The state’s 2,581 dams, many aging and in need of repair, get little attention from legislators, but their maintenance and costs raise concerns, particularly as water levels rise in 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
As floodwaters bear down on Dow Chemical, worries about water toxins
Dow Chemical evacuates its Midland headquarters as dam breaches bring flooding to the complex’s containment ponds.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Feds revoked dam’s license over safety issues. Then Michigan deemed it safe.
For a decade, safety regulators demanded improvements to a 95-year-old dam that failed this week. The repairs never came, and Michigan regulators deemed the dam in “fair condition.” One critic calls it a “catastrophic failure both of the dam and of our government at all levels.”
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan steps up to help residents evacuated by dam break
Hundreds are rushing to help those in Midland County evacuated by breaches of the Edenville and Sanford dams. “There are sources of inspiration,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Wednesday of volunteer efforts.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Watch videos, see tweets of flood damage from Edenville Dam failure
The failure of the Edenville Dam has forced the evacuation of 10,000 residents in mid-Michigan, some of whom are sharing their experiences on social media.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Mid-Michigan dam that failed was cited for years for safety violations
The Edenville dam that catastrophically failed and prompted thousands of evacuations was cited repeatedly by federal authorities, who allege its owners had a “long history of noncompliance.”
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
As Great Lakes rise, less sand for Michigan beachgoers during coronavirus
Record-breaking Great Lakes water levels already wreak havoc on Michigan’s coastline. Now, they’re creating a new problem: How to maintain social distance at beaches reduced to a sliver of sand?
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Poop sleuths: MSU studies Detroit wastewater for next coronavirus outbreak
By analyzing the prevalence of COVID-19 in Detroit’s sewage, researchers hope to create an early warning system capable of detecting new outbreaks before patients start showing up at area hospitals.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan to Enbridge: Line 5 tunnel permit application is incomplete
In a letter to the Canadian oil company, state officials said Enbridge must fix omissions in its application to build the Line 5 tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac before they can review the application.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Enbridge moves forward with Line 5 tunnel despite coronavirus lockdown
The energy giant has submitted a flurry of permit applications in its bid to replace the aging Line 5 oil and gas pipeline, sparking concerns from opponents who argue regulators should delay decisions until the coronavirus emergency ends.