Michigan Environment Watch

State officials say they’ve seen success using liquified salt on roadways, and could expand the practice to highways across Michigan. That would be good news for waterways plagued by salt pollution.

A nonprofit is raising foundations of shanties along the Leelanau Peninsula because of increased flooding and water levels from climate change.

The results, published this week in the journal Nature, showed that mercury levels in plankton and fish fell more quickly than expected once new sources of mercury were cut off.

Cleaning sites like the Detroit River and Saginaw Bay is a priority for spending new funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Advocates say the money is a good start but much more is needed.

The Natural Resources Commission will open the Saginaw River to walleye fishing during spawning season, beginning in 2023. The state hopes expanded walleye fishing will lift populations of yellow perch in Saginaw Bay.

When Attorney General Dana Nessel dropped a federal lawsuit over the fate of Line 5 and reactivated a mothballed state-level suit, she had hoped for better odds before a state judge. Enbridge wants to undermine that strategy.

Samples collected from the residents’ taps dipped below the state regulatory threshold for the first time in more than three years. But residents are still advised to drink only bottled water for now.

The southwest Michigan city’s water system faces huge problems, from lead pipes and delayed maintenance to a shrinking population. Those issues could be coming to a Michigan city near you.

Growing public concern over the prized game fish’s declining population prompted the Natural Resources Commission to lower the daily bag limit from three to one during spawning season.

A growing number of Michigan households are burdened by high water bills, report finds.

Attorney General Dana Nessel has dropped the state’s federal suit against Enbridge. But Nessel, at the request of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, has reactivated a state court suit seeking to shutdown the oil pipeline.

Great Lakes Now’s Gary Wilson recently spoke with Debra Shore who shared thoughts on the Benton Harbor water crisis, her views on next steps to deal with Lake Erie’s long-standing algae bloom problems and the billion-dollar windfall the region will receive from the infrastructure bill.

Wolf advocates want Natural Resources Commissioner James “JR” Richardson to apologize and resign after he blamed wolves for a U.P. dog that vanished. It’s not the first time pro-hunt Yoopers spread unverified wolf tales.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered Line 5 closed a year ago, citing safety concerns. The Biden administration is now involved. But chances of an imminent shutdown appear slim. We lay out some of the hurdles.

The federal lawsuit, which seeks class-action status, alleges that a weak government response to the crisis left residents unaware for years that their water could be tainted.

By using sensors to identify choke points in sewer systems, cities are managing water more efficiently to make basement backups less likely.

Population declines in the prized game fish are forcing the Natural Resources Commission to confront a stark policy choice: lowering bag limits or pursuing other options, such as changes in stocking strategies.

The settlement is a landmark in the tragedy, but a judge has yet to decide how much of the payout lawyers will keep. That's a big sticking point.

More than 49,000 hunters applied to hunt Michigan elk in 2021, a record that is part of a steady decade-long rise, state wildlife officials say.

An uptick in deer hunting during COVID last year prompted whispers of a renaissance for a sport that has been losing participants for decades. Early numbers suggest many of the new hunters aren’t coming back.