The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) this week released its annual report to the Legislature highlighting a variety of efforts to protect and preserve the Great Lakes. 

The 44-page report prepared by EGLE’s Office of the Great Lakes offers an update on the department’s ongoing work in four of the five lakes, highlighting efforts to address invasive species and pollution. The report issued Tuesday also discusses investments in water infrastructure, decarbonization and the construction of the new Soo Lock. 

“Naturally, these waters and this region will always have pressing challenges that ebb and flow through the decades. But constant among the challenges is Michiganders’ resolve to make a difference for the better through bold vision, collaboration, and innovation,” EGLE Director Phil Roos said in the introduction of the report. 

The report highlighted water quality and nutrient monitoring in Lake Michigan, as well as efforts to address chemical contaminants, climate change, invasive species, and algal blooms and restore wetlands in Lake Superior. 

Nutrient monitoring is a top priority for restoration efforts in Lake Huron, with the report spotlighting efforts from the Saginaw Bay Monitoring Consortium, founded this year as a nutrient water quality monitoring network for the Saginaw Bay watershed and bay. The consortium will collect tributary water quality and stream discharge data from 18 locations within the watershed and water quality data from 10 locations within the bay. 

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The data will be made publicly available through an online dashboard and will be used to improve deployment of nutrient-related best management practices through the watershed. 

EGLE is also taking action on harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie alongside the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). It also spotlighted projects to soften the shoreline in Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River System. 

The Office of the Great Lakes noted some of its accomplishments for the year, including funding a $100,000 study into water conservation best practices to benefit the state’s water sector, contribute to the state’s healthy climate goals, support long term water resource sustainability and advance the state’s water conservation and efficiency goals under the Great Lakes Compact. 

It also hired a Great Lakes stewardship coordinator who will lead the development of collaborations to educate all generations of Michiganders about the Great Lakes ecosystem, water conservation and stewardship.

EGLE, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC) are also collaborating on a statewide strategy to decarbonize, electrify and increase sustainability of ports, harbors and the maritime economy.

“The Great Lakes’ health requires a culture of stewardship and rebuilding relationships to the natural world. Programs and policies that are human-centric and address environmental injustices, centered around stewardship and sustainability, will position Michigan to address water resource challenges that may intensify due to climate change and societal needs,” Emily Finnell, Great Lakes senior advisor and strategist, wrote in the report.   

“The [Office of the Great Lakes] will continue serving the people of Michigan; building collaborative inclusive partnerships; and increasing the collective capacity of individuals, communities, and many partners to improve well-being and ensure the long-term sustainability of the world’s premier freshwater ecosystem,” Finnell wrote.

EGLE also committed to addressing the state’s remaining 11 areas of concern by 2030. Fourteen original areas of concern in Michigan were identified under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Three have already been restored: White Lake, Menominee River and Deer Lake. 

Cleanup of contaminated sediments in these sites will take time, EGLE’s Area of Concern Supervisor, Melanie Foose, wrote in the report. However, groundwork has already begun at each of the sites, including the Rouge and Detroit rivers. 

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The report also highlighted restoration efforts at Ox Creek in and around Benton Harbor, offered an update on Great Lakes fisheries management and discussed efforts to address invasive carp and hydrilla, a fast-spreading, invasive aquatic plant. 

It also offered an update on the State’s progress to conserve 30% of its land and water by 2030, a target set by the MI Healthy Climate Plan to help meet Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s 2030 goal of reducing Michigan’s greenhouse gas emission by 52% of its 2005 emissions levels. 

“Michigan is well along the path toward the 30% goal with help from a variety of organizations, agencies, and tribal governments already implementing or funding conservation across the state,” Scott Whitcomb, director of the DNR’s office of public lands, said in the report. 

“These conserved areas protect and provide access to millions of acres of forests, wetlands, streams, and lakes. As a result, future generations will enjoy the benefits they provide: habitat for fish, wildlife and plants; natural spaces for fishing, hunting, and other outdoor recreation; clean air and water; carbon storage; and a robust natural resource and outdoor recreation economy,” Whitcomb said. 

In order to fully meet the 2030 goal, residents of the State will need to work together, Whitcomb said, noting that the DNR is working with partners including the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians and The Nature Conservancy to build a coalition of nongovernmental organizations and state, federal, tribal and local governments to meet the target. 

In the face of increased rainfall and intensifying storms, EGLE’s Water Resource Division is also taking steps to address challenges climate change has presented for the state’s water infrastructure.

The division’s Climate Change Implementation Plan, announced in the fall, issues a number of requirements and recommendations to improve infrastructure resiliency and minimize the impact of climate change on Michigan’s water resources. 

The full report — which also includes updates on groundwater data management and research into coastal resilience — is available through EGLE’s website under the Office of the Great Lakes.