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The Great Lakes News Collaborative

Independent News brought to you by Bridge Michigan, Circle of Blue, Great Lakes Now and Michigan Radio

Great Lakes News Collaborative

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 audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water. This independent journalism is supported by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.

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Bill aims to allow backyard wildlife feeding, but critics fear deer disease
- by Bridge Michigan

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: New Wisconsin Law Aims to Protect Watersheds From Farm Runoff
- by Circle of Blue

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.

With lawsuits stalled in Michigan, Nessel seeks Line 5 shutdown in Wisconsin
- by Bridge Michigan

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.

More fallout from Midland dam failures: blood-sucking parasites in rivers
- by Bridge Michigan

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.

Anishinaabe tribes work to save a fish significant to their culture and an important source of protein
- by Michigan Radio

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

EPA wants Native American tribes to implement water quality standards equivalent to the Clean Water Act’s requirements
- by Michigan Radio

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

Once beset by industrial pollution, Rouge River on a slow path to recovery
- by Bridge Michigan

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

Flush with cash, Michigan lawmakers try again to pass state septic code
- by Bridge Michigan

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.

U.S. Pushes Farmers to Develop A New Crop: Energy
- by Circle of Blue

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

Forest to MI Faucet: Using trees to keep water sources pristine
- by Michigan Radio

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.

Michigan brine brouhaha: Proposed limits for unpaved roads prompt dustup
- by Bridge Michigan

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

Mapping the Great Lakes: Flood risk
- by Alex Hill

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.

Lesson Plan: How Is Our Climate Changing?
- by Gary Abud Jr.

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

U.S. Counts on “Climate-Smart” Farms to Slow Global Warming
- by Circle of Blue

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

Climate change could spell catastrophe for Detroit’s older homes
- by Jonathan Shead

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

When to Watch?

Check your local station for when Great Lakes Now is on in your area.