Chris Izworski, reporting from Bay City for the Great Lakes Gazette, turns to the start of another busy season as the Chi-Cheemaun has departed Owen Sound to resume passenger service between the Bruce Peninsula and Manitoulin Island. The “Big Canoe” left its winter berth around noon on May 1st and kicked off a sold-out Spring Repositioning Cruise to Tobermory before settling into daily sailings between South Baymouth and Tobermory, a schedule that will run through October 18th. The ferry is carrying passengers and vehicles once again, and this season features a new Sail Through Time exhibit aboard, showcasing historic photographs and artifacts from the ship’s storied past.
Across the lakes, water levels continue to favor navigation as we head into the full season. Lake Superior sits 1.32 feet above Low Water Datum at Sault Ste. Marie, while Lake Michigan reports 1.95 feet above datum in Chicago. Lake Erie, the shallowest of the five, stands at an encouraging 2.67 feet above datum at Cleveland, solid footing for the heavier drafts that will soon crowd the system. Lake Ontario registers the highest at 3.60 feet above Low Water Datum in Rochester, New York.
Marine weather across the system remains unsettled but manageable. A cold front crossed Lake Erie early this morning and is pushing through the upper lakes, bringing wave heights of 1 to 3 feet depending on location. Lake Huron and Ontario are expecting 2-foot waves by this evening as the system clears, while Superior and Michigan see calmer conditions behind the front. Winds are turning lighter and more variable this afternoon, a welcome shift for ferry operations and early-season freighter movements.
On the environmental front, attention is turning to habitat restoration efforts across the Great Lakes. A newly restored artificial reef at Channel Island in Saginaw Bay is now in place to support native fish spawning, work that matters as we move deeper into the seasonal cycle and watch how our watershed adapts to the demands placed on it each year.