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Presque Isle back in service after shipyard stay

   After an extensive stay at Erie, PA, the ITB Presque Isle departed Donjon shipyard Monday morning heading to Superior, WI to load.
   The 1,000-foot tug/barge, operated by Great Lakes Fleet, Duluth, MN, was heading upbound on the southeast side of Neebish Island on the St. Marys River on the evening of August 5 when it had maneuverability issues, likely caused by a dropped rudder on southern Lake Michigan, causing it to briefly run aground on the Canadian side of the river before freeing itself. Presque Isle lost four starboard propeller blades during the incident, all of which were recovered and reinstalled, as was the rudder.

144-year-old Door County shipwreck named a Wisconsin historic place

   The wooden schooner was carrying lumber and bark when it capsized in Death’s Door in 1881, then sank in 105 feet of water near Chambers Island while being towed.

   A 144-year-old shipwreck laying more than 100 feet under the bay of Green Bay near Chambers Island is Door County’s most recent addition to the Wisconsin State Register of Historic Places.
   The wreck of the cargo schooner Jennibel, about 9 miles west of Fish Creek, recently was named to the state historic place register, the Wisconsin Historical Society announced in a Dec. 11 news release. It’s the 33rd shipwreck in waters off Door County named to the state register but the first in about a year, since the Little Harbor Launch northeast of Sturgeon Bay joined the list in December 2024.
   The shipwreck is historically significant because it’s an early wooden schooner that worked in Wisconsin waters, providing maritime historians and archaeologists an opportunity to study wooden schooner construction of the time and how such vessels were used in other bulk cargo trades, the historical society’s news release said. Much of the remains are intact, too.
   The Jennibel was a two-masted, 95-foot-long wooden schooner built in 1863 at the Stoakes & Locklin shipyard in Sheboygan. Its 18-year career was spent mostly hauling lumber, as well as some bulk cargo, between ports in Door County and ports along the Lake Michigan shore. As with many other cargo ships of the era, the Jennibel experienced occasional groundings and collisions, but repairs didn’t alter the ship’s lines or dimensions, the historical society said in its news release.
   The last voyage of the Jennibel began the morning of Sept. 17, 1881, when it departed Egg Harbor with a load of green lumber and tanning bark, bound for Milwaukee. It was sailing through the Death’s Door Passage off Washington Island when a sudden gale struck from the south and capsized the ship.
   Fortunately for the crew of the Jennibel, the tug John Gregory, owned by George Spear of Sturgeon Bay, was working nearby. Its captain saw the Jennibel sinking and came to its aid, taking the crew aboard and then attempting to tow the vessel toward Sturgeon Bay.
   But, according to the Wisconsin Shipwrecks website, the weather again turned bad as the ships were southwest of Chambers Island and the Jennibel sank. The Gregory marked the tow line with a buoy and sought shelter until the weather calmed, but when the tug returned to refloat the Jennibel, the line broke and the Jennibel settled to the bottom of the bay in about 100 feet of water. Further salvage attempts were made but proved unsuccessful, and eventually the vessel was abandoned. At the time of its loss it was valued at $2,500.
   The remains of the Jennibel sit in about 105 feet of water southwest of Chambers Island, just on the Wisconsin side of the border with Michigan and halfway between Fish Creek on one side of the bay and Marinette on the other. The wreck sits upright with the hull intact except for the transom, which was broken in one of the salvage operations. Many of the ship’s hull components also remain intact, and many more remain hidden within the hull or are scattered about the site.
   State and federal laws protect the wreck of the Jennibel. Divers may not remove artifacts or structure when visiting this site. Removing, defacing, displacing or destroying artifacts or sites is a crime. For more information on the Jennibel and other shipwrecks in Wisconsin waters, visit wisconsinshipwrecks.org. For more on State Register and National Register historic listings in Wisconsin, which are administered by the Wisconsin Historical Society, visit wisconsinhistory.org.

  Read the complete story and Video at:   https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/local/door-co/2025/12/13/144-year-old-door-county-shipwreck-off-chambers-island-named-a-wisconsin-historic-place/87743596007/?fbclid=IwY2xjawOttB1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEek-0m-L0xL-mKKMzEgPJA9N6FmPXnbu1CjS8u7Gyfsr_53SG4TSWFA05pkk8_aem_aMy5XKHtYp-q7mgvZHvU8w

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Saturday launch at Fincantieri Marinette Shipbuilding Delayed

Saturday’s launch of a new Navy Vessel that was supposed to be at 9:30 AM Saturday has been delayed.
We will post an update on time etc. when it becomes available.

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Oh buoy! Runaway research buoy gets data on Great Lakes winter waves

   Winter is a quiet time for Great Lakes research, at least out on the water. Research vessels remain secured to their docks; most monitoring equipment is ashore.
   But last winter, a basketball-sized buoy off Muskegon, Michigan, broke free from its mooring. Set up to track temperature and wave height, it remained out on the lake and collected data scientists have chased for years: real-time measurements of what happens in the open water far from shore.
   It’s some of the first data that exists on how ice and waves collide during the most treacherous season on the Great Lakes.
   “It just aligned perfectly with the kind of work we were trying to do,” said Steve Ruberg, a scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab.
   The spotter buoy drifted about 33 miles, coming close to the center of Lake Michigan. Strong winds pushed it back into an icy area, where it became wedged in thick ice, providing data on how much ice actually dampens strong waves.
   The timing was especially serendipitous because it was a normal ice year. That’s not a given as climate change is driving an overall decline in ice cover mixed with swings from extreme high to low ice years.
   The runaway buoy broke loose in mid-January, drifting about 33 miles and nearing the center of Lake Michigan. Strong winds eventually pushed it back into an icy area south of Grand Haven, where it became wedged in thick ice, providing data on how much ice actually dampens strong waves.

   Direct observations are typically not possible in winter
   For context, winter brings the strongest winds and waves to the Great Lakes. Scientists rely on models to try to understand conditions, but direct observations are scarce. It’s too dangerous on the water; no research vessels can safely operate in winter storms. Search and rescue vehicles are pulled for the season.
   Spotter buoys, like the one that got loose, can withstand the conditions, but they don’t roam freely. There are larger, yellow buoys scattered throughout all five lakes that collect a lot more information. However, they are not as durable and must be brought in before winter.
   A spotter buoy washed ashore north of Ludington, Michigan. The basketball-sized buoys track surface temperature and wave height in the Great Lakes. Last winter, one spotter buoy off Muskegon broke free from its mooring and collected some of the first data scientists have on how ice tamps down winter waves.
   That leaves gaping unknowns: How do waves behave in the middle of the lakes during winter? What happens beneath the ice during winter storms?
   It’s information that could provide better forecasts for commercial freighters operating during those months, if it was available.

   “Our passion here is to try to make that happen,” Ruberg said.
   Scientists can’t glean information about how ice affects waves from the ocean. Lake ice is stronger than ocean ice because saltwater freezes at colder temperatures.
   “There is almost no data, so anything was going to be exciting,” said Ayumi Fujisaki-Manome, a scientist at the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research who studies hazardous weather and ice on the Great Lakes.

   Enter last year’s rogue buoy.
   The buoy was deployed off Muskegon, Michigan, by NOAA and the Cooperative Institute in late summer 2023, and stayed there until it broke loose.
   When it drifted back from the middle of the lake in early February it floated into a zone of broken, consolidated ice before eventually becoming trapped in solid ice over open water – a perfect gradient illustrating the transition from fractured ice to a solid ice sheet.
   On Feb. 7 and 8, a severe storm hit, drumming up waves more than eight feet high beneath the solid ice.
   What it revealed, Fujisaki-Manome said, was that the models scientists used were dampening waves more than they should. The actual waves under ice cover are much higher than the models predicted.
   Fujisaki-Manome compared how the models performed over open water with their performance in Saginaw Bay, where ice is more stable. There, the models are doing a good job. But out in the middle of Lake Michigan the models need to be improved.
   The rogue buoy eventually washed up on shore north of South Haven on March 25, and a local resident dragged it up on the beach two days later. Ruberg and his team retrieved it in early April.
   Winter is a risky time to be on the water, but advancements in technology – and some creativity – are making it more plausible to collect information on the Great Lakes.
   Researchers, like Hayden Henderson, a scientist at Michigan Technological University, have gone so far as to deploy buoys using a helicopter. Two years ago marked the first time his team placed a larger buoy with more capabilities farther offshore. Last year, they expanded the effort, dropping buoys from helicopters into Lake Superior, northern Lake Huron and northern Lake Michigan.
   The mooring and buoy that was deployed off Muskegon, Michigan, which broke loose last winter. The spotter buoy, which is roughly the size of a basketball, collected some of the first data that exists on how ice and waves collide in the most treacherous season on the Great Lakes.
   “But technology is changing, and we’re making advancements, and I think we’re going to be able to do a better job,” Ruberg said. “But it’s always a challenging time.”
   Ruberg said scientists are hoping underwater robots may eventually help close the winter data gap as well.
   And it’s an important gap to fill, Henderson said, as winter is the fastest changing season in the Great Lakes.
   Better observations lead to more reliable predictions, which is increasingly important as the Great Lakes experience stronger storms, changing water levels and accelerating coastal erosion. Accurately predicting the winter sea state, Henderson said, is essential to understand how coastlines are changing and how to plan for future development.
   “We can’t measure yesterday, but we can start today,” Henderson said.
   Caitlin Looby covers the Great Lakes and the environment for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

https://www.petoskeynews.com/story/news/environment/2025/12/08/rogue-buoy-gathers-first-data-on-winter-ice-waves-in-lake-michigan/86967904007/?utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwY2xjawOmbhtleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe6el1RJp3-5oQsE3fO–wB4LeSWI1UqPwOSCjbHeHkNSDZHGewrPv7ODwXcw_aem_Xw-cLXpBc6kbq8944_Lo9Q

Coast Guard begins Ice Breaking operations

   SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. — U.S. Coast Guard Sector Northern Great Lakes commenced
Operation Taconite at 1 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 10, to prevent newly formed ice from hindering
commercial traffic.
   U.S. Coast Guard Cutter SPAR (WLB 206) is assigned to manage the ice breaking needs of western Lake Superior, specifically the twin ports of Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin. As ice coverage expands, U.S. Coast Guard officials will assign additional icebreakers.
   Operation Taconite is the Coast Guard’s largest domestic icebreaking operation. The operation
encompasses Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, the St. Marys River, the Straits of Mackinac and the Georgian Bay.
   Various commercial waterways may close after due consideration is given to the protection of the marine environment, the need for cross-channel traffic such as ferries and the safety of the island residents, who during their daily business use naturally formed ice bridges for transportation to and from the mainland.
   The implementation of Operation Taconite places additional movement criteria on commercial
vessels transiting the area of operation. These measures may include restricting tanker transits to
daylight in the presence of ice, reducing speeds by 2 miles per hour in specified locations to reduce incidental ice breaking, and requiring additional voice and position reporting points throughout the operation’s area of responsibility.
   The Coast Guard recommends all recreational ice users plan their activities carefully, use caution on the ice and stay clear from shipping channels.

[U.S. Coast Guard Sector Northern Great Lakes]

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Breaking the Ice: Inside the Soo Locks Ice Mitigation Project

   This past spring, ice caused significant delays at the Soo Locks. One vessel, Interlake’s M/V James R. Barker, was held up for nearly 10 hours. For Great Lakes shipping, those delays ripple across the entire system. That’s why the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has long sought an innovative solution to tackle the problem head-on.
   Interlake’s Vice President of Operations, Paul Christensen, and captains Brad Newland and Mike King recently traveled to Massachusetts with a team of stakeholders, including Mollie Mahoney, who leads the New Lock Project, and several USACE engineers, to offer their navigation expertise and observe this groundbreaking research in action.

   The Challenge
   Every spring, brackish ice flows into the lock chambers, slowing vessel traffic and increasing strain on the system. While it doesn’t damage ships, it forces the locks to cycle more often, adding wear and tear and creating costly delays.
   “We’ve all spent more than our fair share of time stuck in ice—either waiting for someone to get through the lock or being the one trying to make it through,” says Captain Brad Newland.
   “Anything we can do to save time is a win, not just for Interlake but for the entire industry.”
   This comprehensive study includes the entire Soo Locks facility, and the resulting recommendations will benefit both the Poe Lock and the New Lock at the Soo.  According to Mahoney, “including the entire facility in the study allows for implementation of the most efficient and effective ice mitigation solutions. Our focus is on reducing the volume of ice entering the Poe and New Lock, preventing ice from forming in the chambers, and effectively flushing ice that does end up in the chambers.”

Building The Solution
   To find answers, USACE partnered with Arcadis Bergman, working with Verdantas Flow Labs, an engineering firm, and a specialized lab in Holden, Massachusetts, to build a 1:32 scale model of the Soo Locks—complete with 10,000 pounds of synthetic ice that mimics real ice’s buoyancy and movement. They even used a model freighter based on the M/V Paul R. Tregurtha to run tests.
   Captain Mike King was impressed by the scope of the project. “The amount of thought and detail put into this project exceeded anyone’s expectations. Having all these people in one room, striving for the same goal, meant everyone’s input mattered. It was an honor to be involved and exchange information with such a great group of people.”
   Over 40 days of testing, engineers will trial various mitigation strategies, including ice booms and barriers to prevent ice from entering the lock chambers. Before testing began, Great Lakes captains helped verify vessel approach angles and course lines to ensure accuracy.

Why It Matters
   This project is about efficiency and collaboration. By reducing ice-related delays, commerce will continue flowing through the Locks, and critical infrastructure will be protected. The USACE’s willingness to involve industry stakeholders such as Interlake demonstrates its commitment to practical, industry-focused solutions that benefit the entire Great Lakes shipping network.
   “It is always a privilege to work with the Army Corps of Engineers and be a part of making the Soo locks even safer, more reliable, and efficient,” Christensen says.
   Captain Newland adds: “Over the years, some of our suggestions have saved millions of dollars and made meaningful changes that will improve efficiency.”
   He even found a moment of humor during testing: “I got a kick out of watching operators try to maneuver a model of a thousand-foot ship into the lock by hand. The guy was struggling, and I couldn’t resist saying, ‘Now you know what I feel like!’ They were thrilled to see the model behave just like the real ships.”

[Interlake Steamship Co.]

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Atlantic Huron making last trip before retirement

   After decades of service across the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence, the Canada Steamship Lines self-unloader Atlantic Huron is winding down her final season. Leaving Quebec, she is currently making one last run to Hamilton to load cargo destined for Quebec, her closing voyage in active duty.
   From there, she will head to Nova Scotia to be recycled by R.J. MacIsaac Construction in Sheet Harbour, NS (near Halifax).
   Built in 1984 at Collingwood Shipyards for a reported $35 million, she was launched in October 1983 under her original name, Prairie Harvest, intended to move Prairie grain east through the Seaway. In 1989, she was converted to a self-unloader, marking a new era for the fleet, and she holds a distinction of real significance: she was the last straight-deck bulker ever built for Canada Steamship Lines.

[Janey Anderson – Ship Junkies – Lakes, Locks & Rivers (LL&R)]

Preview S.S. Badger Documentary on Facebook

   Check out the preview of “Railroad on Water,” a comprehensive documentary about the historic S.S. Badger and Lake Michigan Carferry. Filmed and edited by filmmaker Drayton Blackgrove of Delay In Block Productions, the documentary dives into the rich and expansive legacy of the Badger and the carferry industry.
   To check out the documentary, click here: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1954359895492011
 
For more history on the Badger, visit ssbadger.com/history

[S.S. Badger: Lake Michigan Carferry]

NAVFAC Atlantic Awards $49.7 Million Modification for Heavy-Lift Portal Crane Supporting Shipyard Modernization Efforts

Story by Michael Morris

   Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Atlantic has awarded Konecranes Nuclear Equipment and Services LLC of New Berlin, Wisconsin, a $49,673,119 firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract N62470-20-C-0002 for a 175-ton heavy-lift portal crane to be installed at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.
   The modification increases the total cumulative value of the contract to $293,839,843.
   Under the contract, Konecranes will design, fabricate, assemble, shop test, deliver, install, inspect, and conduct field testing of the crane, which will feature a portal-type structure with a rotating superstructure, luffing boom, and both main and auxiliary hoists engineered to meet the shipyard’s dimensional and functional requirements. Work will be performed in New Berlin and is expected to be completed by November 2028.
   Fiscal 2026 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $49,673,119 are obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. NAVFAC Atlantic, based in Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
   The crane is a major component of the Navy’s Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP), a multidecade effort to modernize industrial plant equipment and revitalize critical infrastructure at the Navy’s four public shipyards. The 175-ton crane will provide essential lift capacity to move shop stores, materials, large ship components, radar arrays, antennas, and increasingly heavy propeller shafts—capabilities central to returning submarines and surface ships to the fleet.
   By enabling safer, more efficient heavy-lift operations without the need for tandem cranes or supplemental equipment, the new crane enhances shipyard throughput and strengthens support for the Navy’s nuclear-powered fleet.
   SIOP is delivering integrated modernization across public shipyards to meet evolving maintenance requirements for aircraft carriers and submarines. Since 2018, more than 50 facilities projects valued at nearly $1.5 billion have been completed, including utility upgrades, flood protection systems, and training facilities. More than 300 pieces of industrial plant equipment worth over $700 million have also been delivered, including new high-capacity cranes, precision machining equipment, and advanced fabrication systems.
   More than 40 additional projects, totaling over $6.5 billion, are now under contract—among them the first new dry docks at public shipyards since 1962 and the conversion of a World War II-era dry dock for Gerald R. Ford-class carrier maintenance. These efforts directly support increased maintenance throughput, optimized shipyard configuration, and improved working conditions for the Navy’s 37,000 shipyard personnel.

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Edmund Fitzgerald life ring is on the auction block at Detroit gallery

   A significant Great Lakes maritime relic, an orange ring buoy with white stenciled lettering “S. S. Edmund Fitzgerald” and four black reinforcing bands holding a nylon rope, is up for auction at Detroit’s Dumouchelle’s gallery. It is being offered along with with a wooden plank from Lifeboat 1 from the Edmund Fitzgerald. 
   On November 18, 1975, 10 days after the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, a 27 year old man named Larry Orr found this life ring and plank from the ship’s Lifeboat 1 . While walking 30 to 40 feet above the shoreline of Lake Superior he noticed each leaning against a large tree trunk in a wash that had likely been created by high water surf during the storm.
   The life ring and plank are both believed to have come from the Edmund Fitzgerald’s No. 1 lifeboat. In 1988, Mr. Orr loaned these relics to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum in Paradise, Michigan until health and financial concerns necessitated its sale at public auction. 

Starting bid is $11,250.

Find out more here: https://live.dumoart.com/online-auctions/dumouchelles/life-ring-from-the-s-s-edmund-fitzgerald-and-plank-to-lifeboat-1-ca-1958-1-pc-8478091

Leftover pellet inventory being removed from idled Dearborn blast furnace

   According to waterfront reports, unused iron ore pellets at the idled Cleveland-Cliffs plant at Dearborn, MI, on the Rouge River, were being loaded aboard the steamer Wilfred Sykes over the weekend with mobile conveyor belts and front-end loaders.
   Cleveland-Cliffs idled some operations at the Dearborn plant this past summer, citing “the current reality of weak automotive production in the U.S.” as the reason for laying off about 600 employees. At the time, the closure was expected to be a temporary measure to rebalance capacity and improve efficiency.
   The pellets will be taken to Cleveland. 

If the Soo Locks ever failed, America’s steel production would collapse in days.

   Nearly all of America’s domestic production of iron ore from Minnesota and the Upper Peninsula moves across Lake Superior and through this single choke point in Michigan. If the Locks shut down, the steel for our cars, bridges, skyscrapers, railways, and shipyards would grind to a halt almost overnight.
   During World War II, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover called this shipping route the “jugular vein” of America’s war production. President Franklin D. Roosevelt even created a special military district to guard it — the only one of its kind — because a single attack here could have crippled the Arsenal of Democracy.
   And they’re still that critical today.
   That’s why the $3 billion New Lock at the Soo is being built right now — preparing this single point for the next century of American industry.
[Only in Michigan-Brian Calley]

[See photos in Gallery below]

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Legendary Christmas Tree Ship inspires Toledo kindness

   TOLEDO, Ohio — The air was crisp and cold on Saturday morning, but that didn’t stop Santa Claus and the tugboat Josephine from making a magical delivery to the waiting families at the docks at the National Museum.of the Great Lakes in east Toledo. 
   It’s becoming an annual tradition on the Maumee River as the museum and the Gradel company combine energies to create holiday memories for many families. It’s the continuation of an old tradition on the lakes of delivering Christmas trees by boat to the needy families in the cities.
   Most notably, the schooner Rouse Simmons was a well known and popular Christmas Tree Ship on Lake Michigan, whose captain delivered thousands of trees to families in Chicago, but tragically the schooner sank on a voyage in 1912.
   “After the sinking, the people of Chicago continued to the tradition for years after,” Kate Fineske, the Communication Director for the National Museum of the Great Lakes said.
   The delivery of fresh Christmas trees to the dock at the museum this year is a tribute to the Rouse Simmons and other Christmas Tree Ships on the Great Lakes.
   “Toledo has its own Christmas Tree Ship now,” Fineske said.
   The museum partnered with the East Toledo Family Center to find families to receive the trees. The Gradel tugboat Company supplied its tug Josephine to bring the trees in. 
   The trees were pre-ordered and many were purchased by third parties to give to the families that needed them.
   About 100 people, young and old, gathered under the frigid blue skies to watch the colorful tug, with Santa and his helpers aboard, to hand out the trees.
   Fineske said the museum hopes to keep this cheerful tradition going for many years to come

[WTOL]

View a video here: https://www.wtol.com/article/features/christmas-tree-ship-on-the-maumee-river/512-e6e69798-740f-409b-8fe2-2b9c3bf16f32

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Seaway traffic resumes after ship arrestor repairs

   Traffic resumed through the Cote Ste Catherine Lock Friday after repairs were made to the ship arrestor, which was damaged Thursday when it was struck by the Maltese-registered bulk carrier Osogovo.
   A ship arrestor is an arm that extends across the lock to prevent a vessel from hitting the gates.

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Ship arrestor hit by Osogovo, halting Seaway traffic

   The Maltese-registered bulk carrier Osogovo hit the ship arrestor in Cote Ste Catherine Lock near Montreal on Thursday morning. Ship traffic has been halted until repairs can be made. Drawsko, Algoma Niagara and Nukumi were stopped as of 7 p.m. Thursday.
   Osogovo, built in 2011, is owned by Navigation Maritime Bulgare (Navibulgar), and is a frequent visitor to the Great Lakes and Seaway system.
   A ship arrester is an arm that extends across the lock to prevent a vessel from hitting the gates.

Marinette Marine lays off almost 100 workers a week after the Navy canceled ship orders

   MARINETTE, WI – Fincantieri Marinette Marine laid off nearly 100 workers on Wednesday, about a week after the U.S. Navy announced it was canceling much of a multi-billion dollar order for ships that would have been built in Wisconsin.
   Marinette Marine laid off 93 employees who were “primarily white collar positions,” according to a spokesperson for Marinette Marine’s parent company, Fincantieri Marine Group.
   In an email, the spokesperson said the layoff was in response to the Navy’s decision to only move forward with construction of two frigates instead of the six that had previously been awarded to Marinette Marine.
   “We must balance the size and composition of our workforce against the now-reduced demand from our government customer,” the email read. “We have a framework agreement with the Navy that promises opportunities to keep our workforce stabilized, in accordance with federal acquisition regulations.”
   But even with that agreement, the spokesperson said additional “workforce adjustments” may be needed “without meaningful government-directed business coming into our Wisconsin system of shipyards.”
   Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin has called on the Trump administration and the Navy to bring more work to Marinette to make up for the canceled contract. Earlier this week, she told WPR there could be a “really big negative impact on the workforce” at Marinette Marine if the Navy fails to “keep commitments made.”
   According to Fincantieri, the company had 2,175 employees and contract workers at Marinette Marine as of last week. The shipbuilder is Marinette’s largest employer.

[Wisconsin Public Radio]

Lake Superior and Michigan-Huron water levels drop more than average in November

   Water levels on both Lake Superior and Lake Michigan-Huron dropped significantly more than their seasonal averages during November, according to a new update from the International Lake Superior Board of Control.
   The board expects the total St. Marys River flow in December to be 2,150 m³/s (75,900 ft³/s) as prescribed by Regulation Plan 2012.
   The gate setting of the Compensating Works at the head of the St. Marys Rapids will remain at the typical winter gate setting of one-half gate open (Gates 1 and 7 through 10 open 20 cm, or 8 in, each). The St. Marys Rapids flow will remain at approximately 86 m³/s, or 3,000 ft³/s (equivalent to approximately one-half gate open).
   Water supply conditions were much drier than average in both the Lake Superior basin and the Lake Michigan-Huron basin in November.
   Lake Superior decreased by 10 cm (3.9 in) last month, while the seasonal long-term average pattern is for Lake Superior to decline by 5 cm (2.0 in) in November.
   Lake Michigan-Huron declined by 11 cm (4.3 in) last month, while the seasonal long-term average pattern is for Lake Michigan-Huron to decline by 4 cm (1.6 in) in November.
   At the beginning of December, the lake-wide average water level of Lake Superior was 13 cm (5.1 in) below the seasonal long-term average (1918–2024) and 3 cm (1.2 in) above the level of a year ago.
   At the beginning of December, the lake-wide average water level of Lake Michigan-Huron was 30 cm (11.8 in) below the seasonal long-term average (1918–2024) and 20 cm (7.9 in) below the level of a year ago.
   If weather and water supply conditions are near average in December, Lake Superior may decline by approximately 8 cm (3.1 in), and Lake Michigan-Huron may decrease by approximately 5 cm (2.0 in).
   If conditions are much wetter than average, Lake Superior may decrease by approximately 4 cm (1.6 in), and Lake Michigan-Huron may rise by approximately 2 cm (0.8 in) in December.
   If conditions are much drier than average in December, the water level of Lake Superior may fall by 13 cm (5.1 in), and Lake Michigan-Huron may decrease by about 10 cm (3.9 in).

[International Lake Superior Board of Control]

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