Great Lakes
The Great Lakes basin contains 20 percent of the world’s fresh water. It is home to 10 percent of the U.S. population who depend on the lakes and the rivers that feed into them for clean drinking water, agricultural production, manufacturing, industry, transportation, and shipping.
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Great Lakes
1007 Lake Drive SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49506
The effort to save America’s best free-flowing streams had some of its earliest beginnings in this region — Michigan’s Au Sable is a beloved Wild and Scenic River.
But many of the rivers of the Great Lakes basin have been heavily impacted by industry, invasive species, and a changing climate. Antiquated sewer systems are unable to withstand more frequent and intense storms causing combined sewer overflows – disproportionately impacting communities of color. Asian carp and other invasive species pose a significant threat to native fish. Polluted runoff from both rural and urban lands increases erosion and puts public health at risk by contaminating drinking water supplies.
With climate change bringing more frequent and intense floods and adding new challenges for clean water, our work to protect the region’s rivers is more important than ever.
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Key Issues
Clean water: Clean water is essential for health, and rivers provide the water our communities need. We’re working to ensure all people have access to clean water. And, we are working to ensure that the hundreds of millions of dollars available from the federal infrastructure legislation flows where it’s most needed — to improve climate resiliency, safety, and health.
River Protection: Michigan is a national leader in River Protection at the federal and state levels with more designated Wild and Scenic Rivers, 26, than any other state except Oregon and California and its robust Natural Rivers Program is the strongest system of state protected rivers in the nation. Today American Rivers is leading an effort to explore improving stewardship, increasing restoration funding for protected rivers, and seek new protections for rivers such as the Lower Huron River which is a candidate Partnership Wild and Scenic River. This designation would substantially increase annual funding to support successful restoration and stewardship of this outstanding river.
Track record of success
Hydropower: Our effort to reform the operations of hydropower dams has resulted in hundreds of miles of restored rivers such as Michigan’s Muskegon and Manistee.
Clean Water: Our report Catching the Rain identified and promoted best practices for protecting clean water.
River Protection: American Rivers along with its partners in Michigan including local river groups and the Michigan United Conservation Clubs championed the Michigan Scenic Rivers Act, enacted into law in 1992, which protected 569 miles of Wild and Scenic Rivers, more than any other state east of the Rocky Mountains. Many of the state’s most outstanding rivers such as the Au Sable, the Manistee, the Pere Marquette, Ontonagan, and Presque Isle are now a part of the National Wild and Scenic River System supporting habitat, clean water, and fantastic recreation to surrounding communities.
Projects: We have leveraged our research into community-based demonstration projects in Toledo, Grand Rapids, and Milwaukee.
