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January 31, 2007
Team uses sonar to pinpoint shipwrecks in Lake Erie
Columbus Dispatch
The George Dunbar left Cleveland at 6 p.m. on June 29, 1902, bound for Alpena, Mich. Loaded with coal, the 136-foot ship rode low in the water as it steamed northwest into rough Lake Erie weather, her boilers running full steam. more
Posted by Kenan at 03:37 PM
New yellow perch rules are likely this fall
Ross Bielema
For The Post-Crescent
Fisheries biologists aren’t sure what caused the yellow perch populations to crash in Green Bay and Lake Michigan, but it appears the fish are on the rebound. Bill Horns, Great Lakes fisheries specialist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, estimates that public hearings on increasing the harvest will be held in May. more
Posted by Kenan at 03:35 PM
January 30, 2007
Pennsylvania may ban transport of fish in Lake Erie watershed
Associated Press
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is considering a ban on the transport of 120 species of fish found in the Lake Erie watershed. more
Posted by Kenan at 11:59 AM
Ice fishing heats up
Edward L. Cardenas
The Detroit News
Dan Voiland donned his Carhartt jacket and overalls Monday for a rare treat this winter: the chance to sit on ice and get really cold. After weeks of unseasonably warm temperatures, Voiland was looking forward to hauling out his ice fishing gear near Miller Marina on Lake St. Clair. more
Posted by Kenan at 11:57 AM
Activists seek tighter water laws
Jeff Alexander
Muskegon Chronicle
Several environmental groups today called on Michigan lawmakers to strengthen the state's water withdrawal law to prevent water bottling companies from harming trout streams. more
Posted by Kenan at 11:56 AM
January 29, 2007
Wetlands grant aims to preserve estuary
Deb Fitzgerald
Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers
The pristine habitat of a freshwater estuary located 4 miles east of Ellison Bay looks the same today as it did more than a century ago, when the Potawatomi Indians lived in Door County. more
Posted by Kenan at 03:13 PM
Mich. is ground zero in groundwater war
Amy Lee
The Detroit News
In a quaint, quiet home along the bank of the Muskegon River, Valerie Duer counts wildlife, trout and a giant multinational food and beverage corporation among her nearest neighbors. more
Posted by Kenan at 11:55 AM
NavAid Benefit Slated for Miami Boat Show
Navionics, the leader in electronic charting and navigation data, announced today its second annual benefit, NavAid2 will be held in conjunction with the opening day of the Miami International Boat Show. more
Posted by Kenan at 09:42 AM
Perch on upswing as birds decline
By Eric Sharp
Free Press
The once-famous perch fishing around Les Cheneaux Islands has come back strong, locals say. Federal and state biologists cautiously agree that the reason is three seasons of killing cormorants -- the big, black diving birds that feasted on perch -- and oiling cormorant eggs to prevent them from hatching. more
Posted by Kenan at 09:23 AM
January 26, 2007
Hemmorrhagic virus found in Lake Huron fish
Rich Adams
Tribune Editor
A virus that causes disease in fish but will not affect humans has been found in the Cheboygan area, state officials said Thursday. more
Posted by Kenan at 01:21 PM
Legislative auditor blasts management of watersheds
by Mark Steil
Minnesota Public Radio
A legislative auditor's report says a Minnesota state agency is doing an inadequate job overseeing local watershed management units. In a report released Thursday, the office says the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources has failed to perform key parts of its mission. The agency supervises some 240 local watershed entities. more
Posted by Kenan at 01:19 PM
Colder weather lures anglers back onto the ice
Associated Press
Michigan's warm winter has disappointed those who enjoy ice fishing and has hurt the businesses that depend on them. Now, there's a glimmer of hope. Recent freezing conditions have begun luring people out onto the ice and into places like Blue Water Bait on Lake St. Clair's Anchor Bay. more
Posted by Kenan at 09:20 AM
January 25, 2007
Boat Show Season Gets Underway
Although it officially winter, auditoriums all across the country will soon be filling up with all kinds of boats, fishing and sportsmen gear as the annual Boat & Sports Show season gets underway. more
Posted by Kenan at 03:16 PM
Shedd Aquariam Honors Super Bowl Bears
Chicago - Shedd Aquarium is saluting the 2006 NFC Champion Chicago Bears by remembering past champions and rooting on the city’s current Miami-bound team. more
Posted by Kenan at 02:09 PM
Diggers hope to retrieve warship
Frances Barrick
The Record
Archeologists will dig up a 140-year-old barge from beneath the sands of the Southampton public beach this spring. They will also test the feasibility of retrieving the 200-year-old British warship buried beside the barge. more
Posted by Kenan at 12:05 PM
Making tracks in UP travel
Eric Sharp
Free Press
There are a lot of reasons to visit this part of the eastern Upper Peninsula. In summer, the Lake Huron shoreline is beautiful, the offshore islands form a playground for kayakers, and the woods are a wonderful place to mountain bike. more
Posted by Kenan at 12:03 PM
Great Lakes plan funding questioned
Federal officials and non-profit groups are hailing re-authorization of the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act as proof of the high priority given to Great Lakes issues. But, while the act provides funding for a wide range of projects and promotes collaboration in restoration efforts, questions remain as to how much funding the federal government will actually put forth. more
Posted by Kenan at 12:01 PM
January 24, 2007
New virus killing fish
Jim Lynch
The Detroit News
Richard Rittenhouse is used to seeing occasional dead fish turn up each spring in the canal waters just beyond his back door. more
Posted by Kenan at 02:58 PM
Charles Marine To Host Life-Saving Seminar
Winter is an ideal time for serious boaters to contemplate and schedule their next cruising voyage. For DeFever Cruisers, an enthusiastic group of approximately 900 boaters worldwide, this year’s winter rendezvous will be the kick-off for planning spring cruising adventures. This annual event will be held Friday, January 26th through Monday, January 29th, 2007 at the new Club at Hammock Beach in Palm Coast, Florida. more
Posted by Kenan at 02:55 PM
Cold spell finally revives Michigan ice fishing
Associated Press
Michigan's warm winter has disappointed those who enjoy ice fishing and has hurt the businesses that depend on them. Now, there's a glimmer of hope. more
Posted by Kenan at 02:49 PM
January 23, 2007
GLBF Implores Congress To Enact Great Lakes Asian Carp Barrier Act
Great Lakes boaters will soon be able to breathe easily knowing that they will no longer face the threat of living and boating among Asian carp, the most pressing threat to the future of the Great Lakes fishery and the safety of boaters. more
Posted by Kenan at 11:38 AM
Bill introduced for Great Lakes carp barrier
Paul Brinkmann
Press-Gazette
Two Illinois Congress members introduced legislation to fund an electric barrier keeping the nonnative Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes. Biologists believe the carp would cause havoc for boaters and anglers, and threaten the region's $4.5 billion fishery. more
Posted by Kenan at 11:27 AM
BOATERS' COMMENTS NEEDED ON CONTINUATION OF LORAN SYSTEM
Loran users could soon be facing a closure of the land-based, low frequency radio system that has served mariners for decades. more
Posted by Kenan at 11:26 AM
January 18, 2007
A billion reasons for cleaning up our harbour
By Eric McGuinness
The Hamilton Spectator
Cleaning up Hamilton's image by cleaning up the harbour is worth nearly $1 billion. more
Posted by Kenan at 11:47 AM
Bait shop owners worry spread of VHS disease could decimate minnow sales
BY Eric Sharp
Free Press
Pssst! Want to buy a contraband minnow? Chances are you may do that in the next few months as bait dealers feel the effects of new rules about moving baitfish because of a disease called viral hemorrhagic septicemia. more
Posted by Kenan at 11:44 AM
Video: Surfers Brave Snow and Cold to Surf Lake Superior
By WLUC/NBC News Channel
Not even sub-freezing temperatures could keep some surfers in northern Michigan from hitting the waves this week. With surfboards in hand, a couple of brave souls in Marquette took to the water's of Lake Superior Monday despite a high of only 15-degrees. more
Posted by Kenan at 11:40 AM
January 17, 2007
Voinovich to Co-Chair Senate Great Lakes Task Force
Senator George V. Voinovich (R-OH) has become co-chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force. The bipartisan group, part of the Northeast-Midwest Senate Coalition, seeks to protect the environmental and economic health of the Great Lakes region. more
Posted by Kenan at 03:10 PM
Winter fishing without the ice
Brandon Veale
Daily Press
Fishing in January is normally accomplished with shanties and augers, not boats and motors. Thanks to unseasonably mild conditions, area fishermen have been able to cruise the unfrozen waters of Lake Michigan and continue their season. more
Posted by Kenan at 01:52 PM
Sail America General Members Meeting
Members of the sailing industry will gather Feb. 2 to hear its executive leaders address key marketing initiatives and plans during the General Members Meeting for Sail America, the U.S. industry trade association. Sail America Executive Director Jonathan Banks will lead the meeting held from 8:30 a.m.-10:15 a.m. at Room 328 at the Navy Pier, during the Strictly Sail Chicago Boat Show. more
Posted by Kenan at 12:07 PM
January 16, 2007
Nominations Due for Environmental Award
The deadline is rapidly approaching to honor an environmental leader in the boating community. BoatU.S. Foundation’s new Environmental Leadership Award recognizes a group, organization, company, marina or individual who has made a significant contribution towards advancing clean boating and educating boaters on minimizing their environmental impact. The deadline for nominations is February 15, 2007 and the award includes $500 for the continued support of the winner’s environmental efforts. more
Posted by Kenan at 12:38 PM
Add Another Exotic Species to Lake Ontario Uninvited Guest List
Add another name to the list of uninvited guests for Lake Ontario, say New York Sea Grant invasive species experts. New York Sea Grant is working as part of a multi-state, bi-national group coordinated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) to develop what David Reid, director of NOAA’s National Center for Research on Aquatic Invasive Species, calls a “rapid research response” to the discovery of Hemimysis in Lake Ontario. more
Posted by Kenan at 12:06 PM
January 15, 2007
Troubled waters for industry as key season opens
Reuters
The annual North American boat show season kicks into high gear this week with five major expos, from Atlanta to Toronto, opening nearly simultaneously, including one of the year's biggest inside the McCormick Place convention center here on Lake Michigan. more
Posted by Kenan at 01:50 PM
Bass Master angler the featured speaker at Quilt Show
Why is a Bass Master angler the featured speaker at the 2007 Seaway Trail Quilt Show? Because JoAnne Davis Flood is both an avid fisherwoman and a quilter and the theme of the March 17-18 show at the Seaway Trail Discovery Center in Sackets Harbor on Lake Ontario is Great Lakes Fish. more
Posted by Kenan at 11:34 AM
Entries for Recreational Boating Access Award Being Accepted
As waterfront land values skyrocket and condominiums sprout on nearly every acre of waterfront property, recreational boaters are losing more and more access to the water with every passing day. To spotlight the problem and to recognize those who are helping turn the tide, BoatU.S. has launched a national Recreational Boating Access Award. But time is running out - the deadline to enter is February 1, 2007. more
Posted by Kenan at 09:31 AM
January 12, 2007
New bait fish rules gut area industry
By John Miner
Free Press Reporter
Ontario's $20-million live bait industry has been left reeling by provincial restrictions on harvesting and transporting bait fish in a bid to stop the spread of a deadly new fish virus. more
Posted by Kenan at 12:04 PM
Wind power along Lake Erie just might fly
Tom Breckenridge
Plain Dealer Reporter
Local leaders propose a windy addition to the Lake Erie horizon - massive wind turbines that would crank out megawatts and spin off research, development and jobs. more
Posted by Kenan at 12:00 PM
Boaters Urged to Help Curb Spread of Invansive Species
Boaters and anglers should follow the guidelines of the Stop Aquatic Hitchhiker campaign:
- Remove vegetation, mud and animals from the boat, motor and trailer
- Drain water from live wells, bait wells, bilge and motor
- Rinse the boat and trailer with hot water OR let it dry for five days. more
Posted by Kenan at 09:44 AM
January 11, 2007
Grand Banks 47 Heritage EU Nominated European Powerboat of the Year
Grand Banks Yachts has been honored with the nomination of its much-acclaimed 47 Heritage EU as "European Powerboat of the Year." The nomination ranks the 47EU among the top five boats in her size category, a reflection of the superior quality and performance characteristics that have already earned the new model high praise among critics.
more
Posted by Kenan at 01:23 PM
Invasive quagga mussels found in Duluth harbor
By Tom Meersman
Star Tribune
Aquatic critters in the Duluth-Superior harbor may face some crowding in the near future: Federal officials confirmed Wednesday that they have found an invasive species called the quagga mussel for the first time in Lake Superior. more
Posted by Kenan at 12:00 PM
SONAR, GPS used to locate Erie wrecks
Michael Baker
The Chronicle-Telegram
A recent study tried to pinpoint the ghosts of Lake Erie - the more than 1,500 reported shipwrecks littering the lake's bed. more
Posted by Kenan at 11:57 AM
Warm weather bad for ice wine
BY William M. Dowd
Hearst Newspapers
You don't need grapes to make wine, but you do need ice to make ice wine. And, therein lies a problem. more
Posted by Kenan at 11:56 AM
January 10, 2007
Warm Temperatures Chill the Ice Fishing Season
By Matt Higgins
New York Times
BUFFALO, Jan. 9 - For 20 years, Capt. Kevin Caffery traced Lake Erie's frozen shoreline in the gathering twilight of late winter afternoons. From his helicopter, he scanned for parked cars belonging to ice fishermen. If the cars had not been retrieved, it could mean men were stranded miles offshore on shifting ice floes. more
Posted by Kenan at 12:46 PM
New fish virus could be a little as 2 years away from Lake Michigan
By Joe Boomgaard
Daily News
"Don't shoot the messenger." That was Gary Whelan's message about a new, potentially devastating fish disease as he began his talk to the more than 100 anglers and concerned citizens Saturday at the Sea Grant Fisheries Workshop at the Ramada Inn of Ludington. more
Posted by Kenan at 12:44 PM
Ohio says boating deaths dropped by half
Associated Press
The number of boating deaths in Ohio was down by half over the last three years, the state's natural resources department said. Thirty people died on the water from 2004 to 2006 compared with 60 in the previous three-year period, 2001 through 2003. more
Posted by Kenan at 12:43 PM
January 09, 2007
Water levels dredge up tourism concerns
By Adelle Larmour
Northern Ontario Business
Decreasing water levels on the Great Lakes are impacting some water-based tourist operations and their communities. more
Posted by Kenan at 11:55 AM
Sailors will face new race route for Mackinac
By Jim Whymer
Times Herald
The 83rd running of the Port Huron-to-Mackinac Island Sailboat Race will take on a new look this summer. For the fourth time in the history of the race, the course has been changed by sponsor Bayview Yacht Club. more
Posted by Kenan at 11:54 AM
Public Comment Sought on Fate of Long-Range Navigation System
The Coast Guard Auxiliary wants to inform all mariners that the US Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, is seeking public input on the fate of the Long Range Navigation System, otherwise known as LORAN-C. more
Posted by Kenan at 09:26 AM
Judges Named for Innovation Awards at Miami International Boat Show
The National Marine Manufacturers
Association (NMMA) and Boating Writers International (BWI) have
announced judges for the 2007 Miami Innovation Awards, being presented
during the Miami International Boat Show (MIBS).
more
Posted by Kenan at 09:26 AM
January 08, 2007
Ship hitchhikers may be in for a shock
By Susanne Rust
Journal Sentinal
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Pennsylvania State University have come up with a clever way of potentially decreasing the contamination of invasive species and other aquatic critters that latch onto boats in the Great Lakes and beyond. more
Posted by Kenan at 04:16 PM
Historical marker program gets environmental twist
The Detroit River was so polluted at one time it helped encourage passage of the federal government's Clean Water Act of 1972. more
Posted by Kenan at 04:14 PM
No ice in sight
By Stacy Millberg
Star Beacon
Unusually warm winter temperatures have prevented Lake Erie from freezing for the second year in a row and also make it very unlikely the lake will see any sort of an ice covering this year. more
Posted by Kenan at 04:12 PM
Legislation takes aim at Lakes pests
By Nicole Gerring
Times Herald
For decades, uninvited visitors have wreaked havoc on the Great Lakes. Zebra mussels clog water intakes, ruffe fish eat native fish food and the recently discovered red mysid shrimp may introduce disease or threaten the food sources of native species. more
Posted by Kenan at 09:54 AM
Nordic Tugs Goes International
Effective immediately Nordic Tugs is launching a search for UK based pleasure boat marine distributors. We are looking for distributors that are active in the marine trade associations, have years of experience distributing pleasure boats throughout the UK, and have a proven track record of success in both sales and customer service. more
Posted by Kenan at 09:49 AM