Michigan Environment Watch

Dozens of wildfires are burning across northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. Conditions could get worse if the lack of rain continues.

Millions of the critters could come as soon as next week to southeast Michigan. They are annoying and stinky but signs of healthy waterways.

The emerald ash borer, an invasive beetle that feeds on ash wood, has killed hundreds of millions of ash trees across North America. The key to saving what’s left may be growing behind paned glass in a quiet Brighton business park.

In addition to a big federal loan, the company that owns the closed plant wants $300 million from Michigan taxpayers to reopen. Some bipartisan legislators back the idea.

Great Lakes researchers are testing an ancient device known as the Archimedes screw to lift native fish such as trout and whitefish over barriers such as dams, while keeping out invasive species such as sea lamprey.

Michigan leads the nation in potatoes produced for potato chips, but a deadly disease is killing up to half of potato farmers’ yield. MSU researchers are working on an environmentally safe treatment to slow disease spread.

Michiganders should suffer fewer bug bites over the holiday than usual because of a dry May in much of the state. Enjoy it now — nobody knows how long the good news will last.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced on Monday that two new DC charging stations are operating at the state park. The state intends to spread EV chargers to other state parks.

State Rep. Ken Borton wants to allow recreational wildlife and bird feeding to be protected. He said the intent is to allow feeding of squirrels and other small animals. But state wildlife officials say that would encourage deer and elk to congregate, spreading disease.

An opt-in program, high contamination rates, and a lack of infrastructure are some of the challenges Detroit faces.

The attorney general on Wednesday filed a brief in Wisconsin federal court supporting a Native American tribe’s effort to shut down the Line 5 pipeline over fears of a rupture into a river that runs through tribal land.

Nearly a quarter of the material sent to landfills is wasted food. Amid a push to address the problem in Michigan, grocers and nonprofits are using technology to get soon-to-expire food off the shelves.

Heavy winter storms resulted in eroded trails and fallen trees at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Tahquamenon Falls State Park. Park rangers are now working long hours to finish the repairs for the summer season.

Among possible changes to Michigan’s deer hunting regulations: More opportunity for youth and disabled hunters, and the return of antler-point restrictions in 19 Michigan counties.

A naming committee will seek input from members in selecting a new name, aiming to finalize the change by Sept. 1.

Allergy season is approaching and could be more intense than previous years. Bridge Michigan spoke to an allergist who said climate change could play a role in how common seasonal allergies are becoming.

Another geomagnetic storm is expected to make the light show visible across much of the northern U.S. late at night. Your odds improve if you are far from city lights, there is no cloud cover and luck is with you.

The Edenville and Sanford dams once blocked invasive lampreys from entering upstream rivers. But the 2020 dam failures provided an opening, and lamprey now threaten native fish. Regulators say they have a plan.

Lawmakers revive years-long debate over who has authority over siting new sand and gravel mines: municipalities or the state?

Mapping currents allows scientists to understand the path pollution takes and maximize the efficiency of boats and vessels.