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A $1.3 million project funded by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is restoring critically important coastal wetlands in western Lake Erie.

Urban and agricultural development over the past two centuries destroyed more than half of all coastal wetlands in the Great Lakes basin. The project at the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge is helping to reverse the loss of Great Lakes wetlands, which filter polluted runoff, reduce flooding and provide valuable habitat for fish and migratory birds. Read more here.

Two unique vessels with great names — Flotsam and Jetsam — are patrolling the waters of Cleveland harbor in search of debris. The boats, which were launched last year, are expected to collect up to 800 tons of debris annually that threatens water quality and wildlife in the harbor.

The $425,000 project was funded by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Read more here.

As we head into the spring and summer appropriations process, the Great Lakes congressional delegation is showing strong bipartisan leadership to maintain funding for restoration programs. Over the last few weeks, 49 U.S. House and Senate members have signed on to letters to federal appropriators urging them to maintain the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative at $300 million. More >

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (May 7, 2013) – As the federal budget-making process kicks into high gear, 74 groups from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York urged federal public officials to maintain support for programs helping to restore the Great Lakes—the largest source of surface fresh water in the country. In a letter to U.S. House and Senate appropriators, the groups urged officials to support the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative at $300 million.

“The strong support for Great Lakes programs stems from the effective and successful work we’re seeing in communities across the region,” said Chad Lord, policy director for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “There is a large body of evidence that Great Lakes programs are producing results, but there is more work to do. If we cut restoration funds, these serious problems will only get worse and the price we pay will be much higher.” More >

A $62 million cleanup in Duluth Harbor’s Stryker Bay removed nearly 200,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment from the bay, which marks the confluence of the St. Louis River and Lake Superior.

The cleanup has brought fish and birds back to the bay and the water is now safe for swimming and boating. Read more here.