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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?

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.

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?

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

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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

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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

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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

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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?

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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?

Warming Waters – 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

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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.

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.

The Great Lakes News Collaborative

Ready or Not

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

Latest Collaborative Coverage

Water Infrastructure, Access, Affordability, and Drinking Water

Water Law and Policy

Groundwater, Septic, and PFAS

Warming Waters – The Great Lakes and Climate Change