A new study from MSU researchers used aerial photography to show just how much Michigan’s western shoreline has changed since the high water crisis of 2020. The expansion of hard armoring brings consequences for people and the environment.
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
Michigan Supreme Court to consider Line 5 permit challenges
The state’s highest court will hear two challenges to the Michigan Public Service Commission’s approval of a permit for Enbridge Inc.’s proposed Line 5 tunnel in the Straits of Mackinac.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan faces worst drought in a decade as rainfall and rivers run low
Parts of Michigan are in the most ‘severe’ drought since 2012, with much of the Lower Peninsula receiving far less rainfall than normal. That’s left rivers running low and soil moisture scarce, affecting agriculture.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan fish farmers chart sustainable future for Great Lakes
As global aquaculture has grown to meet increasing demand for protein, a small but determined group of inland fish farmers in the Great Lakes region are building a more sustainable, local supply.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Residents urge Michigan regulators to deny hazwaste landfill expansion
While regulators consider whether to let US Ecology pile waste higher at the Wayne Disposal landfill, state lawmakers are weighing legislation that would curtail the state’s waste industry. Protestors at a hearing Thursday accused House Speaker Matt Hall of holding up the bills.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
New tool in fight against Great Lakes invasive species: muskrats
In the battle against invasive species, the common muskrat may be an unsung hero. A new study done in the UP by scientists from the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Loyola University and the University of Connecticut finds that muskrats are an effective way to control invasive cattails in wetlands.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Time running out for Great Lakes whitefish. Can ponds become their Noah’s Ark?
On the brink of collapse in Lakes Michigan and Huron, whitefish need a miracle. Now, some want to relocate fish en masse to inland waters to preserve dying bloodlines.
Posted inEvents, Michigan Environment Watch, The Center for Michigan
Free screening of new documentary about Great Lakes’ underwater secrets
The Detroit premiere of ‘All Too Clear: Beneath the Surface of the Great Lakes,’ a new documentary that reveals the hidden beauty and threats to the Great Lakes, is set to screen for free at the Detroit Film Theatre.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Consumers picks private equity fund to buy Michigan dams for $1 apiece
The deal allows Consumers to shed the last of its inventory of dams, which once numbered nearly 100. Buyer Confluence Hydro LLC plans to sell electricity back to the utility.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Great Lakes have entered era of extreme temps, study finds
University of Michigan researchers have confirmed increasing cold snaps and heat waves on the Great Lakes.