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The history of taming the Great Black Swamp
- by Patrick Wensink

Before farms and suburbs, the Great Black Swamp thrived. Restoring it could help curb Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms today.

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The Fitzgerald’s Legacy and the Power of Tugs
- by Mila Murray

Learn why shipwrecks stopped after the Edmund Fitzgerald and board a century-old tugboat.

Ontario is subsidizing an energy project in Georgian Bay despite expert advice
- by The Narwhal

An internal memo from Ontario’s electricity system operator outlines concerns with TC Energy’s large pumped storage proposal in Meaford, including cost overruns and an inability to meet short-term energy needs.

Latest News

$18M approved in bill credits for Pennsylvania customers in ‘forever chemicals’ settlement
- by Lisa John Rogers, Great Lakes Now

More PFAS news with a “cover-up” in Canada’s North Bay, and Wisconsin legislators estimate pollution cleanup could cost several billion dollars.

The history of taming the Great Black Swamp
- by Patrick Wensink

Before farms and suburbs, the Great Black Swamp thrived. Restoring it could help curb Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms today.

Stanton Yards development merges art, nature on Detroit River, envisions ‘thriving new community destination’
- by John Hartig

A waterfront extension of Detroit’s Little Village cultural development is planned as a 13-acre public gathering place.

Roads in the Great Lakes region get riskier after daylight saving ends
- by Lisa John Rogers, Great Lakes Now

Darker commutes and seasonal animal patterns make late fall one of the most dangerous times on regional roads.

Fifty years later: The little-known story of the families the Fitz left behind
- by Thomas Nelson

After the Edmund Fitzgerald sank, grieving families faced another storm: unequal insurance payouts, corporate pressure and a legal system stacked against them.

Going Country at Farrand Hall
- by S. Nicole Lane

How a small town dining experience is bringing the farm to the table.

Ontario is subsidizing an energy project in Georgian Bay despite expert advice
- by The Narwhal

An internal memo from Ontario’s electricity system operator outlines concerns with TC Energy’s large pumped storage proposal in Meaford, including cost overruns and an inability to meet short-term energy needs.

Sludge is used as fertilizer across Wisconsin. How much is tainted by PFAS?
- by Wisconsin Public Radio

Sludge and septage are spread across around half a million acres statewide, but most of it has never been tested for PFAS.

Illinois one step closer to keeping invasive carp out of Great Lakes
- by WBEZ

For decades, officials have worried the fish could wreak disaster on the world’s largest freshwater ecosystem and the multibillion-dollar tourism, boating and fishing industries that rely on it. Now, the fight might be getting easier.

New study links seasonal pollen to higher suicide risk, experts warn
- by Lisa John Rogers, Great Lakes Now

An interview with a University of Michigan researcher who found a connection between high pollen days and mental health struggles, raising concerns about prevention and awareness.

In “The Gales of November,” author John U. Bacon investigates the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald
- by Michigan Public

In his new book, “The Gales of November,” John U. Bacon explores the history and mysteries of the 1975 wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, a record-setting freighter ship.

Points North: How ‘Bout Them Apples?
- by Interlochen Public Radio

On a remote island in Lake Michigan, some old apple trees could have very rare, never-before-discovered genes. And if they do, they could join the U.S. stockpile of apples poised to fight off future threats.

 

The Great Lakes Now monthly television program is produced by Detroit PBS in partnership with a network of PBS affiliates around the region. Shooting on location in eight states and Canada, the magazine-style show brings viewers stories about the recreational, economic, scientific, political and environmental issues related to the Great Lakes and drinking water.

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