Researchers have identified the plants and animals that pose the greatest threat to the Great Lakes’ region’s delicate ecosystems, fisheries and recreational waters. Leading the list are zebra mussels, followed by quagga mussels.
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.
Water’s True Cost
As the nation prepares to pour hundreds of billions of federal dollars into rescuing water systems, the Great Lakes News Collaborative investigates the true cost of water in Michigan. Read the series.
Ready or Not
The Great Lakes region is frequently touted as one of the most climate-resilient places in the U.S., in part because of its enviable water resources. But climate change also threatens our water. The Great Lakes News Collaborative explores what it will take to prepare. Read the series.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan a top winner of climate funds Trump wants to revoke
If elected, Trump has vowed to revoke unspent funds from the Inflation Reduction Act, a climate spending law that has heavily benefitted Michigan governments and industry. But experts say it wouldn’t be easy.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
A decade after Flint, feds require nationwide lead pipe removal
A rule finalized Tuesday gives water providers across the country 10 years to get lead pipes out of their drinking water systems.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Battle brews in Michigan over waste from 'biodigesters' that slow-cook manure
A court ruling gave Michigan regulators authority to ramp up controls on factory-farm waste that pollutes waterways. Legislators have proposed exemptions for waste produced by ‘biodigesters,’ which capture methane for electricity and transportation fuels.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Feds finalize $1.5B for Palisades; Michigan nuclear plant restart seems likely
The plant along Lake Michigan is 53 years-old and closed in 2022. But there’s momentum to bring it back online amid a push to diversify national energy sources.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan judge halts Manhattan Project radioactive waste from landfill
A Wayne County judge has temporarily blocked shipments of waste to a landfill in southeast Michigan.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Could parks and beaches replace coal plants in Michigan? Bay City may find out
At the former Dan E. Karn coal plant, a vision has emerged to replace smokestacks with solar panels and parks. Some hope to replicate the model amid a rush of coal plant closures.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan’s fall salmon migration run has begun. Anglers are salivating
Salmon have to move into rivers from the Great Lakes for autumn, a stunning show that gives anglers one last shot at their prize.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Consumers Energy may get $770M from feds to fix century-old Michigan dams
The dam wars may intensify, as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers wants the Michigan utility to apply for loans to upgrade old, unprofitable dams it is looking to unload. Conservationists cry foul.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Fed up with geese, Michigan abandons relocation efforts. Next up: killing them
Geese are a conservation success and huge pain in many communities. So next year, Michigan officials will begin allowing some cities and lake associations to apply for permits to kill them.
