Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in this biweekly headline roundup.

Money from a bond voters authorized in 2002 is a big one-time boost for Michigan’s crumbling water infrastructure, but state officials say more is needed.

Scientists are thinking holistically about biodiversity, sustainability, and resilience when it comes to the role invasive cattails play in the Great Lakes.

State officials warned against eating too much of the silvery panfish due to high PFAS levels. Scientists now say that was an error, but aren’t yet ready to abandon fish consumption advisories altogether.

In a late move, the Department of Justice sides with Canada on continued operation of Line 5, citing treaty and the public’s interest.

How unprecedented water levels are fluctuating in the Georgian Bay, impacting the lives of long-standing residents, including humans and trees.

Non-native species of salmon and trout have become an important part of Lake Ontario’s ecosystem. Keeping them healthy is often at odds with stocking fish for anglers.

With key species like whitefish nearing the brink of collapse, Michigan’s largest Native American tribe wants fewer restrictions on when, how and where its members can fish.

The Palisades Nuclear Plant in Covert Township could be the first shuttered nuclear facility to reopen in the U.S.

Outgoing CEO of Conservation Halton reflects on government cuts and how to enable development while protecting nature and future generations.

Antidepressants can affect reaction times in fish and birth control gives male specimens female traits. How might pharmaceutical pollution impact life around the Great Lakes?

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm touted the southwest Michigan plant as a key part of America’s energy future. Opponents questioned the safety of the 53-year-old facility.

New rules reduce buffer zones between development and wetlands and empower Doug Ford’s cabinet to issue permits without their say.

Michigan in poised to save $10 million in road salt costs, bucking a trend of increased use — and pollution — in lakes, rivers and groundwater.

Holtec’s lack of nuclear operating experience is cited as a potential issue, and expert Mycle Schneider urges a focus on renewables.

The city was supposed to finish replacing all lead service lines in Flint by 2020. The work still isn’t done. The ruling includes no financial penalties.

Filmmaker Mary Mazzio talks about capturing the Bad River Tribe’s fight to shut down Line 5 oil pipeline.

We spoke with Brenda Coley, co-executive director of the urban network and non-profit organization Milwaukee Water Commons.

A staple for centuries, the fish are struggling to reproduce in the Great Lakes. So scientists hope to convince the whitefish to spawn in rivers, away from threats.

The EPA recently proposed new rules that would remove lead pipes from America’s drinking water infrastructure over the next decade. But with more lead pipes than any other city, Chicago is a notable exception.

After Detroit’s 2021 catastrophic flooding event, new ideas emerged about climate adaptation. Curt Wolf sat down with Great Lakes Now to discuss how the Michigan Center for Freshwater Innovation is bringing solutions to the table by getting everyone to the table.

Scientists once believed little important happened during winters. But as they vanish, the study of snowpack is increasing.

The DNR is rebuilding the Father Marquette National Memorial in St. Ignace. The exhibits, art work and signage will focus on the area’s rich Native American culture and history.

Cancellations mount as Michigan experiences one of the warmest winters in memory. Experts blame El Niño and climate change.

Historically restoration work focused on measurable ecological outcomes. Researchers make the case to codify human well-being into the process.

Saying fossil fuel use will decline, the Ontario Energy Board told Enbridge Gas to charge developers, not homeowners, for new natural gas hookups.

Engineering company Veolia North America settles class-action lawsuit before a trial was set to begin. The company consulted the city of Flint after its disastrous 2014 water switch.

We spoke with Huda Alkaff, an ecologist, environmental educator and the founder and director of Wisconsin Green Muslims.

Most of the grasslands that once dotted Ontario have been lost to development and agriculture. Bringing back these carbon-rich landscapes would be good for birds, bees, butterflies and people.

Michigan lawmakers made sweeping changes to Michigan energy laws last fall. But plenty of items missed the cut, from community solar to finding solutions for Michigan’s outage-prone power grid.

How far can Michigan go in its quest to limit farm pollution in Michigan’s lakes and rivers? That’s the subject of a case now before the state’s highest court.

Campsite reservations are 35-80 percent booked through July across Michigan’s state parks.

Opponents of the new law, which stripped away local permitting control over large wind and solar projects, are pushing a ballot initiative that would ask voters in November to overturn the law.

The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community would get $34 million if legislation passed by the U.S. Senate is approved by the House and signed by President Joe Biden.

William Hart, director of a documentary about the Flint water crisis called “Lead and Copper,” joined Great Lakes Now’s Anna Sysling for a discussion about the film.

In light of the ongoing PFAS crisis, stricter groundwater regulations were part of a Michigan statewide effort to protect resident’s health and improve water quality. This legal dilemma took center stage during EGLE’s fourth annual Great Lakes PFAS Summit.

Michigan won’t reach the phosphorus reduction goal by 2025 as planned. It’s uncertain when it might attain that goal to help reduce cyanobacterial blooms in Lake Erie.

Ahead of a gathering to assess the health of Lake Erie, Michigan acknowledges it won’t meet a 2025 deadline to cut phosphorus runoff into the lake by 40 percent.

The Catch took a look at why experts are saying water from greenhouses in southern Ontario could be harming Lake Erie. Journalist and farmer Matt McIntosh recently reported on the issue for The Narwhal.

“The compact is a step forward for the Great Lakes but it’s just the beginning of a long journey.”

The Catch took a look at the largest project ever funded under a Great Lakes cleanup program. The aim is to remove contaminated sediments from a polluted hotspot in Milwaukee.

Chevron and two utilities are building big methane biodigesters on the state’s largest dairies.

The ruling puts Enbridge Energy a step closer to tunnel construction despite opposition from environmental and Native American groups.

We spoke with Alicia Smith, executive director of the Junction Coalition, a community nonprofit based in Toledo, Ohio.

Tracking escaped goldfish in Hamilton Harbour could help control the invasive species.

State regulators are ratcheting down the number of fish anglers can keep in some rivers, citing fears that the fish could be in trouble. State scientists disagree.

Sewerage district leadership sealed the deal to remediate two million cubic yards of contaminated sediment

Water quality sensors in Lake Erie are being networked to make more data accessible to researchers and government agencies, as well as the public.

A state prosecution team on Tuesday announced it’s given up on the effort to criminally charge public officials for the Flint water crisis. One unsurprised community leader called it “the norm” for a city repeatedly failed by the state.

As climate change threatens to warm Michigan rivers, dam removal can drive temperatures down by several degrees. An influx of money has boosted removal efforts, but advocates say more is needed.

The progeny of lake sturgeon from Michigan will be released into the Cuyahoga River at Cleveland, Ohio.

Too much “wiggle room” for utilities, plus temporary assistance program doesn’t address underlying issues, says Monica Lewis-Patrick.

Buying wetlands on the commercial market is expensive. The state of Michigan set up a program to give municipal road agencies a way to mitigate damage to wetlands more cheaply.

Environmentalists say the Ohio plan will not work because it doesn’t hold agriculture responsible for the runoff from fields using manure from factory farms as fertilizer.

Government officials begin the grim task of prioritizing which cold lakes and rivers to sacrifice — or save — as the climate changes. Not all cold-water loving fish may survive in the northern Great Lakes region.

There is concern about millions of acres of wetlands across America, including the Great Lakes region, following a U.S. Supreme Court decision.

The Canadian energy giant pleads with Michigan officials to intervene, saying federal authorities are slow-walking their review of a key permit needed to build a tunnel in a pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac.

Michigan’s wild places are under threat as warmer temperatures cause species to migrate northward and rivers to overheat. Advocates called for more resources to protect Michigan’s fish and game from those changes.

A decision is needed soon for funds to remove toxic chemicals from drinking water.

The Michigan Attorney General’s office sued the Grand Rapids airport authority on behalf of EGLE over a dispute on responsibility for PFAS contamination.

Student journalist Jada Vasser took a look at the Great Lakes Critical Programs Act of 1990 and the impact it has had on the lakes. The legislation gave the Great Lakes region specific standards of water quality that needed to be met in order for the lakes to be used for things like fishing, recreation and more.

The Catch featured an ongoing and serious concern is back in Lake Erie: harmful algal blooms. The blooms exist throughout the Great Lakes, but are especially pervasive in the western basin of Lake Erie.

University of Michigan report calls for new guiding principles and leaders with skills to work across disciplines.

Government auditors say EPA officials failed to follow a new “elevation policy” that’s meant to generate a stronger response to the most urgent environmental and public health threats.

Activists aim to enrich their neighbors’ quality of life and deepen their connection to nature.

America’s groundwater is now running dry where water is abundant.

Ineffective voluntary pollution prevention practices are set aside for mandatory regulation.

As researchers learn more about the hazards of plastics and microplastics in the Great Lakes, it’s becoming clear Canada and the U.S. need to cooperate in stopping the pollution.

Military officials announced they will install groundwater treatment systems around the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base to clean up chemical compounds linked to serious health issues.

Researchers are studying how much of cyanobacterial toxins become airborne. They say breathing in the toxins is much worse than ingesting them.

Two decades of study reveals a complex combination of factors causing large cyanobacterial blooms and their toxicity. Government incentives to reduce nutrient pollution from farms have not been enough to solve the problem so far.

Federal money can be used to restore wetlands, buy property to use as a buffer, and invest in nature-based infrastructure.

Coinciding with the summer’s extreme heat and citywide water pressure decreases, citizen and government scientists continue to map heat islands in Chicago.

Youthful visit to the Detroit River was a “profound experience” for dream hampton.

New strategy for limiting the spread of exotic water plants in Michigan.

Industrial pollution taints the fish in a host of Michigan rivers, but anglers often don’t know the risks. River walkers like Jim Bridgforth aim to change that — but not everyone has the luxury of skipping a fresh-caught meal.

The Great Lakes region has seen significant improvement since the river fires of 1969, bringing people back the waters they know and love.

By Lester Graham, Michigan Radio The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring…

Up to 46,000 gallons of diesel fuel may have spilled into Lake Michigan from a large ship. It triggered a multi-agency response, including the US Coast Guard, EGLE, and ship owners.

Local and corporate dollars will pay for some of these projects. But the infrastructure push is catalyzed by federal action.

Autonomous research vessels are gathering data about fish in the Great Lakes.

In 1961, Michigan’s bald eagle population dipped to 52 breeding pairs. Bans on DDT and other harmful chemicals fed a recovery. But the national bird still faces threats from lead bullets and sprawling development.

The Republican-led House of Representatives is proposing to cut funds for the EPA, water distribution system repairs, and pollution cleanup.

Smoke blowing from Canadian wildfires hits Michigan again prompting an air quality alert. Haze from hundreds of fires has remained an issue much of the summer.

Nearly $1.2 billion is to be spent at one site to prevent invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes. There are a dozen more places where the carp could get in.

An estimated 500,000 gallons of untreated wastewater have been discharged into the St. Joseph River.

Even though fishflies may not be the prettiest insects, they represent good. A large number of fishflies near the Great Lakes area means the water is healthy.

Here’s what to know about how the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Sackett v EPA changing wetland protection impacts the Great Lakes region.

The DNR is renaming a boat launch in Oakland County from “Squaw Lake” to “Paint Lake” as part of an effort to erase the name from more than 600 sites, including 32 in Michigan.

NOAA satellite images and a research vessel sampling Lake Erie water both found evidence of harmful algal blooms on July 5, a much earlier date than typical.

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in this biweekly headline roundup.

Highland Park, a tiny and steadily shrinking city north of downtown Detroit, was once the center of an industrial empire that built the vehicles that shaped 20th century America.

Last year’s severity index was at 6.8. Rick Stumpf with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says this year’s severity is expected to be around 3.

The Southeast side of Chicago at the southern end of Lake Michigan was once an industrial powerhouse. Steel was the main product and thousands had good paying jobs. But, when those jobs started drying up, an industrial wasteland was left behind. After years of being surrounded by toxic waste, residents are fighting back.

Information about air quality is being updated via several government sites. Here’s where you can go for answers and how the sites work.

Home to brilliant purple mats of cyanobacteria and white floating ponytail-like bacteria, the sinkholes have always struck me otherworldly, almost dreamy.

Federal protections for many wetlands have been removed. Some states have laws to protect those wetlands, but some are stronger than others.

Millions of Michiganders are under advisory through Wednesday after air currents pushed smoke from Canada wildfires to Michigan and other parts of the Midwest.

Michigan communities with PFAS in their water supply could be eligible for payments from chemical manufacturer 3M, after the company reached a $10.3 billion settlement.

Fresh is a biweekly newsletter from Circle of Blue that unpacks the biggest international, state, and local policy news stories facing the Great Lakes region today.

A federal judge ordered a segment of Line 5 to be moved within three years. Enbridge said it will appeal.

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in this biweekly headline roundup.

As Michigan economic development officials fret over population loss that threatens the state’s future, some see a potential solution in so-called “climigrants” fleeing extreme weather.

Fresh is a newsletter from Circle of Blue that unpacks the biggest international, state, and local policy news stories facing the Great Lakes region.

Climate change is causing scientists to cope with unpredictable challenges.

The emerald ash borer, an invasive beetle that feeds on ash wood, has killed hundreds of millions of ash trees across North America. The key to saving what’s left may be growing behind paned glass in a quiet Brighton business park.

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in this biweekly headline roundup.

The new Grosse Ile Township greenway trail is designed to improve public access to the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge’s Gibraltar Bay Unit.

The U.S. Senate has approved three changes to remove protections from threatened and endangered wildlife.

Illinois objects to terms of “complex” partnership agreement required by the Army Corps of Engineers, while Michigan policy expert questions the need.

The push to repower the shuttered Palisades nuclear power plant has momentum in Lansing, with a bipartisan caucus pledging support for the plant’s revival.

State Rep. Ken Borton wants to allow recreational wildlife and bird feeding to be protected. He said the intent is to allow feeding of squirrels and other small animals. But state wildlife officials say that would encourage deer and elk to congregate, spreading disease.

Fresh is a biweekly newsletter from Circle of Blue that unpacks the biggest international, state, and local policy news stories facing the Great Lakes region today.

The attorney general on Wednesday filed a brief in Wisconsin federal court supporting a Native American tribe’s effort to shut down the Line 5 pipeline over fears of a rupture into a river that runs through tribal land.

The Edenville and Sanford dams once blocked invasive lampreys from entering upstream rivers. But the 2020 dam failures provided an opening, and lamprey now threaten native fish. Regulators say they have a plan.

Native American tribes are working with researchers to determine why whitefish, an important source of protein, is declining.

The U.S. EPA proposes federal baseline water quality standards for lakes and streams on reservations.

Thanks to the Clean Water Act, the Rouge is no longer a dumping ground for waste. But its gains are incomplete, with contaminants still soiling the river bottom and the fish in its waters.

Democratic lawmakers want to end Michigan’s “shameful” reign as the only state without a statewide code to prevent leaky systems from fouling lakes, rivers and groundwater.

Advocates say the city has blown through a court-ordered May 1 deadline to figure out which Flint residents are still dealing with potholed yards and sidewalks, after work crews excavated lead service lines and left a mess behind.

But more heavily fertilized corn and more manure for methane raises worries about water pollution.

A forest expert at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is putting together a program to use trees to help keep sources of drinking water cleaner.

The salty solution is killing the state’s precious waters, but efforts to cut back on spraying have met fierce opposition.

The highest predicted climate risk for the Great Lakes region is from heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding, which many cities have seen in recent years.

Lessons and activities based on the monthly Great Lakes Now program.

But skeptics assert change in practices could increase risk to water and health.

Climate change continues to have an impact on residents in Southeast Michigan. As heavy rains have become more frequent, so has the flooding.

Public alarm over Vickery Environmental deep well injection site is decades late.

Canada’s Maude Barlow says Michigan, Canada Line 5 dispute is on the “back burner” between Trudeau and Biden.

One Detroit visits the hard-hit Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood to learn about how climate change and flooding are impacting the area.

Every winter the environmental organization Friends of the Rouge hosts their annual stonefly survey. The stonefly is a pollution-sensitive insect that calls the Rouge River home. Its absence or presence in the river helps researchers understand current water quality. Join a group of passionate citizen scientists as they search for stoneflies at a headwater stream in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

The 2023 UN Water Conference highlights risks and opportunities for the Great Lakes region.

Vernal pools in forests are critical to a number of species, including wood frogs and newts. Not all vernal pools are protected from destruction.

Permitting delays have tacked on another year-and-a-half to the planned Line 5 tunnel project under the Straits of Mackinac.

The Catch featured a story about road salt reported on by Brett Walton with Circle of Blue. Walton found that road salt can be bad for waterways.

These young researchers are participating in citizen science — the public voluntarily helping to conduct scientific research.

Ten restoration projects have been proposed, including wetlands and other wildlife habitats.

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in this biweekly headline roundup.

Concern over EV affordability for lower income groups and who will bear the burden of the environmental risk that comes with EV production.

Lessons and activities based on the monthly Great Lakes Now program.

Humbug Marsh is an internationally important wetland because of its ecological impact on the Detroit River corridor and the Great Lakes Basin.

The $97 million project was supposed to be done by 2020. Officials blame the pandemic, supply shortages and unreliable contractors for the delay.

Scientists have found these tiny bits of plastic all over the world — even in mosquitoes’ bellies.

Legal experts say Michigan has a better chance of persuading a state court to shut down the pipeline, while Enbridge is more likely to prevail in federal court.

Senator Stephanie Chang began her campaign to end water shutoffs in 2015. She’s hopeful for legislative action in 2023.

The tradition of moving things via dog sled is deeply entrenched in the culture of the North Shore.

Outdated laws leave communities struggling to ward off contaminants before they foul drinking supplies.

A new report suggests Michigan and Ohio will fail to reduce nutrient runoff by 40% as agreed upon.

Billions in clean energy incentives rely on raw materials from polluting corn and livestock.

Lessons and activities based on the monthly Great Lakes Now program.

Some lawmakers see a bill to declare a human right to water as a first step toward ending the shutoffs that plague low-income Michiganders.

The city of South Bend, Indiana, once had a big problem. Too much sewage was being pumped into the St. Joseph River, which eventually flowed into Lake Michigan. The US government ordered the city to do something about it. But, the price tag was astronomical. Desperate for a solution, city officials found a smart one right under their noses.

“Smart sewer” technology is increasingly common in the region, helping cities avoid overflows that release untreated sewers into lakes and rivers.

State regulators this week warned anglers to limit their meals of rainbow smelt taken from the two lakes, along with three inland lakes.

The settlement comes as Attorney General Dana Nessel pursues lawsuits against a host of companies.

Rivers and lakes are becoming saltier while law and practice limit effective responses.

The journey of modern man began 10,000 years ago and “the distribution of water defined its starting point.”

In this new feature, see what scientists are learning about the impacts of climate change on the region – and what can be done to mitigate them.

The Ojibwe word for the paper birch is wiigwaasi-mitig — or Nimishoomis wiigwaas — Grandfather Birch.

The Great Lakes Commission has a plan to guide the states and provinces surrounding the Great Lakes toward protecting their communities from the climate-change damage.

Blame the Great Lakes and climate change for Michigan’s dreary winters.

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in this biweekly headline roundup.

Doom and gloom coverage of the Great Lakes’ underwater realm has unfairly skewed the public’s perception.

On Jan. 25, Bridge Michigan environment reporter Kelly House will moderate a Zoom discussion about the priorities for water in the 2023 Michigan Legislature.

From polluter pay laws to plastic bag bans, Democrats and environmental advocates hope to reverse Republican-passed laws.

Under the deal, tribal fishers could use gillnets in more places to cope with declining whitefish populations.

Great Lakes funding has been bipartisan, but the EPA will face more oversight and the region may have less influence in D.C.

In indigenous tradition, “land isn’t just land,” and a modern controversy highlights that in northern Minnesota.

An Ohio dam was removed in 2018. What’s been the effect on the environment, the fishing and the community?

The bots will collect plastic pollution from both the shoreline and the water as part of a larger binational effort called the Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup initiative.

Enbridge is facing government action and criminal charges stemming from violations during the construction of the Line 3 pipeline in Northern Minnesota.

Unique legislation would provide “personhood” rights but legal barriers to adoption are significant. Public Trust doctrine as an alternative.

Toxic manure discharges from large livestock operations is a major source of water pollution.

Windsor’s proposed Ojibway National Urban Park will not only reap such benefits in its metropolitan area but in the Detroit metropolitan area.

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with drinking water in Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.

This year, hunters were required to report their deer kills, a move wildlife managers say will help the state better manage Michigan’s growing herds.

Michigan’s COVID-19 outdoor recreation boom has produced a subsequent business boom, according to a new federal report on the state’s outdoor scene.

Don’t expect big new efforts to shut down Line 5 when Democrats take control. Those on both sides of the issue say the pipeline’s fate is now in the hands of a federal judge.

“Deal with the problem of environmental racism head on and finally put it to bed.”

The dams are expensive to maintain and are harmful to rivers and fish. But their reservoirs bring visitors that help support small communities.

Though wolf hunting is banned at the federal level, hunting advocates want Michigan to lay the groundwork for a hunt should federal protections end.

In this introductory feature for ‘The Nibi Chronicles,” Staci Lola Drouillard finds hope where the band plays and the thunderbird lives.

Researchers from the University of Windsor and Sheridan College have developed a new video game to train and empower youth to take on the challenge of ecological restoration.

The Nature Conservancy, a global environmental group, has paid a New York hedge fund more than $27 million for part of the land, with another purchase to come.

The idea is to reduce harmful algal blooms getting into the Great Lakes, reduce flooding, and provide habitat for wildlife.

Keep up with more coal ash news from the “Poisonous Ponds: Tackling Toxic Coal Ash” project.

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with drinking water in Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.

In this Great Lakes Moment, author John Hartig previews one of his new books, this one about the destruction and recovery of the Rouge River in southeast Michigan.

While the owner considers whether to reopen the nuclear plant, Michigan will study whether new plants could make environmental sense.

A bill would require inspection of septic systems when homes are sold. It’s meant to address worries that old systems are failing.

The suit blames FKI Hardware Inc. for contaminating nine west Michigan properties with PFAS, volatile organic compounds and metals before exiting Michigan in 2016.

They are expensive, in many cases experimental, and take a long time to work.

Great Lakes Now’s Gary Wilson recently talked with the author about his latest book release, Half Wild: People, Dogs and Environmental Policy.

Cause of Michigan’s worst water pollution is too much waste spread on too little land.

Algae blooms are hiking the cost of water for people already struggling to pay their bills.

Law and policy treat farms as special class of polluter.

Great Lakes Now and its partners in the Great Lake News Collaborative received a national journalism award for coverage of water issues in the Great Lakes.

Here are the basics that will help you understand this looming threat.

Water sampling finds no reduction in bloom-producing nutrients.

Formed in a year known for two water crises, the Cleveland Water Alliance leader is working to prevent the next one.