The Great Lakes region began the 2025 navigation season with a mix of weather-related conditions. The final months of 2024 were relatively mild, allowing ships to move freely through much of the region.
The U.S. National Ice Center (NIC) Winter 2024-2025 seasonal outlook for Great Lakes ice predicted slightly below normal ice conditions on Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, and Erie. Near normal ice conditions were predicted for Lake Ontario.
The Soo Locks’ MacArthur Lock closed in December 2024 for seasonal maintenance. In January, the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan closed to all marine traffic through 12:01 a.m. March 25 to perform seasonal critical maintenance. The bulk freighter American Mariner was the last vessel to transit the Poe Lock for the 2024-25 navigation season.
During the 10-month navigation season, ships carried about 68 million tons of cargo through the Soo Locks, according to USACE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District.
On January 6, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Northern Great Lakes commenced Operation Taconite to prevent newly formed ice from hindering commercial vessel traffic.
U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw (WLBB 30) is assigned to manage the ice breaking needs of the twin ports of Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin. Additional icebreakers may be assigned in western Lake Superior as ice coverage expands, according to U.S. Coast Guard officials.
U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mobile Bay (WTGB 103) is assigned to manage the ice breaking needs of Green Bay. U.S. Coast Guard Cutters Katmai Bay (WTGB 101) and Neah Bay (WTGB 105) will manage the St. Marys River and the Straits of Mackinac.
Operation Taconite is the U.S. Coast Guard’s largest domestic Ice Breaking operation. The operation encompasses Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, the St. Marys River, the Straits of Mackinac, and Georgian Bay.
On January 8, 2025, the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) issued a joint statement regarding a tentative agreement for a new six-year Master
Contract.
In January, Fincantieri ACE Marine (FAM) was accepted into Tier 1 of the Wisconsin Green Tier program. Green Tier is a voluntary program for businesses, local governments, and organizations committed to going above and beyond compliance to improve their environmental performance and impact.
Located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, FAM is part of the Fincantieri Marine Group, a U.S. division of Fincantieri, one of the world’s largest shipbuilders.
In January, harsh conditions on Lake Erie left M/V Manitoulin stuck in ice. On January 22, The 664 foot self-unloading bulk carrier was beset by ice near Buffalo, New York. The ship was eventually freed by U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers.
In late January, the Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA) released a summary of maintenance work being done across the region.
Each winter, U.S.-flagged Lakers carriers lay up in ports across the Great Lakes region to perform critical maintenance before the March re-opening of the navigational locks in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan.
During winter lay up, skilled shipyard workers will perform nearly $150 million in maintenance on bulk carriers and other vessels.
The state receiving the largest amount of work is Ohio with $51.5 million, followed closely by Wisconsin at $51 million, Pennsylvania at $25 million, Minnesota and Michigan both getting $9 million, and another $3 million will go to facilities in New York and Illinois, according to the LCA press release.
In February, the American Great Lakes Ports Association announced the release of “American Anchor,” a series of short films highlighting key transportation supply chains and illustrating the global and regional impacts of Great Lakes Seaway shipping. The series is available on YouTube.
On March 21, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District opened the Poe Lock. Part of the Soo Locks, in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, the Poe Lock enables marine traffic to pass between Lake Superior and the lower lakes.
The early opening signaled the start of the 2025 Great Lakes shipping season. The first commercial ship to pass though the Poe Lock was the tug/barge combo Clyde S. Vanenkevort/Erie Trader.
In April, Coast Guard Sector Detroit ended Operation Coal Shovel, bringing the icebreaking season to a close on the lower Great Lakes. The operatikon concluded on April 14 due to lack of ice coverage.
Operation Coal Shovel covers an area spanning from the St. Lawrence Seaway, Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, the Detroit / St. Clair River System, and southern Lake Huron.
In May, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced the 2025 opening of Cheboygan Lock would be delayed until Friday, May 23, due to construction delays. The lock closed Sept. 29, 2024 for repair work.
The Cheboygan Lock renovation project addressed critical repairs, including dewatering the lock chamber for concrete repairs to the floor and wall, replacing the miter gate sills, assessing and repairing the gates and upgrading the hydraulic system.
On June 8th, the M/V Honorable James L. Oberstar suffered damage after grounding near Johnson’s Point east of Neebish Island on the St. Marys River.
On June 20, M/V Sunnanvik grounded on the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio. The 406-foot cement carrier struck the boardwalk and blocked vessel traffic on the river along the East Bank of the Flats before being freed.
In July, the U.S. Coast Guard announced the renaming of its operational districts from numerical to geographic designations, as a key initiative under Force Design 2028 (FD2028). Coast Guard Ninth District will now be known as USCG Great Lakes District.
On July 29, Coast Guard Sector Northern Great Lakes responded to a vessel marine casualty in the St. Marys River involving the Presque Isle, a 1,000-foot integrated tug and barge (ITB).
In August, the U.S. Coast Guard announced that the Captain of the Port Sector Lake Michigan activated a regulated navigation area covering all navigable waters of the Ludington Harbor Ship Channel and Pere Marquette Lake as well as navigable waters of Lake Michigan within 1,000 yards of the Ludington Harbor entrance starting at 4:00 a.m. on Friday, August 29, 2025.
All vessels and waterways users must maintain a distance of at least 440 yards from the bow, 100
yards from the stern, and 35 yards from the port and starboard sides of any vessel greater than 100
feet in length transiting through the regulated navigation area.
According to the Coast Guard, the action is necessary to provide for the safety of life, environment, and property on these navigable waters due to hazardous conditions resulting from increased vessel traffic congestion.
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