Current Environmental News

Discover current environmental news articles in Michigan and throughout the Great Lakes region, as well as national environmental news events, that affect you.

In addition to current news items, there are local volunteer opportunities, workshops and events - find out what is happening in your community to keep Michigan green!


Current Archive
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Restoration Efforts Don't Always Go As Planned

Thursday, May 23, 2013 (7 reads)

With every construction project comes some level of risk. And when things during a particular project go wrong, everyone always wants to know who's at fault. That is the question with a dam removal project conducted last fall. Did a botched removal make spring flooding and property damage worse or was it just the consequences of an extremely heavy rainy season on a natural floodplain?

New Webpage Makes Finding Family Fishing Locations Easier

Monday, May 20, 2013 (10 reads)

If you did not grow up with fishing as part of your life, you may feel a little lost as to where to go. How do you know if a particular body of water is good for fishing? How do you know what kind of fish you might catch? Do you need a boat or is there shoreline access? These kinds of questions are especially relevant if you are thinking about introducing your children to the sport.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has created a new webpage in an effort to make these kinds of questions easier to answer. The Family Friendly Fishing Waters webpage lists locations by county that have been deemed "family friendly." Sites were chosen based on accessibility, high likelihood of catching fish, included amenities, etc. Anglers are also invited to submit their own locations (if they'd like to share that is), which will be verified by the DNR before being added to their map.

Michigan Natural Resources Program Replicated in Wisconsin

Friday, May 17, 2013 (15 reads)

They say that mimicry is the highest form of flattery. Hopefully this turns out to be the case in Wisconsin, where Michigan's Natural Shoreline Partnership is being modified and implemented. Natural shorelines, versus concrete seawalls, serve as essential habitat areas for many fish and wildlife species, fight erosion from wave action, and filter runoff. Michigan's inland-lake program certifies contractors in how to create these types of shorelines through an intensive voluntary workshop conducted each year.

After the Most Recent Leak Palisades Nuclear Plant Needs a Long-Term Repair, Says NRC

Monday, May 13, 2013 (31 reads)

The Palisades Nuclear Plant in Covert, MI remains offline following a refueling tank leak which resulted in 79 gallons of "slightly" radioactive water being drained into Lake Michigan. But the question weighing on the minds of south Michigan residents, as well as those in the rest of the southern Lake Michigan basin, is "how radioactive is 'slightly' radioactive?" Fortunately, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the NRC) the dose was well below the federal limit. They are still, however, calling for a more permanent fix given the plant's track record.

Loss of Eastern Hemlock Will Mean Water Use Changes

Friday, May 10, 2013 (32 reads)

Like the American Chestnut and American Elm before it, the Eastern Hemlock is now under attack from a foreign invader - the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid. This small insect is causing drastic changes in the forest structure of Hemlock-heavy areas like the southern Appalachian region of the U.S. Major changes in forest composition can result in changes in the water use of that forest throughout the year.