Proposed Federal Budget Threatens Great Lakes, Clean Water, and Communities
Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition
Contact: Lindsey Bacigal, BacigalL@nwf.org, 734-887-7113
Proposed Federal Budget Threatens Great Lakes, Clean Water, and Communities
ANN ARBOR, MICH. (April 3, 2026)—The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition is deeply concerned by the federal budget proposal released today for its sweeping, reckless cuts to the agencies and programs that protect the Great Lakes, enforce clean water laws, and safeguard the drinking water of more than 30 million Americans across the region.
The President’s fiscal year 2027 budget request, if enacted, would gut funding for clean water protection, water infrastructure investments, and critical Great Lakes science. Further, this budget would hamper the efforts of the Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and others whose responsibilities include restoring our Great Lakes, monitoring pollution, controlling invasive species, reporting fish consumption advisories, and responding to toxic algal blooms, among many other tasks critical to the health and economies of our communities.
"Gutting the budgets of federal agencies that partner with us to carry out restoration efforts will hurt our communities. Already lacking adequate staffing and funding, further cuts to clean water programs would stall future work and put the billions of dollars already invested in cleaning up the region’s waters at risk by allowing threats to grow unchecked,” said Laura Rubin, director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “Clean water is a basic need, not a line item to be slashed. Too many communities across the region are already living without access to clean, safe, and affordable drinking water. Rather than fixing problems, this budget moves us in the wrong direction.”
Cuts in the proposed budget include:
A $4.6 billion (52%) cut to the Environmental Protection Agency
A $2.5 billion (89%) cut to core water infrastructure programs, the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs)
A $1.3 million (0.4%) cut to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
Eliminates the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Oceanic and Atmospheric Research Office, a $589 million cut.
Eliminates the U.S. Geological Surveys Ecosystem Program, a $295 million cut.
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