News and Updates

A GLRI Demonstration Project is Showing How Drainage Water Recycling Can Increase Yields for Farmers While Keeping Waters Clean

In Lima, Ohio, researchers at The Ohio State University are testing an innovative water retention system to passively treat runoff before recycling the water back onto the field to irrigate crops.

September 10, 2025

Treating Manure Waste with Electricity to Prevent Harmful Algal Blooms

A GLRI demonstration project is testing the potential for cell lysis technology to protect water quality by lowering the phosphorus content of manure.

September 8, 2025

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