Only a few small communities in the Great Lakes Basin have sought water diversions. But with climate change, some fear that increasingly parched swaths of the U.S. will seek access to the fresh water that surrounds us.
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 rethinks target shooting in game areas amid hail of AR-15 fire
State game areas — hunting lands typically open to target shooting — have become increasingly popular with handgun and AR-15 enthusiasts. But the noise, trash and wayward bullets worry neighbors, hikers and others.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan vows to seek Line 5 profits if Enbridge defies shutdown order
In a letter Tuesday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer put Enbridge on notice that if the company keeps operating Line 5 in the Straits beyond Wednesday, the state will pursue legal action to recoup any profits Enbridge amasses from “wrongful use of the State’s property.”
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
On eve of Line 5 shutdown deadline, Enbridge vows to defy Michigan order
The Canadian petroleum company technically has until Wednesday night to stop piping oil through the Straits of Mackinac, according to the state of Michigan. But what happens if the company refuses to abide by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s order?
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Scientists find more complexity in microplastics polluting the Great Lakes
New research suggests that microplastics act like a chemical sponge, soaking up contaminants such as persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals. Those chemicals, in turn, appear to be causing deformities in larval fish.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
As northern Michigan warms, scientists bring tree seedlings from the south
A warming climate means trouble for northern Michigan’s boreal forests. By importing saplings common to southern Michigan, foresters aim to help trees get a head-start in building the forests of the future.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Judge: Traverse City needs voter approval for FishPass river project
A judge ruled Thursday that the $19.3 million project, which would allow scientists to test technology that allows some fish to pass through a dam on the Boardman River while others are kept out, can’t proceed without voters’ consent.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michiganders passed up $108 million in bottle deposits amid COVID closures
The steep downturn in people returning bottles to reclaim deposit money has created a huge one-time revenue boost for the state environmental cleanup fund and beverage retailers, which split the money from unclaimed deposits. But state officials worry the numbers are misleading.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
In Michigan, flooding from climate change reveals economic inequity
Experts say disasters reveal “two different stories,” as poor communities struggle to rebuild, while richer neighbors can afford to fix damages.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan Gov. Whitmer: State facilities will run on renewables by 2025
Clean energy advocates lauded the commitment, which leverages the state’s buying power to help utilities expand renewable capacity.