Correction: Corrected September 17, 2026: the water-level paragraph was withdrawn because this imported legacy edition does not retain its underlying gauge snapshot. Its numerical readings and navigation implications are unverified. NOAA measurement context.
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The Great Lakes shipping season roared to life this week as the Soo Locks opened for traffic just after midnight Wednesday, March 26, and the Mesabi Miner departed Duluth on her maiden voyage of 2026. Within hours, two American Steamship Company 1,000-footers, Indiana Harbor and Burns Harbor, fueled and headed out from the Twin Ports bound for Two Harbors and Silver Bay respectively. At Thunder Bay, Ontario, the MV Kathy McKeil passed the breakwall at 3:23 p.m. on March 26, officially opening the Port of Thunder Bay for the season. Captain Adam Barnes and chief engineer Matthew Rankine were honored with the prestigious Top Hat Award for getting their vessel upbound first.
The original water-level paragraph has been withdrawn. This legacy edition was imported from a WordPress draft without the underlying gauge snapshot, so its numerical readings and navigation implications cannot be verified from the archived source data.
Back in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, the Edgar B. Speer entered the large graving dock at BayShip on March 24 for major repowering, her old engine already removed and new MAN 6L48/60CR diesels (19,310 bhp) on order. Meanwhile, the John G. Munson, which suffered engine trouble at the West Pier in Duluth, completed repairs and resumed her trip to Marquette to load ore. Tugs Colorado and Cheraw broke ice so the cutter could assist the disabled vessel, allowing upbound traffic to resume with Paul R. Tregurtha and Kathy McKeil following close behind.
Wave forecasts across all five lakes remain moderate, 1 to 3 feet, supporting safe passage as vessels shake off winter. The Great Lakes Now team continues tracking the region’s environmental future, recently focusing on how commercial divers combat invasive mussel colonization and how the lakes could harness waste heat from sewers and data centers for clean energy. For freighter watchers, it’s a promising start to the season.