A January 2021 story by the Capital News Service headlined “Microplastics threaten Great Lakes, and not just the water” was one of the first I have seen recently about the threat of microplastics to our precious fresh waters. However, microplastics have been reported in the Great Lakes for more than 15 years. Researchers started to get interested in microplastics around 2012, but outside the scientific community, microplastic pollution in the Great Lakes hasn’t gained much interest. How much has been done to reduce microplastics? How much has been done to make the general public aware of this serious and growing threat?
High Lake Michigan water levels are are forcing more water to flow into Traverse City’s wastewater treatment system. This forces city residents to pay more in energy, maintenance and other operational costs, write FLOW Board member Bob Otwell and Traverse City Commissioner Tim Werner.
Across Michigan and the United States—in both cities and small towns—residential water rates have skyrocketed. Hundreds of thousands of Michiganders are behind on paying their water bills, and we’re calling on the State Legislature to extend a water shutoff moratorium.
We live in the Great Lakes State, surrounded by four of the largest lakes in the world. As we gaze out at the blue horizon, it’s tempting to think that there’s no way humans could significantly diminish them. On World Water Day, it’s important to recognize that seeming inexhaustibility is a myth.
FLOW and our allies, including Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation (MCWC) and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, continue to call on the state of Michigan to withdraw the permit for Nestlé’s groundwater extraction in Mecosta County.
The creation of a government agency rarely creates fanfare. Names and organization chart blocks come and go. But this year’s 100th anniversary of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is a little different. Signed into law in February 1921 by Governor Alexander Groesbeck, what was then called the Department of Conservation was the consensus answer to the state’s need to heal the environment after decades of catastrophic mismanagement.
FLOW’s work is supported through partnering with local, regional, and virtual businesses, including Premo Fitness that share our “Love of Water.” Anna Premo is a Traverse City health and fitness professional who took Premo Fitness virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic. She recently reached out to FLOW to offer a charitable promotion for the month of February. During February 2021, she will donate a percentage of her online sales to FLOW. This is a great opportunity for you to support Great Lakes protection, as well as a business that loves water, and try something new for your personal health. FLOW is thrilled to have Anna Premo as a new business partner.
It’s natural to stand on the shoreline of one of the Great Lakes and admire their vastness and majesty. But another abundant water resource in the basin is out of sight and rarely commands such appreciation. That’s groundwater. Between 20-40 percent of the water budget of the lakes (the total water flowing in and out of the system) originates as groundwater. Without this unseen water, the Great Lakes would be dramatically different from those we know. Strengthening public appreciation of and public policy protecting groundwater is a fundamental part of Great Lakes stewardship.
Protect the Great Lakes Now. Protect Them for Generations to Come. We believe the Great Lakes belong to us all. With your gift, we’re empowering communities and leaders to protect the Great Lakes Basin through public trust solutions. Sustain our mission to safeguard 20% of the world’s surface freshwater and donate today. To honor the… Read more »
Photo courtesy of SpeedontheWater.com. The author, Nikki Hayes, who grew up in Elk Rapids, Michigan, is a FLOW intern. Currently a junior at Loyola University Chicago (LUC), she has spent her life close to the Great Lakes. While organizers are optimistic that an August powerboat race that would be hosted by Edward C. Grace Memorial Harbor… Read more »
