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EPA and Partners Celebrate Completion of Major Restoration Work in Ohio’s Cuyahoga River Area of Concern
The West Creek Flume Spillway Project, completed with a $7M Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant, stabilized 6,500 linear feet of shoreline and restored fish passage.August 14, 2025
NOAA Develops New Method to Forecast Toxins in Harmful Algal Blooms on Lake Erie
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and various partner institutions are currently testing a forecast model to better predict the timing and location of toxins in harmful algal blooms in the Western Lake Erie Basin.August 8, 2025
EPA’s Research Vessel Lake Guardian Begins Summer Survey of Great Lakes
During the survey, scientists on the R/V Lake Guardian will collect samples of water and aquatic organisms such as plankton, zooplankton, and benthic invertebrates to assess water quality in the Great Lakes.August 1, 2025
Small Bird, Big Comeback: Great Lakes Piping Plovers Reach Record Numbers for the Second Year in a Row
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is helping guide the federally endangered piping plover on the path to recovery. 2025 saw the highest number of nesting pairs since the species was first listed in 1986.July 28, 2025
Taking Stock of Our Progress for Lake Trout
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and a network of partners, using funding provided through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, have helped this once-devasted fishery make a stunning recovery.July 24, 2025
EPA’s 2025 Lake Michigan Benthic Survey Underway
Scientist aboard EPA’s largest research vessel, the R/V Lake Guardian, are collecting benthic samples in Lake Michigan to monitor the abundance and spread of invasive quagga mussels.July 18, 2025
Clean Waters Ahead: Inside Filter Testing at University of Wisconsin-Superior’s Great Waters Research Collaborative
Filter testing at Great Waters Research Collaborative land-based facility leads to design improvements for shipboard filters.July 18, 2025
EPA Selects Four Recipients to Receive $3.7 Million in Grants to Assist Farmers with Nutrient Management in the Western Lake Erie Basin
The Nature Conservancy, Ohio Department of Agriculture, Lenawee County Soil and Water Conservation District, and Regents of the University of Michigan will receive $3,712,124 in grants funded under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. By providing technical assistance and outreach to farmers, these organizations will help reduce the amount of nutrient runoff entering Lake Erie resulting in harmful algal blooms.July 1, 2025
Habitat Restoration in the Great Lakes: By the Numbers
NOAA habitat restoration projects in the Great Lakes basin have strengthened fisheries and ecosystems, benefited local economies as well as, supported resilient communities. NOAA has worked through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative for 15 years to restore habitat through 98 high priority projects and have consequently restored over 5,180 acres of habitat and reopened more than 520 miles of rivers and streams for fish and wildlife populations.
June 24, 2025
Restoring Habitat for Great Lakes Fisheries on New York’s Salmon River
NOAA supports efforts to restore habitat and prevent erosion on the Salmon River in New York, a popular recreational fishing destination. Erosion, sedimentation, and changes to the water flow of the Salmon River have contributed to habitat degradation and threatened the health of the river’s fish population. NOAA provided $390,000 in Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding to remove an abandoned railroad trestle bridge which was causing sediment buildup and erosion of the river’s streambank.
May 20, 2025