Habitat restoration in the Great Lakes: By the numbers
March 4, 2024
NOAA is highlighting its work with regional partners to restore habitat in the Great Lakes region and support the fish, ecosystems, and communities that rely on these important resources.
New Great Lakes Regional Coordinator 
Feb. 26, 2024
Rebecca Held Knoche, formerly NOAA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative program coordinator, is the new coordinator of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Team. Welcome, Rebecca!
Habitat restoration complete at Powderhorn Lake near Illinois/Indiana border offsite link
Jan. 12, 2024
Located just outside the Calumet Area of Concern on the southeast side of Chicago, the Powderhorn Lake project restored 192 acres of wetland habitat, 630 linear feet of stream habitat, and 45 acres of native vegetation. This GLRI-funded effort was a partnership between NOAA, Great Lakes Commission, Illinois DNR, Audubon Great Lakes, and Forest Preserves of Cook County.
April 27, 2021
NOAA and partners completed a project to restore fast-flowing rapids on the St. Marys River in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. See web story. The work has helped increase the number of juvenile fish in the area, according to a recent study published in the journal Restoration Ecology. offsite link
March 3, 2021
Responders’ Need for Accurate ESI Maps: Are We Prepared for Oil Spills at Niagara Falls and Mackinac Island?: So what would happen if there was an oil spill at Niagara Falls or Mackinac Island? This possibility is why NOAA develops Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps to prepare for potential oil spill disasters.
2020
GLRI Story Map offsite link: Since 2010, NOAA has worked through the GLRI to restore habitat across the Great Lakes region. NOAA projects have improved fish passage, cleaned up contaminated debris, restored coastal wetlands, and removed invasive species. Take a virtual tour of some of these major restoration projects from across the region, from the Buffalo River in New York to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.