The Great Lakes News Collaborative

Ready or Not

The Great Lakes region is frequently touted as one of the most climate-resilient places in the U.S., in no small part because of its enviable water resources. But climate change also threatens water quality, availability, and aging water infrastructure by exposing existing vulnerabilities and creating new ones. In this series, members of the Great Lakes News Collaborative explore what it may take to prepare the Great Lakes region for the future climatologists say we can expect.

The collaborative’s four nonprofit newsrooms — Bridge Michigan, Circle of Blue, Great Lakes Now at DPTV and Michigan Radio — aim to elevate discussion, amplify the voice of Michigan residents and produce action that protects the region’s waters for future generations. While Mott provides financial support, our public service journalism is produced independently

Water Could Make The Great Lakes Region a Climate Refuge. Are We Prepared?

State Side, Keith Schneider on Climate Migration and the Great Lakes

February 16, 2021

What may it take to prepare the Great Lakes region for the future climatologists say we can expect?

Reduce Flooding From Backed up Sewers? There’s an App for That

November 11, 2021

Climate Change Grips Trout Streams Across the Nation:

1 Comment

November 2, 2021

Across the country, anglers have watched as droughts, floods, and high temperatures batter the rivers they depend on.

In Benton Harbor, Residents’ Complaints of Lead-Tainted Water Carry Echoes

October 20, 2021

Water samples from Benton Harbor homes since 2018 consistently revealed elevated levels of lead

As Drought Grips American West, Irrigation Becomes Selling Point for Michigan

September 27, 2021

Michigan farmers irrigate with 187 billion gallons of groundwater a year. Is the state prepared for more?

Some Chicagoans Wary of Lead Pipe Replacement

July 21, 2021

Mistrust of the government, fears related to immigration, and unclear messaging make the operation a hard sell in some neighborhoods.

Reduce Flooding From Backed up Sewers? There’s an App for That

November 11, 2021

Climate Change Grips Trout Streams Across the Nation:

1 Comment

November 2, 2021

Across the country, anglers have watched as droughts, floods, and high temperatures batter the rivers they depend on.

In Benton Harbor, Residents’ Complaints of Lead-Tainted Water Carry Echoes

October 20, 2021

Water samples from Benton Harbor homes since 2018 consistently revealed elevated levels of lead

As Drought Grips American West, Irrigation Becomes Selling Point for Michigan

September 27, 2021

Michigan farmers irrigate with 187 billion gallons of groundwater a year. Is the state prepared for more?

Some Chicagoans Wary of Lead Pipe Replacement

July 21, 2021

Mistrust of the government, fears related to immigration, and unclear messaging make the operation a hard sell in some neighborhoods.

Dealing With The Soup of Chemicals That Can Get Into Your Drinking Water

July 6, 2021

All the things that go down the drain and end up at the waste water treatment plant are not removed there. It's a soup of chemicals.

Detroit Flooding Previews Risks from a Warming Climate

July 1, 2021

Urban infrastructure in many cities was not built for current and future climate pressures.

In Chicago, Flooding Overwhelmingly Strikes Communities of Color

June 29, 2021

Michigan’s Climate-Ready Future: Wetland Parks, Less Cement, Roomy Shores

June 9, 2021

As climate change alters our world, Michigan’s bounty of fresh water could be the foundation of a thriving state economy and superior quality of life.

Green Infrastructure: Cities Around the Great Lakes Plan for a Changing Future

May 18, 2021

“Water is life” is the Theme of Day 1 of Protests to Shut Down Enbridge Line 5

May 13, 2021

Great Lakes Water Diversions Could Be More Numerous

May 12, 2021

Should Michiganders be worried?

On Eve of Line 5 Shutdown Deadline, Enbridge Vows to Defy Michigan Order

May 11, 2021

What happens if Enbridge refuses to abide by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s order?

Plastic Debris Is Getting Into The Great Lakes, Our Drinking Water, And Our Food

May 6, 2021

Chemical Impact: Microplastic Pollution More Complex Than We Think, Says New Research

May 4, 2021

Microplastic pollution has been building up in the Great Lakes for at least four decades

Flooding Tells ‘Two Different Stories’ In Michigan

April 27, 2021

Climate disruption is revealing economic inequality

Water Access: As Moratoria on Shutoffs End, Old Problems Return to the Forefront

April 20, 2021

Scientists Concerned About the Bottom of the Food Web in the Great Lakes

April 14, 2021

Is The Line 5 Tunnel a Bridge to Michigan’s Energy Future or a Bad Deal?

April 1, 2021

In Flooded Michigan Neighborhoods, Who Should Pay For Sea Walls?

March 30, 2021

Who should pay to stop the floodwaters?

Michigan’s Rural Water Systems Confront Generations of Inadequate Investment

March 23, 2021

A critical juncture is reached for providing water to Michigan's rural communities.

Some Cities Are Turning to Natural Infrastructure to Deal With Extreme Rain Events

March 19, 2021

Climate change in the Great Lakes region means more intense storms. Already some towns are finding they’re flooding where they never have before. One city in Michigan is finding the solution is nature.

Wetlands Can Help Prevent Property Damage and Save Lives During Floods

March 16, 2021

Some experts say there’s a way to reduce the effects of floods in the future: more wetland areas.

Too Few Farmers are Curbing Pollution in Lake Erie. Should They be Forced?

March 9, 2021

As climate change complicates Lake Erie’s algae problem, scientists say farmers must do far more to reduce phosphorus runoff. But will enough farmers change their ways without a government mandate?

Rights vs. Regulations: When it Comes to Septic Codes, Property Rights Remain a Big Barrier

March 2, 2021

A significant number of residential septic systems need repair or replacement, but efforts to enact a statewide code have been hampered.

Michigan Rivers Changing Due to Climate Disruption

February 24, 2021

Severe storms can lead to intensive flooding, soil erosion and disruption to fish populations. Timing is everything in nature.

Climate Change is Affecting The Kind of Fish You Can Catch in Michigan’s Inland Lakes

February 24, 2021

Warming waters are hard on some fish, such as walleye, and more favorable to others, such as smallmouth bass. With so many environmental stresses, it’s difficult to gauge the future of individual lakes.

The Future of Lake Superior with Climate Disruption

February 23, 2021

With warming temperatures, fluctuating water levels and a series of extreme storms, Lake Superior is undergoing dramatic alterations amid climate change.

Warming winters, ample reserves of fresh water, and forests not prone to wildfire are ecological benefits that could attract millions of new residents to the Great Lakes and reverse decades of slow population growth. © J. Carl Ganter / Circle of Blue.

The next phase of climate research is to understand whether meteorological disruption will not only force people out of their homes, but also compel them to move away, perhaps to the Great Lakes. © J. Carl Ganter / Circle of Blue.

Has climate migration started? A financial investment manager from Austin, Texas, purchased a home north of Marquette, near here, as a hedge against climate disruption, according to his realtor. © J. Carl Ganter / Circle of Blue.

Great Lakes forests, not nearly as vulnerable to wildfire, are the foundation of a $100 billion annual recreation, manufacturing, and real estate economy. They absorb and store carbon, reduce flooding and erosion, keep streams clean, and provide habitat for plants and animals. © J. Carl Ganter / Circle of Blue.

In September, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued an executive order that called for cutting emissions 28 percent by 2025 compared with 1990 levels. She set 2050 as the deadline for the state to reach carbon neutrality. This Presque Isle power plant no longer operates. © J. Carl Ganter / Circle of Blue.

Mother Earth is pushing back hard with heat, fires, hurricanes, droughts, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes and plagues. Whether they are big or small, responses are complex, expensive, and take years to complete in and outside the Great Lakes region. © J. Carl Ganter / Circle of Blue.

From 1901 to 2015, annual precipitation increased almost 10 percent in the Great Lakes region, much more than the 4 percent rise for the nation as a whole. © J. Carl Ganter / Circle of Blue.

Water Infrastructure, Access, Affordability, and Drinking Water

Dealing With The Soup of Chemicals That Can Get Into Your Drinking Water

July 6, 2021

All the things that go down the drain and end up at the waste water treatment plant are not removed there. It's a soup of chemicals.

In Chicago, Flooding Overwhelmingly Strikes Communities of Color

June 29, 2021

Green Infrastructure: Cities Around the Great Lakes Plan for a Changing Future

May 18, 2021

Plastic Debris Is Getting Into The Great Lakes, Our Drinking Water, And Our Food

May 6, 2021

Michigan’s Rural Water Systems Confront Generations of Inadequate Investment

March 23, 2021

A critical juncture is reached for providing water to Michigan's rural communities.

HotSpots H2O: Canadian Government Misses Target to End Water Insecurity for First Nations Communities

0 Comments

March 8, 2021

Many First Nations in Canada continue to live without clean water six years after the government began actively addressing the issue, according to a report published by the Auditor General of Canada late last month.

Michigan Dams Need ‘Immediate Attention’ to Prevent Next Failure

March 5, 2021

Michigan’s aging dams require “comprehensive and immediate attention” to avoid future tragedies like last summer’s Midland-area dam failures, a state task force has determined.

High Demand for New Michigan Water Infrastructure Grants

0 Comments

February 9, 2021

A new grant program in Michigan to rid drinking water systems of contaminants is proving to be quite popular.

Water Law and Policy

“Water is life” is the Theme of Day 1 of Protests to Shut Down Enbridge Line 5

May 13, 2021

Treaty Rights Acknowledged For First Time in Oil Pipeline’s Controversial History

March 12, 2021

Michigan’s Indigenous communities hold long-standing legal rights to protect lands and waters.

As Great Lakes Pummel Michigan, Beach Towns Rush to Set Development Rules

November 18, 2020

In Great Lakes, the ongoing high water crisis is leading some communities to rethink the policies that put them here.

2020 Election: Water a Factor in Senate Race in Michigan

0 Comments

October 29, 2020

A state surrounded by the Great Lakes reckons with aging infrastructure and chemical contamination.

Michigan Allocates $20 Million to Relieve Customer Water Debts

0 Comments

October 14, 2020

Michigan is using federal CARES Act funding to help residents pay off past-due water bills that accrued during the pandemic.

Groundwater, Septic, and PFAS

PFAS in the House: Are Toxic “Forever Chemicals” a Steady Drip in This Reporter’s Home?

0 Comments

March 13, 2021

“PFAS in the House” was produced by Great Lakes Now/Detroit…

Rights vs. Regulations: When it Comes to Septic Codes, Property Rights Remain a Big Barrier

March 2, 2021

A significant number of residential septic systems need repair or replacement, but efforts to enact a statewide code have been hampered.

HotSpots H2O: Minnesota Rolls Out Plan for PFAS Contamination

0 Comments

February 22, 2021

Minnesota officials announced a multi-step strategy to address PFAS contamination in the environment.

Groundwater: The Sixth Great Lake

September 25, 2018

Despite its abundance, is groundwater a second-class citizen?

The Great Lakes and Climate Change

Michigan Is On Thin Ice. Get Used To It, Climate Experts Say

March 13, 2021

Long-term, warming temperatures in Michigan could bring far more widespread and lasting challenges by destroying key northern ecosystems.

Too Few Farmers are Curbing Pollution in Lake Erie. Should They be Forced?

March 9, 2021

As climate change complicates Lake Erie’s algae problem, scientists say farmers must do far more to reduce phosphorus runoff. But will enough farmers change their ways without a government mandate?

As Great Lakes Pummel Michigan, Beach Towns Rush to Set Development Rules

November 18, 2020

In Great Lakes, the ongoing high water crisis is leading some communities to rethink the policies that put them here.

HotSpots H2O: U.S. Great Lakes, Near Record Highs, Pummel Coastal Infrastructure

0 Comments

April 6, 2020

The U.S. Great Lakes have surged to unprecedented levels, causing tens of millions of dollars in damage to coastal roads, marinas, and household property.

Solutions to Issues Facing The Great Lakes

By Natasha Blakely, Great Lakes Now An array of more than…

Video

Remembering Michigan’s PBB Crisis

Contamination of the food-supply chain in Michigan in the 1970s was one of the worst mass poisonings in U.S. history. The events still resonate today.