Here's how to prepare, as more rain falls on northern Michigan - Great Lakes Now A guide to go-bags, staying safe, evacuating, documenting damage and more.

With waters rising around Northern Michigan, the risk of flooding and dam failure is affecting people across the region.

@grist.org and @iprnews.bsky.social published a guide to prepare for more flooding: www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/04/20/h...

Wow. What an incredible honor for @kellyhouse.bsky.social. Extremely well deserved. Her series on the decline of Lake Whitefish in the #GreatLakes was outstanding and incredibly important. We need more of this kind of deep-dive investigative journalism. Kudos to Bridge Michigan for providing it!

Flood waters are understandably alarming, but our rivers and many fish species depend on seasonal flooding.
#Flooding #Rivers #Fish #Fisheries
www.wzzm13.com/article/news...

Long nights in waist deep water Whitefish haven't spawned in rivers in over a century. But that doesn't mean it's not worth a try.

This is a nice audio summary of this spring's tributary Lake Whitefish restoration evaluation. #GreatLakes #PureMichigan #Fisheries
www.interlochenpublicradio.org/podcast/up-n...

Spring means warmer temperatures and the start of fish spawning. One of the earliest spawning fish in Wisconsin is the Northern Pike. Pike arrive right after ice out and use flooded areas. This gives their offspring a long first year growing season. #GreatLakes

Our Tributary Whitefish Restoration Team has been spending nights on the Jordan River evaluating the success of the latest Lake Whitefish egg stocking effort. Kudos to Little Traverse Bay Band for leading this, and all of the partner agencies for contributing. #GreatLakes #PureMichigan #fisheries

Stoneflies or leafhoppers: Which could become the official state insect? By Justin Fox Clausen Two insects are under consideration as Michigan's official state insect: the stonefly and, more recently, the Huron River leafhopper. The state is one of two in the country with...

Stoneflies would be a perfect Michigan state insect. They love healthy, high quality rivers, and are known for their association with trout (which also love high quality rivers). #PureMichigan #Michigan #Rivers

greatlakesecho.org/2026/03/27/s...

The Lakes With the Most Native Fish Species in North America North American lakes host diverse native fish, influencing ecology, recreation, and indicating watershed health across various climates.

Lakes with the most native species in North America. #GreatLakes #LakeErie
www.worldatlas.com/animals/the-...

Biologists turn to Michigan rivers to revive declining whitefish populations YouTube video by MLive

More on Lake Whitefish tributary-spawning restoration. #GreatLakes

youtu.be/TnXS3sRlWac?...

Whitefish have declined because of invasive species and climate change-fueled loss of winter ice cover on the Great Lakes. Now scientists are testing whether rivers can serve as spawning refuges, incl... Whitefish have declined because of invasive species and climate change-fueled loss of winter ice cover on the Great Lakes. Now scientists are testing whether rivers can serve as spawning refuges, incl...

Latest on restoration of tributary-spawning Lake Whitefish. #GreatLakes #PureMichigan
www.mlive.com/galleries/XV...

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-...