Lakeshore erosion leaves more homes hanging on the edge: 'It makes me want to cry'
KENOSHA COUNTY -- More homes hang on the edge in Kenosha as erosion from the waves on Lake Michigan batters the shoreline.
Man dies trying to save girl swept into Lake Michigan, police say
CHICAGO — A man died Thursday trying to save an 11-year-old girl who was swept into Lake Michigan while standing on a cement break wall, police said.The 35-year-old man jumped in and tried to reach the girl, but ended up sinking in the choppy, churning water.
Public hearing held on plan to pull 8.2M gallons/day from Lake Michigan for Waukesha drinking water
WAUKESHA -- The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on Tuesday, Aug. 20 let the public weigh in on a plan to pull drinking water from Lake Michigan.City leaders want to build a 10-mile pipeline to pull up to 8.2 million gallons per day from the lake.
Illinois governor OKs 1st steps on blocking Asian carp
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — The governor of Illinois is authorizing steps toward the installation of technologies in a Chicago-area waterway to prevent Asian carp from reaching Lake Michigan.Democrat J.B. Pritzker told the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers he's willing to move ahead with preconstruction, engineering and design work for the project at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam on the Des Plaines River near Joliet, Illinois.The location is considered a crucial choke point where the invasive carp could be prevented from migrating upstream toward the lake.Illinois officials previously have agreed to work with the Army Corps and other Great Lakes states on the project while raising concerns about its cost and potential harm to commercial shipping.Pritzker said in a letter to the Corps Friday that he wants discussions about reducing the project's price tag, estimated at $778 million.
Kite surfer rescued along Milwaukee's lakefront
MILWAUKEE -- It was a dangerous rescue along Milwaukee's lakefront Thursday afternoon, April 19.A FOX6 viewer shared video showing Milwaukee police and the U.S. Coast Guard rescuing a kite surfer from the frigid water near the McKinley Marina.The water appeared to be pretty rough Thursday afternoon, with waves close to five feet.PHOTO GALLERYThe kite surfer was taken to the hospital.
'The deadliest since we started tracking in 2010:' 12 drownings in Great Lakes over Labor Day weekend
KENOSHA -- There were 12 drownings in the Great Lakes over the Labor Day holiday weekend, including three in Lake Michigan, according to statistics provided by the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project.Details on the three deaths in Lake Michigan are as follows:
Whoa! Epic photo of lightning bolt on Lake Michigan captured by mate on freighter
STURGEON BAY -- There's lightning -- and then there's lightning like Jack Brandenburg captured on Lake Michigan this week.Brandenburg was in the pilothouse of the 1,004-foot Mesabi Miner -- a freighter loaded with iron ore from Duluth, Minnesota -- when it encountered a storm on Lake Michigan on Tuesday morning, Aug. 28.
Beachgoers formed human chains amid rough waters on Lake Michigan; 2 drowned
GRAND HAVEN, Mich. -- Authorities say beachgoers formed human chains along the shores of Lake Michigan to rescue swimmers caught in rough water blamed for two drownings over the weekend.Officials in western Michigan say three other people were hospitalized after being pulled from the lake Sunday.The Grand Haven Department of Public Safety says people linked arms to reach a 64-year-old man experiencing trouble in the "hazardous wave conditions" around noon.Jeff Hawke, director of public safety, says the man was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.Nearly four hours later, the department says a 20-year-old man from Lansing was pulled from the water.
High water levels causing damage on Lakes Superior, Michigan
MADISON — High water levels on Lake Superior and Lake Michigan have been causing trouble for some shoreline communities in recent years.Lauren Fry is the lead water levels forecaster with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers in the Detroit District office.
Boat towed to South Milwaukee Yacht Club after taking on water on Lake Michigan
SOUTH MILWAUKEE -- A boat had to be towed to the South Milwaukee Yacht Club on Tuesday night, July 3 after taking on water on Lake Michigan.Coast Guard officials say five people were on board the 22-foot boat at the time.A good Samaritan, the Coast Guard, South Milwaukee police (with a patrol boat) and South Milwaukee Fire Department assisted.No one was hurt.
Group drops fight over letting city use Lake Michigan water
WAUKESHA — A group representing mayors and cities in the Great Lakes region has dropped its fight against letting Waukesha, Wisconsin, draw water from Lake Michigan.The Great Lakes and St.
Beach Hazards Statement takes effect Sunday: Swimming in Lake Michigan not advised
MILWAUKEE -- Officials with the National Weather Service say a "Beach Hazards Statement" will be in effect Sunday, July 16th due to dangerous conditions on Lake Michigan.The Beach Hazards Statement is in effect from 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. Sunday, from Sheboygan County to Kenosha County.Risks include structural, long shore and rip currents.According to the National Weather Service, dangerous waves and strong currents are expected Sunday, and conditions are expected to be life-threatening for anyone entering the water.There will be a "High Swim Risk" in effect at Lake Michigan beaches in Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Sheboygan and Racine counties.
More Lake Michigan test results coming after chemical spill
PORTAGE, Ind. — Federal officials are awaiting more test results to determine whether a potentially carcinogenic chemical entered Lake Michigan during a wastewater spill at a U.S. Steel plant in northern Indiana.U.S. Environmental Protection Agency spokeswoman Rachel Bassler says testing Tuesday and Wednesday found no hexavalent chromium in the lake near the spill site in Portage, Indiana, about 30 miles east of Chicago.She says preliminary results are expected Thursday on about 100 additional water samples.Tuesday's spill caused by a pipe failure allowed wastewater containing hexavalent chromium from an electroplating process to enter a tributary 100 yards (90 meters) from Lake Michigan.A water utility stopped drawing water from the lake and three beaches at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and one in adjacent Ogden Dunes have been closed as a precaution.
Water diversion project in Waukesha faces scrutiny
WAUKESHA — Waukesha officials are facing opposition for their plan to pipe in drinking water from Lake Michigan.Wisconsin Public Radio reports the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence Cities Initiative, a group of U.S. and Canadian mayors, has asked the Great Lakes Compact Council, which represents surrounding states, for a rehearing on the council's decision to approve the diversion last June.The city would be the first community outside the Great Lakes Basin to get lake water under terms of an agreement approved in 2008 called the Great Lakes Compact, which allows cities in counties that straddle the basin to apply for Great Lakes water.The initiative's executive director, David Ullrich, says the coalition's concerns center around the substance of the Council's decision, the procedures used and the standards applied in making the decision.
Waukesha hires lead contractor for $206M Lake Michigan water project
WAUKESHA -- Waukesha has hired a primary contractor for its $206 million project to access water in Lake Michigan.Chicago engineering firm "Greeley & Hansen" will led the way on the project, which is expected to take five years to complete.The plan is to build pipelines to connect Waukesha to Oak Creek's water pipes, and a return system into the Root River which will carry the water back into Lake Michigan.CLICK HERE for more on this story via the Milwaukee Business Journal.