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Great Lakes Echo - Environmental news of the Great Lakes region

Great Lakes Echo (https://greatlakesecho.org/)

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Workers in a ditch working on pipes

Michigan city continues push to replace thousands of lead water service lines

By Demonte Thomas and Great Lakes Echo | September 18, 2026

By Demonte Thomas 

Most households in Jackson, Michigan, get their water through lead pipes. But the city is making significant progress in changing that, an official said.

Shipwrecks: Cultural heritage protection and underwater tombs

Portrait of Ryan Sediemann

By Kyrmyzy Turebayeva

In a recent article, archaeologist and attorney Ryan Seidemann argues that existing laws do not always provide adequate protection for shipwrecks as cultural heritage sites and underwater burial sites.

Most of Minnesota’s gray wolf pups don’t survive first year, but population remains stable

A baby wolf

By Kyrmyzy Turebayeva

Only about 30 percent of gray wolf pups survive their first year of life even though the wolf population in the region remains stable, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Minnesota.

Invasive carp get closer to Lake Michigan as project to halt their spread is ordered to stop

Dozens of carp leaping out of the water while

By Anna Barnes

Invasive carp are spawning closer to Lake Michigan, but the federal government halted a construction project aimed to stop the fish from spreading without explanation.

More Headlines

Company pays $500,000 fine for asbestos safety violations
Project uses community input to guide tree planting in disadvantaged areas
Researchers working to increase algae growth for use in products

Climate

  • Purple lightning
    Ohio weather is full of surprises. Climate change isn’t

    By Elizabeth McGowan Across the Midwest, precipitation is increasing and falling in heavier bursts, a trend scientists link to a warming atmosphere that can hold more moisture.

More climate

Wildlife

  • A snake curled up
    Warning: Leave threatened venomous snake alone

    By Anna Barnes The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is asking the public to stop harassing the threatened eastern massasauga rattlesnake - the only native venomous snake in the state.

More wildlife

Energy

  • Landscape photo of power plant
    Michigan AG challenges the US Department of Energy again over coal plant’s forced operation

    By Anna Barnes Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel plans to file another request for rehearing with the U.S. Department of Energy over a coal-fired power plant near Lake Michigan operated by Consumers Energy.

More energy

Nearshore

  • A black and white photo of pilots posing in front of a WWII-era plane.
    Tuskegee wreckage found in the Great Lakes provides a unique opportunity to uncover untold stories

    By Joshua Kim. Wreckage of aircraft recovered from Lake Huron and the St Clair River is uncovering untold stories of the Tuskegee Airmen, predominantly African-American fighter and bomber pilots and crew who fought in World War II.

More nearshore

Waste

  • A portrait of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker
    Illinois governor signs landmark plastic pollution bill

    By Julia Roeder  Illinois becomes first Great Lakes state to classify plastic pellets as a pollutant.

More waste

Recreation

  • A forest
    Conservancy group plans new public trail in Ionia Natural Area

    By Demonte Thomas  The Mid-Michigan Land Conservancy will make its Ionia Natural Area Trail available to the public in October.

More recreation

Solutions

  • Red beetle on a leaf
    Researchers release parasitoid wasps to combat invasive beetles

    By Demonte Thomas Michigan State University researchers have launched a long-term effort to combat the invasive scarlet lily beetle, using specialized wasps instead of pesticides to reduce populations of the destructive garden pest.

Agriculture

  • A researcher gently restrains a fluffy white kestrel chick in one hand and measures a wing with calipers.
    Kestrels help farmers protect crops and improve food safety, study finds

    By Kyrmyzy Turebayeva Pest birds are a nuisance for cherry orchards. A recent study found a possible solution: attracting kestrels to nest nearby.

Water

  • Algal bloom
    How scientists predict Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms months before they appear

    By Julia Roeder Scientists can begin predicting algal blooms weeks before they become visible in the spring.

Cities & Suburbs

  • A sign reading "Gary united shows love"
    City officials in Northwest Indiana call for improved utility infrastructure

    By Akia Thrower Residents and city officials in Gary, Indiana, have called for improved utility infrastructure and accountability after an extended power outage.

About Great Lakes Echo

Environmental news of the Great Lakes region from the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism at Michigan State University.

Recent Articles

  • Ava Landgraf installs a nest camera in wetlands
    Michigan budget adds $2 million to wetlands conservation efforts
    By Akia Thrower and Great Lakes Echo
  • Sunlight through trees with a green canopy
    Historical forest biodiversity changes conservation efforts
    By Akia Thrower and Great Lakes Echo
  • Two eagles with bands on their legs
    Bald eagles help scientists map ‘forever chemicals’ in the Great Lakes region
    By Great Lakes Echo
  • O'Hara in a red jacket in a canoe on icy water
    New book explores life of legendary Minnesota canoeist Bob O’Hara
    By Kyrmyzy Turebayeva and Great Lakes Echo
  • Algal mats on water near a boat launch
    Project to remove thick mats of algae on Lake St. Clair begins this fall
    By Anna Barnes and Great Lakes Echo
  • Wildfire smoke over trees
    How wildfire smoke impacts pets, wildlife
    By Great Lakes Echo
  • Diagram of a whitefish
    Michigan fisheries get one-time funding for whitefish restoration
    By Anna Barnes and Great Lakes Echo
  • Two people canoeing
    After federal protections fall, Boundary Waters advocates prepare for next phase of mining fight
    By Great Lakes Echo
  • A drawing of a small, slim creature with tiny legs. A much larger adult looms in the background.
    Fossils found in Illinois challenge scientists’ assumptions about early land animals
    By Kyrmyzy Turebayeva
  • A medium-sized red car parked and plugged into a charger.
    Michigan expands EV infrastructure, but access remains unequal, study finds
    By Kyrmyzy Turebayeva
  • Great Lakes Echo

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