in Michigan
From 2009 through 2020, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has invested over $725 million in more than 1,500 projects in Michigan to restore habitat, fight invasive species, clean up toxic pollution, and reduce polluted runoff. Dams like the one on Wheeler Creek are being removed to allow fish to return to their old spawning grounds. Restoring wetlands around the state, like the one near Nayanquing Point, is reducing polluted runoff from reaching the Great Lakes. And sites polluted with toxins, such as the U.S. Steel site near Detroit are being cleaned up for fish and wildlife to return.
Let your members of congress know they should take action to protect the Great Lakes! Contact your senators and representative and tell them:
- The Great Lakes are our most important source of fresh water, providing drinking water to 30 million people. We must continue our efforts to clean and restore them.
- Although we have made progress the lakes still face serious threats.
- We can’t afford to stop now. These projects to clean up our lakes will only get harder and more expensive the longer we wait.

River Habitat Restoration Leads to 38-fold Increase in Trout Population
Reducing riverbank erosion and placing fallen trees in the Coldwater River restored fish habitat and led to a 38-fold increase in the site’s trout population.