In a time of seemingly overwhelming environmental challenges, it is important to remember that many unheralded individuals are working successfully to protect the Great Lakes. John Hartig profiles some of them in his new book, Great Lakes Champions. FLOW asked Hartig about the book’s message, the people he profiles, and the overall health of the… excerpt-read-more" href="https://forloveofwater.org/great-lakes-champions/" title="ReadGreat Lakes Champions“>Read more »
Above: The clear waters of Great Sand Bay on Lake Superior north of Eagle River, Michigan, on the Keweenaw Peninsula. (Photo/Kelly Thayer) You will not find the word “water” on Tuesday’s statewide general election ballot in Michigan. That hasn’t always been true. In 1968, 1988, 1998, and 2002, water appeared in the form of statewide… excerpt-read-more" href="https://forloveofwater.org/michigan-can-vote-for-clean-water-on-tuesday/" title="ReadOn Tuesday, Michigan Can Vote for Clean Water and Climate Action“>Read more »
Above: Aerial view of White Lake near Montague, Michigan, with Duck Lake visible to the south. (Photo/Doc Searls) By Tanya Cabala I was a young adult before I knew anything about the Clean Water Act, its passage in 1972, its relationship to my community, or even its initial promise of “zero discharge,” still unfulfilled to… excerpt-read-more" href="https://forloveofwater.org/the-unfulfilled-promise-of-zero-discharge/" title="ReadThe Unfulfilled Promise of ‘Zero Discharge’ into Public Waters”>Read more »
Editor’s note — See FLOW’s additional coverage of the Clean Water Act and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement here: Considering Michigan’s Overlooked Resource—Inland Lakes—on the 50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act — October 18, 2022 The State of Water Quality in Michigan — October 13, 2022 Where Do We Stand on the 50th Anniversary… Read more »
Bass Lake in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (Photo/Kelly Thayer) Editor’s note—See FLOW’s additional coverage of the Clean Water Act and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement here: Clean Water: It’s About Holding Officials Accountable — October 18, 2022 The State of Water Quality in Michigan — October 13, 2022 Where Do We Stand on the… excerpt-read-more" href="https://forloveofwater.org/considering-michigans-overlooked-resource-inland-lakes-on-the-50th-anniversary-of-the-clean-water-act/" title="ReadConsidering Michigan’s Orphaned Resource—Inland Lakes—on the 50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act”>Read more »
Above: Satellite imagery from August 2022 shows the extent of a western Lake Erie algae bloom. Similar nuisance and hazardous blooms, spawned by excess agricultural fertilizer and animal waste, have plagued the lake for 20 years. But officials continue to insist that only voluntary measures by agriculture are needed to put the lake on the… excerpt-read-more" href="https://forloveofwater.org/the-state-of-water-quality-in-michigan/" title="ReadThe State of Water Quality in Michigan”>Read more »
Fresh water and aquatic plant life shine on October 2, 2022, in southeastern Grand Traverse County, Mich. (Photo/Kelly Thayer) When Ohio’s Cuyahoga River caught fire in 1969—the same year Michigan’s Rouge River blazed because of waste oil—America had had enough of worsening water pollution. Public opinion strongly favored tougher laws and enforcement to protect water…. excerpt-read-more" href="https://forloveofwater.org/where-do-we-stand-on-the-50th-anniversary-of-the-clean-water-act/" title="ReadWhere Do We Stand on the 50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act?”>Read more »
The Supreme Court Building in Washington, DC. Less than two weeks before the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Monday (click for audio or transcript) in a case that could gut the authority of the federal government to protect streams and wetlands. The case—Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency—involves… Read more »
Above: Hundreds of people attend a public comment session held by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the oil pipeline tunnel proposed by Enbridge under the Straits of Mackinac, on Sept. 8, 2022, at Little Bear East Arena in St. Ignace, Michigan. Photos by Kelly Thayer. By Kelly Thayer, FLOW Deputy Director Five-and-half hours… excerpt-read-more" href="https://forloveofwater.org/hundreds-attend-strong-majority-speaks-out-against-proposed-oil-pipeline-tunnel-under-great-lakes/" title="ReadHundreds Attend Army Corps Hearing, Strong Majority Speaks Out against Proposed Oil Pipeline Tunnel under the Great Lakes”>Read more »
Editor’s note: The following are comments made by FLOW Deputy Director Kelly Thayer on September 8, 2022, in St. Ignace, Michigan, at a public meeting of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps). The Army Corps, Detroit District, held the session to help set the scope of its environmental impact statement (EIS) study of a… excerpt-read-more" href="https://forloveofwater.org/flow-to-u-s-army-corps-oil-tunnel-in-the-great-lakes-is-not-a-solution/" title="ReadFLOW to U.S. Army Corps: Oil Tunnel in the Great Lakes Is Not a Solution“>Read more »
