Great Lakes Advocates in D.C. to Protect Lakes, Drinking Water, Public Health
Contact: Lindsey Bacigal, BacigalL@nwf.org, (734) 887-7113
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 3, 2026)—Great Lakes supporters are in Washington, D.C. this week with the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition to urge members of Congress to continue their support for federal investments to protect the drinking water, public health, jobs, and quality of life for the millions of people in the eight-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
“We are in Washington to show elected officials why they must hold firm in their support for federal investments to restore and protect the Great Lakes and other core clean water programs that are essential to our drinking water, public health, and economy,” said Laura Rubin, director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “Federal investments have been producing results, but serious threats remain. We cannot let up.”
The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition is pushing to support robust funding in clean water and Great Lakes restoration in the fiscal year 2027 budget, which begins on October 1.
Great Lakes advocates are promoting a policy agenda that asks Congress to:
Support the reauthorization of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to extend the program through 2031 and authorize the federal government to invest $500 million annually in restoration and protection action.
Invest in Great Lakes restoration programs to clean up toxic pollution, restore fish and wildlife habitat, reduce farm and city runoff pollution, advance Great Lakes science, prevent the introduction of invasive species, and manage those existing invasive species.
Invest in key water infrastructure programs to support community efforts to upgrade wastewater and drinking water infrastructure, addressing affordability challenges and targeting the communities hardest hit by pollution and environmental harm.
Strengthen clean water protections by protecting federal agency staffing critical to implementing and enforcing clean water protections, strengthening the Clean Water Act, and addressing legacy and emerging contaminants such as toxic PFAS, lead, runoff pollution, and plastics.
Support a Farm Bill that invests in Farm Bill Conservation Funding and staffing at the Natural Resources Conservation Service and ties payments and incentives for farmers to clean water outcomes and the implementation of sustainable practices that protect soil and water quality.
“These policies benefit millions of people in the region,” said Rubin. “Robust investments in clean water coupled with strong clean water protections are essential to protect the health of our communities. The bottom line is: we have solutions, and we must continue to use them so that we can all have access to safe, clean water.”
Since 2004, the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition has been harnessing the collective power of more than 200 groups representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes. Learn more at HealthyLakes.org or follow us on social media @HealthyLakes.
