Coast Guard Ends Ice Season; Ferry Traffic Resumes Across Lakes

Chris Izworski, reporting from Bay City for the Great Lakes Gazette, notes that the U.S. Coast Guard has officially concluded all icebreaking operations in America's Eastern and Great Lakes waterways following a severe winter that extended well into spring. Operation Taconite, the Coast Guard's final domestic icebreaking mission, has ended as ice throughout the western Great Lakes has nearly melted and commercial navigation no longer requires ice support. The conclusion of the operation signals what many mariners have been waiting for: full season ahead. Meanwhile, passenger and car ferry service is ramping up across the basin. The SS Badger, the historic Lake Michigan car ferry, began its summer crossing schedule between Ludington, Michigan, and Manitowoc, Wisconsin, on Friday with crowds gathering to welcome the vessel back to service. In Toronto, the city celebrated the naming of its two new fully electric ferries—Lady of the Quays and Toronto Islander—the first new passenger vessels to serve the inner harbor in 60 years, with scale models unveiled Thursday by city officials. Water levels remain above normal across all five Great Lakes heading into the navigation season. Lake Erie sits at 2.81 feet above Low Water Datum (highest among the Great Lakes), while Lake Ontario registers 3.90 feet above datum in Rochester, NY. Lake Michigan, Superior, and Huron are running 2.06, 1.61, and 1.88 feet above datum respectively, providing favorable conditions for vessel passages. A cold front will sweep the basin through Wednesday evening, bringing strong to severe thunderstorms and shifting winds. Dense fog has been reported on northern Lake Michigan this morning. As the season opens, the Great Lakes Now initiative continues highlighting efforts to expand marine shipping capacity—a strategy that could significantly reduce truck traffic and emissions across the region if governments and industry commit to necessary investments.