The White House has implemented budget cuts and layoffs to NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory and its partners in recent months. These cuts are impacting programs that forecast and research harmful algal blooms, Great Lakes ice cover and weather events. 

U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI), who received the Legislator of the Year Award late last year from the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force for her efforts advocating for the Great Lakes navigation system, is one of 10 co-sponsors of the bill. She said there is concern about what will happen to the waters of the Great Lakes and the industries that depend on them if this funding is frozen. “The Great Lakes region provides more than $6 trillion to America’s GDP, supports 51 million jobs and is a critical shipping lifeline for much of the country, with more than 200 million tons of cargo shipping through the Great Lakes,” she said. “Their economic, social and environmental significance is far-reaching, and the detriments of losing this funding would hurt the entire country.” 

Where Things Stand

Dingell said that NOAA employees are still conducting research at the Great Lakes Environmental Laboratory. However, the remaining employees are working at a reduced capacity due to a reported 20% reduction in staff.  

Dingell said protecting the Great Lakes has always been a bipartisan priority. She believes it will continue that way, but she doesn’t think the Trump administration is listening to the concerns of the Americans who will be impacted if these programs are cut. “NOAA and the National Weather Service do so much work that many people take for granted in their daily lives,” she said. “The Great Lakes contain more than 20% of the world’s fresh water. The lakes provide drinking water, irrigate crops and support commercial transportation.” 

Dingell also points to the regular weather forecasts that are made possible by data collected in the Great Lakes. “NOAA conducts crucial monitoring and groundbreaking research to protect the Great Lakes against threats of climate change and invasive species, keeping them safe for people to recreate,” she said. 

Dingell, along with U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI), recently introduced the Great Lakes Mapping Act of 2025. The bill would direct NOAA to conduct high-resolution mapping of the Great Lakes lakebed. The bill would authorize $50 million per year over five years for the project, scheduled to finish by the end of 2030. Only 13% of the Great Lakes lakebed has been mapped in high density. 

Benefits of Mapping

New technologies, such as LiDAR and modern sonar, allow researchers to collect data and create high-definition maps that would show objects as small as shipwrecks, pipelines or cables. These advanced maps could help with environmental protection and fishery management by understanding how climate change is impacting the Great Lakes. “I grew up in the water, on the St. Clair River. I have memories of fishing, boating and floating in a tube down that river. The water has always been very important to me,” Dingell said. “As a member of Congress, I know it’s my responsibility to preserve these waters for generations to come to enjoy the way I did. The Great Lakes are our most important national treasure, and we must take great care to protect them, the industries they support and the communities that rely on them.”