On Christmas Eve, up to 20-foot waves are expected on all five of the Great Lakes. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warns of high winds, big waves and freezing spray across all coastlines.
Nearshore
Lake breeze can be harmful to health
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Regions 30 miles off the Lake Michigan coast are subject to a polluted lake breeze that contaminates air quality. Their toxic reach varies depending on the weather.
Commentary
Commentary: Rocky beaches are not fun
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Man-made rock armoring installed to prevent beach erosion may actually make the problem worse, according to research conducted by the Michigan Geological Survey.
Echo
Algae contamination affects Lake Erie housing prices
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Algal blooms cause lower housing prices in Lake Erie communities, according to a recent study published in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics.
Beaches
Global warming may impact Great Lakes beaches
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Global warming will produce more frequent high rainfall events in the Upper Great Lakes, which could impact sandy beaches used for recreation.
Capital News Service
Fishing heritage in Leland gets preservation boost
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The National Park Service recently placed Fishtown on the National Register of Historic Places, an official list of over 96,000 historic properties nationwide considered worthy of preservation.
Catch of the Day
Sleeping Bear park officials ask visitors to stop building structures on lakeshore
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Park staff say the structures disrupt the natural beach habitat and can even be damaging to some animal species, like the piping plover.
Homepage Featured
Beach safety enforcement: too much or too little?
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Two pieces of legislation are churning Michigan’s political waters with different approaches to beach safety in state parks.
Nearshore
Thousand Island Dressing Mystery: Great Lakes origins of one of America’s favorite sauces
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In Thousand Islands, New York, near Lake Ontario, between the United States and Canada, you can find four different origin stories for Thousand Island dressing, three of which involve a woman named May Irwin.
Nearshore
Researchers seek volunteers to document coastal erosion in Michigan
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Although Great Lakes water levels are down, the risk of coastal erosion remains high, Michigan State University researchers say. Now, the researchers are enlisting “citizen scientists” to assist in helping better understand coastal change.
Contaminants
Massive filter keeps Detroit River contaminants in place
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Thanks to a spongy M&M-like technology, contaminated soil in the Detroit River downstream of the MacArthur Bridge has been contained.