The Town of Bayview, Wis., joined forces with two land conservancies to preserve 77 acres of ecologically significant land known as Houghton Falls, which includes 2,200 feet of shoreline along Lake Superior’s Chequamegon Bay.

The removal of a 165-year-old dam in Campbellsport, Wis., opened fish passage in the uppermost 25 miles of the Milwaukee River and restored 22 acres of wetlands.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative helped a Michigan conservation district add 1,475 acres of ecologically significant wetlands to the Bete Grise Preserve along Lake Superior.

The installation of rocky reefs in the St. Clair River delta created 40,000 square feet of spawning habit for lake sturgeon, which is expected to bolster the population of this iconic Great Lakes fish species.

Reducing prescription drugs that are washed down sinks and toilets also reduced the risk of active compounds contaminating drinking water sources.

Scientists have established a water-quality monitoring program in an effort to reduce Type E botulism outbreaks that have killed thousands of birds in recent years at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

A massive cleanup is transforming one of America’s most polluted rivers, the Grand Calumet, which has long been a major source of toxins entering Lake Michigan.