be too cold for algae blooms, but not anymore. Scientists are researching the causes and finding ways to stop the blooms. And, after months of lockdown, Great Lakes aquariums reopen to visitors. Find out if the fish have missed the people.

Karen Weaver was mayor of Flint, Michigan during the height of the city’s water crisis, which was caused when state officials failed to safeguard the drinking water. Mitch Twolan is mayor of Huron-Kinloss in Ontario. He thinks officials can maintain safety at a proposed nuclear storage facility on the shores of Lake Huron. In this episode, the two mayors meet for a frank exchange of views.

Indiana’s Burns Harbor is “greening” and hoping to change the shipping industry’s image and impact. A Lake Michigan city has high lead levels in drinking water. And a visit to Ontario’s Walkerton Clean Water Centre with its customized water treatment plans and training program for technicians, all to better protect drinking water in Canadian communities.