Green Bay Reopens; Alpena Arrives as Lakes Rise

Chris Izworski, reporting from Bay City for the Great Lakes Gazette, turns to a significant reopening this week: the Port of Green Bay resumed boat traffic Thursday after being shuttered since April 18 due to high water levels and excessive flow. The *Alpena* arrived early Thursday morning, marking the first vessel to transit the reopened waterway, preceded by the tug *Albert* and tank barge *Margaret*. Port Director Dean Haen confirmed the go-ahead, a relief after weeks of stalled activity on the Fox River system. Water levels across the Great Lakes remain elevated as we enter the heart of the navigation season. Lake Ontario sits highest at 3.73 feet above Low Water Datum, followed by Lake Erie at 3.04 feet. Lake Michigan measures 1.94 feet above datum, while Superior and Huron hold at 1.51 and 1.57 feet respectively. These higher levels, while creating the congestion that forced Green Bay's temporary closure, also ease draft restrictions for bulk carriers and tankers moving across the system. Marine conditions today remain mixed. A low-pressure trough moving through the Great Lakes is spawning scattered thunderstorms, particularly over Michigan and Huron, with variable southwest winds gusting over 30 knots in spots. Lake Michigan's waves are running to 4 feet as a thunderstorm complex moves eastward. Superior and Erie should see calmer conditions by evening, but mariners are advised to watch for rapid wind shifts as the system clears. Meanwhile, Superior's historic *SS Meteor*—a 130-year-old whaleback that sits remarkably low in the water—celebrates her birthday this Sunday in her permanent berth as a museum ship. Though no longer bound for the ore docks, the *Meteor* remains a symbol of Great Lakes maritime heritage, a reminder that not all vessels that shape our region's character are still underway.