Great Lakes, Great Michigan!

Clean Water Action Stands Up to Protect Michigan’s Water in an Increasingly Thirsty World.

Most Michigander's are surprised to find out Michigan is the only Great Lakes state with no legislative protections against water withdrawals or diversions out of the Great Lakes basin. Michigan faces the continued risk of water being bottled or shipped out-of state and overseas until our lawmakers take action.

Residents who live in the Great Lakes Basin are increasingly aware of the reality that other states and countries are facing water shortages. Loss of water from drought and overuse in the arid Southwest, for example, is making the Great Lakes an obvious target for water diversion. Yet Michigan is the only Great Lakes state without protections for Keeping Michigan's waters in Michigan.

Although conversations and attempts to protect the lakes and inland waters have been on going for years, the urgency to join the fight to keep Michigan's water in Michigan is intensifying. A council of the eight Great Lakes governors and Canadian premiers from Ontario and Quebec are slated to meet early in the spring of 2005 to finalize agreements to regulate large-scale water diversions from the Great Lakes. If Michigan comes to the bargaining table with no water use legislation on the books, we severely decrease our leverage in discussions with other states.

Last legislative session, several bills were introduced to address the issue of regulating water withdrawals. However, the legislation died in the Senate and with the end of the 2004 legislative session.

Clean Water Action is hopeful that with many new lawmakers in Lansing, commitment by Governor Granholm as her top environmental issue going into 2005, unified support in the environmental community and strong public agreement, that we can be successful in passing strong water protection legislation in 2005.

News Release: Clean Water Action and Others Unveil Great Lakes Water
Proposals to Stop ‘Anything Goes’ Michigan Water Exports

Michigan Groups Urge Governor to Protect Water Resources.

Click Here to view March 24, 2005 press release
Click Here to read the DEQ Letter to City of Evart.

Thousands Write State Lawmakers: ‘Keep Michigan’s Waters In Michigan’

Click Here to view the Press Release