Navy Commissions Historic Warship at Cleveland; Ferry Season Opens

Chris Izworski, reporting from Bay City for the Great Lakes Gazette, turns to a landmark moment for the lakes this past weekend: the U.S. Navy officially commissioned the USS Cleveland (LCS 31) into active service on Saturday, May 16, during a ceremony on the downtown Cleveland waterfront. The Freedom-variant littoral combat ship is the fourth vessel to bear the city's name and the first U.S. Navy warship ever commissioned in Ohio—a historic distinction for a state with deep maritime roots along Lake Erie. Meanwhile, on the western horizon, the SS Badger—the venerable car ferry that has crossed Lake Michigan for generations—began her seasonal run on Friday, May 17, connecting Ludington, Michigan, and Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Crowds including the Lincoln High School band and local schoolchildren greeted the vessel's return, underscoring the Badger's place in regional identity and tourism. North of the border, Toronto's Jack Layton Ferry Terminal will welcome its first new electric ferries in 60 years, christened Lady of the Quays and Toronto Islander after a public naming vote that drew nearly 18,000 participants. These vessels represent a shift toward cleaner Great Lakes transit. Lake levels remain healthy across the system: Lake Erie sits 2.94 feet above Low Water Datum, while Lake Ontario is running 3.79 feet above, supporting strong navigation conditions. Light to moderate waves are forecast across the lakes this week—1 to 4 feet—with a warm front moving across Michigan and Huron through the night. A low-pressure system will track through Superior and the upper lakes by Tuesday morning. At the policy level, regional leaders gathered in Hamilton last week to discuss expanding marine cargo movement as a means to reduce highway congestion and emissions. With less than 50 percent capacity currently used on the St. Lawrence, the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative is making the case that investment in waterborne freight could ease truck traffic across Ontario and the border states while supporting the region's $9 trillion economic corridor.