A study recently published in the science journal Nature documents a worsening problem that is invisible to all but the closest observers. The study found that the 28 most populous U.S. cities – including Detroit and Chicago – are all slowly sinking. Massive groundwater extraction is the most common cause of the land movements, the… groundwater-use-sinking-cities/" title="ReadRising groundwater use, sinking cities”>Read more »
Early this winter, FLOW and students from the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) graduate program teamed up for a 16-month initiative to examine Michigan’s groundwater management and propose a statewide strategy to ensure long-term, sustainable groundwater governance. Protecting and managing groundwater is particularly complex given the lack of comprehensive data, fragmented… groundwater-policy-reform/" title="ReadCelebrating a Partnership: FLOW & University of Michigan SEAS Students to Address Groundwater Policy Reform in Michigan”>Read more »
Fulfilling a request made by FLOW since 2018, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) has elevated groundwater protection on its priority list. In March, EGLE announced it has established a Groundwater and Geological Services section, and declared that groundwater would “be under the radar no more.” This is about more than… groundwater-protection-a-priority-at-last/" title="ReadState makes groundwater protection a priority – at last”>Read more »
National Groundwater Awareness Week, which began on Sunday, March 9, is as invisible to most of us as is groundwater itself. Yet groundwater plays an important role in the lives of all Michiganders. Here’s a chance to test your groundwater knowledge, or gain some. Take the test below! The volume of groundwater in the… groundwater/" title="ReadDo you know groundwater? Put your skills to the test with our quiz!”>Read more »
The Environmental Protection Agency announced last week a national ban on trichloroethylene (TCE), a groundwater and soil contaminant confirmed at over 300 sites in Michigan. The move will save Michigan taxpayers millions of dollars in future cleanup costs and protect public health. “EPA’s action is critical to public health and the environment,” said FLOW executive… groundwater/" title="ReadEPA bans toxic TCE, which has plagued Michigan’s groundwater“>Read more »
Download the report: Institutional Controls for Groundwater Management: Long-Term Costs and Policy Impacts The true economic, ecological, and social costs of relying on land use restrictions to address groundwater and soil contamination instead of active clean up are likely significantly higher than generally estimated. That is a conclusion of a new report submitted to the… Groundwater Contamination”>Read more »
Traverse City, Mich.— On Friday, August 2, 2024 FLOW submitted comprehensive legal and technical comments (PDF) to the Michigan Department of Energy, Great Lakes, and Environment (“EGLE”), calling on EGLE to deny a groundwater discharge permit for the Fremont Regional Digester owned by Generate Upcycle, a Delaware corporation. The Coalition of signatories includes Fremont area… groundwater-discharge-permit-for-fremont-regional-digester/" title="ReadFLOW Coalition Calls on EGLE to Deny Groundwater Discharge Permit for Fremont Regional Digester”>Read more »
FLOW will host a livestream event – Groundwater: Making the Invisible Visible on World Water Day & Every Day – on Tuesday, March 22, 2022, from 12 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. EST. The online session will offer perspectives on the critical importance of our groundwater resources and the work of the Michigan Groundwater Table, which is convened by FLOW.
For over three years, FLOW has analyzed and reported on one of the biggest gaps in Michigan’s environmental protection safety net—groundwater protection. Now, during National Groundwater Awareness Week 2021, we are reaffirming and expanding upon our call for stronger state groundwater protection policies and actions. We’re also releasing our new report, “Deep Threats to Our Sixth Great Lake.”
What’s the natural resource that is critical to the survival of billions of human beings but invisible to the vast majority of them? The answer is groundwater, both in Michigan and globally. Out of sight but not detached from our economy and health, groundwater plays a critical role in Michigan communities, supplying 45 percent of Michigan’s population with drinking water. Yet groundwater is a neglected and much-abused part of our state’s natural endowment. This year, groundwater will be in the spotlight on the annual World Water Day, March 22.
