Growing up I never thought of water as a controversial issue. My grandparents (born in the 1890s) built a log cabin on Pickerel Lake in Northern Michigan a few years before I was born.
My fondest memories were summers spent Up North swimming, fishing and exploring the wonders of the woods on that small lake along the Inland Waterway north of Petoskey.
In the fall of 2009 perched atop a tree on the west side of Pickerel Lake was a great bald eagle. She seemed disinterested in the approach of our kayaks as the winds lifted her effortlessly on her journey north. She flew toward the old, abandoned farmhouse on the hill. Land that I had been in love with for more than half a century. As fate would have it, I stumbled across the landowner’s name later that same day, and though the land was not for sale we were in contract a week later.
I was filled with gratitude for this blessing.
It felt like I had found paradise. But that was not to be.
In 2010 having sold the home in Ohio where I had raised my children, I moved 500 miles north into a 500 square foot shelter on my new property. Shortly thereafter I learned from the State of Michigan that my water was undrinkable. Turns out that my groundwater appeared to be part of the same aquifer as the Detroit salt mines. How could this be? How could the Universe send me home with no water.
So, in 2011 after two wells had been abandoned and a
A bald eagle calls in a tree. Taken by wildlife photographer, Lynn Fraze.
third drilling was unsuccessful, I asked for help from an elder of the local Odawa tribe. A ceremony was performed, and I was told to drill in a certain location. The well drillers were skeptical, and the health department agreed to collect test samples during the drilling process. Thankfully, we struck a vein of water that was as clean and clear as any on God’s green earth right where the natives told me it would be. Again, a feeling of joy returned. And again, that was premature.
In June of 2014 there was a Pipeline Symposium about Line 5 at the Petoskey High School. My friends and I were horrified not only at seeing police lining the hallways but by what we learned. None of us had any idea there was an oil pipeline running across the Straits of Mackinaw. No one in the audience was allowed to comment or ask questions and Enbridge was there with slick marketing propaganda. When a small courageous group of citizens stood to warn us about the Enbridge oil spill in the Kalamazoo River (the largest inland spill in our nation’s history) and the devastation done to their community, armed officers escorted them from the auditorium.
It was there that I first heard of FLOW. Why have I continued to support FLOW for more than a decade? The answer is in the name: “For Love of Water.” It isn’t until you face the reality of not having drinkable water that it really dawns on you that WATER IS LIFE.
Of all the issues in this world and the many worth supporting, none are as life-or-death critical to all living creatures including humans as is drinkable water. It makes me think of Joni Mitchell’s song lyrics: “Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.”
Flow’s extensive research about the pipeline began when then Gov. Snyder announced that the State was unable to find a copy of the original easement for Line 5. It was Liz Kirkwood, the Director of FLOW that found the original 1953 document in the State’s public archives. People at FLOW have shown a tireless, passionate dedication to protecting our water. They continually practice transparency by educating the public regarding not just Line 5 but all risks facing our Great Lakes including PFAS, contamination of the underground aquifers, and the risk of water diversions and water thefts by those seeking to profit from this life-giving element.
I strongly recommend Dave Dempsey’s book: “Great Lakes For Sale” for a up-to-date, fact-based historical review of these issues and more.
FLOW is about collaborative outreach and welcomes everyone to the table including tribal nations, the business community, engineers, scientists, educators, volunteers, environmental groups, and even government officials. Gone are the days when one great book like “Silent Spring” by scientist Rachel Carson can focus the national spotlight on environmental issues like she did in the 1962. With the advent of the internet, it is easier to reach people than ever
before and yet harder than ever to break through all the noise and disinformation when most people are working very hard just to make a living, put food on the table and provide for their children. But how will our children feel if we leave them a home with no water.
FLOW does an excellent job of advocating for the LOVE of Water without using negative scare tactics and by believing that in the end we will all do the right thing by protecting the Great Lakes for our children and grandchildren.
Lynn Fraze
Wildlife Photographer and volunteer steward of the
Little Traverse Conservancy Black Hole Nature Preserve
Alanson, MI
