Democratic presidential candidates’ plans for water quality, climate change and other environmental issues could have major effects on Michigan.
Michigan Environment Watch
Michigan Environment Watch examines how public policy, industry, and other factors interact with the state’s trove of natural resources.
Great Lakes News Collaborative
Bridge Michigan, Circle of Blue, Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television, The Narwhal and Michigan Public work together to report on the most pressing threats to the Great Lakes region’s water. This independent journalism is supported by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. You can find all of the collaborative’s stories here.
Shockwave
The Great Lakes region is in the midst of a seismic energy shakeup, from skyrocketing data center demand and a nuclear energy boom, to expanding renewables and electrification. In 2026, the Great Lakes News Collaborative will explore how shifting supply and demand affect the region and its waters. Read the series here.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Dems have big PFAS plans, fewer for Great Lakes, as Michigan primary nears
Democratic presidential candidates are rolling out plans to fight PFAS, improve water quality and fight climate change. There’s less talk about the Great Lakes before the March 10 primary, which some call a glaring omission.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
How Trump clean water rule impacts Michigan’s wetlands and streams
Michigan farmers and business groups endorse the clarity they say the Trump rule brings to commercial practices. Environmentalists warn that wetlands would vanish and pollutants increase in the state’s lakes and streams.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Loving this mild Michigan winter? Outdoor enthusiasts sure aren’t.
Michigan’s tepid winter is stressing ski hills, snowmobile clubs, sporting good stores and restaurants alike. Get used to it. This could be the new normal with climate change, experts say.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
How much brook trout is enough? Michigan keeps changing catch limits.
State regulators have changed daily catch limits for Michigan’s state fish four times since 2017 as they try to balance conservation concerns against the frustration of many Upper Peninsula anglers.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan environmental roundup: Lawmakers tackle moose hunts, water shutoffs
The latest can’t-miss journalism about natural resources in Michigan and the Great Lakes.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Enbridge wins another round over Dana Nessel in Michigan Line 5 tunnel fight
The Court of Appeals decision this week means Enbridge can move forward for now with next steps on the project, including permit requests needed for tunnel construction
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan’s ‘green ooze’ may be ‘tip of iceberg’ of state’s toxic sites
Michigan lawmakers on Wednesday grilled environmental regulators over their response to a “green ooze” disaster in Madison Heights. There are many other crises yet to come, lawmakers warned.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan county threatens to bulldoze Amish homes in poop dispute
An Amish community, with help from the ACLU, argues that Lenawee County is violating its religious freedom by demanding it stop using outhouses and spreading human waste in fields. Local residents are backing the Amish.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Green ooze on Michigan freeway prompts calls for tougher polluter pay laws
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer cites an environmental disaster in Oakland County to renew a push for “polluter pays” legislation that would require owners to clean – rather than contain – environmental contaminants used or produced on their property.