Lake Michigan

Manitou Island

This photo comes to us from Patrick Fitzgibbon of Traverse City, Michigan. He writes: “This is the is the west shore of Manitou Island in Lake Michigan near Leeland, MI.”

 Thanks for sharing your photo, Patrick. The shore looks lovely.

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Hear Ye, Hear Ye: Michigan Ballast Law Declared Sound

Great Lakes States take heart, and action! There is now no excuse for not passing ballast laws to protect the region from invasive species. A federal court dismissed a lawsuit brought by shipping companies in an attempt to reverse a Michigan law requiring them to either not discharge ballast water or use approved methods to treat it before releasing it into Lake Michigan. The state is the first in the region to enact a ballast law.

“Michigan did take action because we could no longer wait,” said Robert McCann, spokesman for Michigan’s Department Read More » »

Indiana Gov Calls for Review of BP Decision

Sorry, Mitch, the BP permit issue is not going away, but then you know that don’t you? After a rather loud public outcry, including a spanking from the U.S. Congress, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels has called for a review of the state environmental agency’s decision to allow British Petroleum to expand their Whiting Refinery on Lake Michigan. 

While calling for a “credible, independent evaluation of the permitting decision and outcome” might lead readers to think the Governor may reconsider the permit, it is more likely he is looking for a heavy rubber stamp to squelch protests. BP spokesman Tom Read More » »

Lake Michigan At First Sight

This story comes to us from Deborah of Muskegon, Michigan.  She writes: “My first sight of Lake Michigan was when I was 18 years old.  The joy of the day, peacefulness, the sunset, the light on the water, I could never have known at that time at what pivotal points in my life I would come to depend and look forward to my visits to the ‘Lake.’”

Here is Deborah’s story:

I remember my first visit to Lake Michigan. I was 18 years old. I had never seen anything like it. I had gone with a friend of mine, we had so Read More » »

A $20 Billion Carp Barrier

Tucked inside the massive $21 billion Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) reauthorization is $9 million for the Corps of Engineers to construct and maintain a permanent barrier that will keep non-native Asian carp from wreaking havoc on Lake Michigan’s ecosystem.  

It is too bad that the only way to stop the ferocious fish has involved nose pinching. While WRDA has attracted some unwanted attention as a piggy bank  for the Army Corps of Engineers, it holds within it one of the most significant programs for the survival and vitality Read More » »

Congress Says No To “Bad Polluter” Sludge

Just because British Petroleum’s moniker is green and they spent millions in ads trying to convince themselves and others that they are environmentally conscious doesn’t make it so. Perhaps they think BP stands for Bullet Proof – well, then, they are in for a shocker if the US Congress passes a resolution today, that condemns the energy profiteer and Indiana’s decision to let the company dump more ammonia and sludge into Lake Michigan. 

“BP is a company spending millions to brand itself as a friend of the environment, but we know what BP stands for: Bad Polluter,” Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.)said Read More » »

Rare bald eagle born in Southeast Wisconsin

At least one baby eagle was born near the shore of Lake Michigan in Southeast Wisconsin. The Department of Natural Resources confirmed the first baby bald eagle born in the region in over a century.

This encouraging story is an important reminder that not all wild animals that depend on the Great Lakes live underwater—animals that live in the watershed are part of an ecosystem that includes birds, bugs, deer, foxes, fish, and other wildlife that define the heritage of the Great Lakes.

Without quick action in Congress to start funding Great Read More » »

Michigan: America’s Diverse Lake Shore

Lake Michigan, the only Great Lake entirely in the United States, boasts a wide range of geographies and populations. The diverse scenery found along its waters include the Chicago skyline, the forests of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and the Dunes of Indiana.

Along with the natural and metropolitan attractions on Lake Michigan come serious threats to the health of its waters and wildlife. Industrial waste has been dumped into the Lake and the rivers that feed it for years. Growing urban development and populations lead to increased sewage run off, and invasive species from ballast water and river tributaries threaten the Lake’s Read More » »

Restoration and Tourism

Much of northern Michigan’s recreation-based tourism is dependent upon the health and abundance of our precious resources. To ensure economic vitality of our tourism industry and our way of life, we must restore and protect our cherished waterways and our vulnerable Great Lakes.

Waves of Change Download PDF

The State of the Great Lakes - Illinois

Click to view a larger map of the restoration sites.

State of Great Lakes - Illinois
Fact Sheet (PDF)

The Great Lakes are one of our most precious national treasures. With nearly 20 percent of the Earth’s fresh surface water, they provide drinking water to 28 million U.S. residents. Threats to the Great Lakes basin impact the overall economy and quality of life in the United States, especially in the Midwest.

The Great Lakes are a Read More » »