Michigan Water Strategy spring update

Spring Water Strategy update

Michigan's Water Strategy was created to guide the protection and sustainable management of the state's water resources. As we work toward the vision of healthy aquatic ecosystems and Great Lakes communities, we regularly provide updates on that progress.

The Office of the Great Lakes recently completed a major web update. If you haven't yet visited www.michigan.gov/waterstrategy, check out its new look and read the latest Water Strategy news.

The 2017 Water Strategy Annual Report is available on the site and highlights 2017 achievements in five key areas.

Highlights

Great Lakes Invasive Carp Challenge

Gov. Rick Snyder called for innovative ideas to prevent invasive carp from reaching the Great Lakes, and people responded. Creative solutions (353 total!) were proposed from 27 countries. The winning idea from Edem Tsikata, a consultant at Harvard Medical School in Boston, proposed using propellers to emit high-frequency sounds and "cavitation bubbles" that implode and emit high-speed jets of water to scare away sound-sensitive carp.

Great Lakes One Water partnership

The Council of Michigan Foundations launched the Great Lakes One Water Partnership to unite community foundations along Michigan’s coasts to develop common infrastructure priorities. This project will help Michigan begin to fill its nearly $800 million annual gap in water infrastructure investment.

Lake Erie domestic action plan 

Michigan’s Lake Erie domestic action plan was developed by Michigan state agencies to reduce the amount of phosphorus, a nutrient, entering Lake Erie by 40 percent. Reducing phosphorus inputs to the lake is intended to help reduce occurrences of harmful algal blooms, events where overgrowth of algae can produce harmful toxins.

Michigan’s plan is one of several from surrounding states integrated into the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s comprehensive plan released in March.

Michigan Water School

The Michigan Water School: Essential Resources for Local Officials provides local decision-makers with the information they need to understand Michigan’s water resources. There’s still time to register for the program, to be held May 22-23, at Western Michigan University’s Innovation Event Center in Kalamazoo.

Huron River economic impact study

In 2016, the Huron River Watershed Council commissioned a study to measure the economic impact of the river focusing on the value of healthy waters.

The council found that the Huron River is conservatively estimated to provide $53.5 million in annual economic output. Studies like this are important because they show the return on investment for clean waters in Michigan communities, explained in our Director's contribution to Bridge Magazine. 

Great Lakes and Fresh Water Week 

Michigan celebrates Great Lakes and Fresh Water Week June 2-10. Will you land a trout during Free Fishing Weekend, stroll the river walk at Sturgeon Festival, paddle a water trail, or join an Adopt-a-Beach team for a local cleanup? 

Find fun events and Great Lakes facts at mi.gov/GreatLakesWeek.