Today the threats facing the Great Lakes and its tributary waters, communities, businesses, governments loom large. If we can understand these threats as a whole, that is holistically, through science, data, values, and new frameworks, we may find a unifying principle that integrates the science, policy, law and economics into a comprehensive way of thinking and making decisions that will assure solutions, adaptation, and resilience that protect and pass on the integrity of these Great Lakes and their people from one generation to the next, thereby also assuring our quality of life and prosperity and communities.
by Jim Nies, FLOW’s Wisconsin Coordinator Of all the problems facing the Great Lakes, loss of water is perhaps the most serious. The water is not, as many believe, a renewable resource; rather it is a gift of the glaciers, with only one percent replaced annually. The water levels on Lakes Ontario and Erie, while… Read more »
To understand how the Public Trust works and how it can solve the threats and abuses to the waters of the Great Lakes Basin, citizens and leaders will need to see and understand water as a shared public resource or “commons.” Public Trust Principles are as important as other constitutional rights including free speech, assembly,… Read more »
What Is the Public Trust? Think of public parks, beaches, the waters and submerged lands beneath them, the fish, and the Great Lakes ecosystem. Who owns these public spaces and resources? The short answer is that you do, meaning you, the public. This concept of public spaces and resources like water being owned and shared… Read more »
Stay in the know with FLOW To-Go Sign up here for FLOW’s weekly eNewsletter for updates, events, take-action opportunities, and more related to our shared efforts to protect the Great Lakes and groundwater and ensure access to safe and affordable drinking water for all. Click to see the most recent issues of our e-newsletter too…. Read more »
Water Transfers, Removals, and Diversions Impacting the Great Lakes A water diversion is the removal or transfer of water from one watershed to another. The term “consumptive use” is used to define diversions and exports, because the water is being “consumed” without then returning to its source. The Great Lakes faces an uncertain future of… Read more »
Wetlands, or marshes, fens, bogs, and swamps, are the link between land and water. Wetlands include trees, grasses, shrubs, moss, and other plants that require at least some water coverage. Wetlands provide an abundance of essential ecosystem services, including: Water storage, storm protection, and flood mitigation Water purification through retention of nutrients, sediments, and pollutants… Read more »
