Our programs Who we are Our story is about water. 20 percent of the world’s fresh surface water – and the need to educate citizens and leaders about protecting the Great Lakes as a commons held in public trust now and for future generations. At FLOW (For Love of Water), we believe the enduring ideas… Read more »
Urgent: FLOW seeks to hire a legal intern for summer 2025! If interested, please send the requested materialsto Chelsea Faber at chelsea@flowforwater.org by May 16, 2025! Our legal interns engage in FLOW’s water protection law and policy programs – locally inspired, with international reach. We’re urgently looking for a compassionate advocate ready for hands-on work… Read more »
One of the military clashes between England and the United States was the battle of Lake Erie. On September 10, 1813, nine ships under U.S. Master Commandant Oliver Hazard Perry bested a nine-ship English fleet in a decisive battle for control of western Lake Erie and surrounding lands. Today, a 352-foot International Peace Memorial on… Read more »
Looking for an update on the Fremont Digester? Read the Fremont Digester Comments What is a CAFO? In plain English, a CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation, sometimes called a factory “farm”) is an industrial facility where livestock are kept inside a structure and fed, rather than pastured. They can house thousands – even tens of… Read more »
“I am used to farm smells. I am a farmer myself. Manure spread, and even the turkey CAFO a mile away, were unpleasant but familiar smells that our community has lived with. The digestate was nothing like these. I could only liken it to having my head in a full port-a-potty. I am over a… Read more »
In the summer of 2014, residents of Toledo, Ohio awoke to the news that they should avoid drinking the water that came out of their tap. On August 2, 2014, government officials warned against drinking, cooking, or brushing teeth with the algae-trainted water supplies. In total, the “do not drink” advisory was given to over… Read more »
July 31, 2024: Michigan Supreme Court affirms EGLE’s authority to issue General Permit with stronger conditions for factory farms Traverse City, Mich.— FLOW applauds the Michigan Supreme Court’s decision yesterday, rejecting the Court of Appeals’ dangerously flawed ruling in Michigan Farm Bureau v. Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. Unsatisfied with permit terms… Read more »
Policy Brief: Impacts of Anaerobic Digesters (PDF) Anaerobic digesters are facilities that decompose organic waste, separating biogas from solids and liquids, called “digestate.” Biogas can be used on-site or processed into purified pipeline-grade biomethane for electricity or transportation. On confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs), a biodigester may be a cover on a cesspit…. Read more »
Summer is here, and for those of us in the Great Lakes region—especially in Michigan, where we’re never more than six miles from a body of water—it’s high-five season for water-lovers. If you love Great Lakes water, raise your hand. Right now, a generous donor is matching all gifts to FLOW up to $15,000! That means everyone… Read more »
Friends of FLOW, As a descendant of early Montana homesteaders, I’ve been blessed to spend much of my life close to pristine trout streams and millions of acres of wilderness. I’ve pulled lambs, witnessed calves being born on open range, and found myself way too close to grizzlies and bison. Both the responsibility of an… Read more »
