Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition

A coalition of agencies, Indigenous Nations, legislators, and other leaders have announced shared priorities to restore the #GreatLakes and strengthen our economy.

Ahead of #GreatLakesDay, we’re united for a healthy environment and economic growth. https://ow.ly/V1UH50YpfIu

Leaders Wanted! I'm looking for a few folks with system-shifting ideas and a plan to launch them. Let's find new ways to solve tough water problems.

Check out the video below and let's get started!

#innovation #beabeaver #GreatLakes #sharethis

Consumers Warns Michigan: Dams Could be Torn Down Unless Utility Sells Them This story is part of a Great Lakes News Collaborative series called Shockwave: Rising energy demand and the future of the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes region is in the midst of a seismic energy shakeup, from skyrocketing data center demand and a nuclear energy boom, to expanding renewables and electrification. In 2026, the Great Lakes News Collaborative will explore how shifting supply and demand affect the region and its waters.

Consumers Energy is giving regulators an ultimatum: approve its plan to sell 13 hydropower dams to a private equity firm or face their decommissioning. State officials warn the deal could leave ratepayers exposed and Michigan rivers at risk.

#WaterNews #GreatLakes #ConsumersEnergy #HydropowerDam

For the Fun of the Surf In northwest Indiana, there’s a 20-mile stretch of Lake Michigan that’s dominated by industry. It’s some of the dirtiest water in the lake, but it's also home to some of the biggest waves anywhere on ...

Southern Lake Michigan can have some of the best surfing conditions of the #GreatLakes, but the highly-industrial south shore also has some of the most polluted waters. The Chicago Surfrider chapter is trying to keep companies accountable www.interlochenpublicradio.org/podcast/poin...

A network is racing to save the Midwest’s native seeds - Great Lakes Now As climate change intensifies wildfires and other extreme weather events, demand for native seeds is surging.

As climate change intensifies wildfires and other extreme weather events, demand for native seeds is surging.

Story by @wbez.org and @grist.org:
www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/03/03/a...

Restoring the Long-Lost Arctic Grayling | Great Lakes Now YouTube video by Great Lakes Now

Arctic grayling were once abundant in Michigan's waters. But almost a century ago, habitat destruction, overfishing and predation by introduced species decimated their populations.

Today, an effort is underway to restore self-sustaining populations of this long-lost fish: youtu.be/692TVsNWFyw

We're bringing in advocates from across the Great Lakes region to D.C. this week for Great Lakes Day! You can learn more about what we're talking to Congressmembers about at HealthyLakes.org/latest-news #GreatLakes #CleanWater

Federal Water Tap Weekly water news in the United States

Interior Department overhauls its environmental review procedures.
Want to gain access to the latest water policy news? Sign up for the Federal Water Tap today: www.circleofblue.org/water-tap/
#WaterNews #WaterPolicy #EnvironmentalNews

In 2026, we're calling on our federal partners to fund #GLRI, invest in #GreatLakes navigation, support clean water, pass a Farm Bill, build resiliency, and fight algal blooms and invasive species.

Learn more: https://ow.ly/it3y50Yo40G

Bringing back some of the #GLANSIS team's greatest for #NationalInvasiveSpeciesAwarenessWeek: here's some great coverage of last year's landmark paper on the top 10 most impactful #GreatLakes #AIS!
#NISAW

Fresh Discover important Great Lakes environmental news and policies. Subscribe to Fresh for weekly updates delivered straight to your inbox.

A new analysis suggests that every dollar spent on wetland restoration under Ohio’s H2Ohio program yields an eight-fold return in public benefits.
Want access to the latest Great Lakes news? Sign up for Fresh today: buff.ly/EAGAZUd
#GreatLakes #Environment #WaterNews #Freshwater #EnvironmentalNews

Fresh Discover important Great Lakes environmental news and policies. Subscribe to Fresh for weekly updates delivered straight to your inbox.

A new study of H2Ohio, the state’s comprehensive plan to improve water quality and mitigate pollution, suggests that its wetland restoration and fertilizer management programs have brought serious economic benefits to the Buckeye state.
buff.ly/EAGAZUd
#GreatLakes #Environment #WaterNews

Wisconsin finally unlocks $125 million funding for PFAS cleanup - Great Lakes Now More PFAS news with a study on Minnesota combustion facilities, and proposed rate hikes for water utilities in Illinois.

The Wisconsin Assembly unanimously passed two bills to help residents with PFAS mitigation after 30 months of debate.

Catch the latest PFAS news in the Great Lakes region: www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/02/25/w...

alt="text graphic. Request for Proposals: Great Lakes Restoration Tours. The Coalition is seeking creative proposals for visits to restoration sites, businesses or communities benefiting directly from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and/or water infrastructure investments. For more information and to submit your proposal, go to HealthyLakes.org/restoration-tours. Deadline: March 13, 2026."

Host a restoration tour with us! Learn more and apply at: HealthyLakes.org/restoration-tours #GreatLakes #CleanWater

Senate Vote Tests Future of Boundary Waters Protections The U.S. Senate this week is poised to vote on a narrowly-cast resolution intended to clear a new pathway to eventually open a long-disputed copper mine close to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northeast Minnesota. There’s a lot more, though, riding on the Senate vote, and not just for a region of the American north country adored for its towering pines, and deep, clear waters.

Senate Vote Tests Future of Boundary Waters Protections

The U.S. Senate this week is poised to vote on a narrowly-cast resolution intended to clear a new pathway to eventually open a long-disputed copper mine close to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northeast Minnesota. There’s a lot…

Are forever chemicals in your drinking water? Check new EPA data here Updated records show toxic 'forever chemicals' have recently tested above EPA limits in over 1,050 cities. Check your drinking water on our map.

Are PFAS forever chemicals in your drinking water? See the latest data -USA Today www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

In our latest episode, explore an effort to restore arctic grayling. Learn about how citizen scientists in Ontario work to understand the damage that road salt is doing to local waterways. Also, Ethan Tapper discusses what it means to love a forest.

Watch it MONDAY, 2/23 at 7:30p ET on Detroit PBS!

Research centers in the Great Lakes region change the scope of global freshwater ecology | Great Lakes Echo A new study examines the uniqueness of work that research centers conduct in the Great Lakes region, highlighting their importance amid dramatic changes in federal funding.

new study of #GreatLakes research centers, w/ some nice quotes from CIGLR colleagues: "Research centers in the region also work together as a collaborative that complements each of them, and so the network of research centers is vital, Moerke said."...

greatlakesecho.org/2026/02/16/r...

Join us on February 24 for Washington Update: Protecting the Great Lakes and Looking Ahead to 2026. Hear from our team and ask your questions about the Great Lakes and Washington.
Register: https://bit.ly/3OeZike

How Wild Rice Goes From Water to Table | Great Lakes Now YouTube video by Great Lakes Now

Manoomin — or wild rice — is an important cultural food source for Anishinaabe peoples throughout the Great Lakes. Once abundant throughout the region, its existence has been threatened by dams and environmental pressures.

Today, there’s an effort to restore it: youtu.be/fTp-337qZYQ

Registration is open for the next webinar in our #GreatLakes HABs Collaborative series on communicating HAB risk!

It will focus on NEW Water, the O'Connor Connective, and Brown County (WI)'s work on the “Don’t Get Sick- Avoid the Ick” campaign.

https://ow.ly/N94K50Y9lqX

#GreatLakes #HABs

🎣 The 2026 Sturgeon Spearing season on the Winnebago System opens this Saturday, Feb 14 w/ water clarity averaging an excellent 13.8 ft!

As we celebrate this unique Wisconsin tradition, it’s vital to recognize the work being done to bring these "ancient giants" back. (1/2)

Check out the first Journal of Great Lakes Research issue for 2026, featuring microplastic hotspots, invasive impacts, walleye behavior, and more. JGLR, vol. 52, issue 1: https://bit.ly/4twtGH1 #JGLR #GreatLakesSci

Help us protect new water bodies and access points from aquatic #invasivespecies by applying for funding for this summer's #GreatLakes AIS Landing Blitz! This annual event unites partners to prevent the spread of AIS at boating access sites.

https://ow.ly/E4Xi50Ych2m #GLAISBlitz

Want more info on the Great Lakes? Get the latest news and program updates in our weekly newsletter.

Sign up today: www.greatlakesnow.org/great-lakes-...

Toxic “forever” chemicals known as PFAS have been found at levels above the EPA’s safety thresholds in all but three states. We have been working to uphold the standards that protect Americans from PFAS, despite the current administration’s moves to weaken them.

How This River Keeps Unwanted Fish Away | Great Lakes Now YouTube video by Great Lakes Now

As dams come down, native fish are returning to their home waters. But invasive species are taking advantage of that same access. How do we separate native fish from undesirable ones?

In Traverse City, researchers are testing an innovative solution called FishPass: www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdUj...

Measuring the impact of PFAS on Wisconsin’s fish Researcher Tisha King-Heiden is studying how a new generation of PFAS affect sturgeon, walleye, and fathead minnows.

With #SeaGrant funding, Tisha King-Heiden is studying how #PFAS impact the nervous and immune systems of fish. But she's not just using common lab fish - she is focusing on Wisconsin fish like walleye and sturgeon. https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/measuring-the-impact-of-pfas-on-wisconsins-fish/

New ice cover data offers insight into whitefish declines, climate change - Great Lakes Now Michigan researchers have gone back in time to get a picture of ice cover on the Great Lakes since the late 19th century.

Michigan researchers have gone back in time to get a picture of ice cover on the Great Lakes since the late 19th century.

Story by @iprnews.bsky.social:
www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/02/04/n...

Northeast-Midwest Insititute » Blog Archive » How the Trump Administration Has Reshaped the Federal Workforce, One Year In Since January 20, 2025, the Trump administration has initiated a broad effort to reduce the size of the federal bureaucracy. Federal employment has dropped by 219,922 positions over the last 12…

Since the start of his term, the Trump administration has greatly reduced the size of the federal bureaucracy. Take a look at how these policies impact the Great Lakes region, a year in: