Success Stories

Before closing out 2024, we want to take some time to celebrate some of the clean water wins this past year. The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition is grateful for our partners across the eight-state Great Lakes region and these successes wouldn’t have been possible without their continual efforts; thank you, all!

To help combat tree inequity, nonprofit environmental advocacy organization Faith in Place was awarded $1.99 million by the U.S. Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program to increase urban tree canopies in the Great Lakes region. Made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, these funds will allow Faith in Place to facilitate tree planning and workforce development projects at faith institutions and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations serving disadvantaged communities throughout Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin.

Deep in the heart of urban Chicago, a network of floating wetlands is restoring native wildlife habitats, increasing biodiversity, and encouraging recreation along the north branch of the Chicago River. Known as The Wild Mile, the interconnected islands were installed by grassroots environmental restoration organization Urban Rivers in 2017 and have since been dubbed the world’s first floating eco-park.

In 2019, Save the Dunes joined forces with the Indiana Dunes National Park and other regional partners to increase habitat connectivity and migration pathways for pollinators—some of the most important creatures in the global ecosystem.

Learn more about the work of the Water Equals Life Coalition - a group helping to address the impacts of water insecurity and advocating for water justice and affordability in Michigan and beyond.

The 330-acre Coveyou Scenic Farm focuses on environmentally sustainable farming practices using solar power, geothermal cooling, collected rainwater, underground drip irrigation, and natural fertilizers.

Adding accessible ramps, boat launches, trails, and signage is helping visitors with disabilities access a culturally and environmentally significant Great Lakes destination.

Restoring the natural flow of Nanticoke Creek and removing old dams and culverts will help prevent further acid mine drainage, erosion, flooding, and waterway pollution.

Replacing lead water service pipes in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, will reduce the risk of toxic lead exposure for children and adults.

Planning grant sets the stage for revitalizing one of the most polluted bodies of water in New York by restoring wetlands, protecting native species, and reducing pollutants into Lakes Erie and Ontario.

The Village of Skokie, Illinois, is planting at least 450 trees by 2028, reducing heat islands and improving health outcomes for its 68,000 residents.

Improvements to the downtown Lakewalk in Duluth, Minnesota, are increasing climate resiliency, public safety, and accessibility, along the Lake Superior coastline.

Upgrading wastewater infrastructure in Lansing, Michigan, is preventing millions of gallons of sewage from overflowing into local waterways, protecting water quality, and improving public health.

Removing an unsafe low-head dam in Indiana’s Mississinewa River leads to increased fish habitat, safer recreation, improved water quality, and increased flood prevention.

Learn more about the work of Brown Faces Green Spaces, a nonprofit environmental education organization dedicated to helping People of Color connect with nature in Indiana and beyond.

Learn more about the work of the the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship to usher in the future of the dairy industry in the United States by focusing on two key elements: environmental sustainability and people.

Cleveland Water Alliance, along with dozens of regional partner organizations, has deployed more than 200 sensors to water sources throughout the Lake Erie region to create the most digitally connected watershed in the world.

In northwest Indiana along the East Branch of the Little Calumet River, ecologists are working to restore populations of native mussels, an often-overlooked natural resource that improves water quality in tributaries off Lake Michigan.

Many have heard of Harmful Algal Blooms, but where do they come from and how do we get rid of them? Learn more in this piece about one of the biggest and most mucky issues in the Great Lakes.

Indigenous wild rice conservationists throughout the Great Lakes region are working to restore and protect this important grain from pollution and habitat destruction.

The Northwest Indiana Paddling Association has done great work to establish seven universally accessible boat launches to help people of all abilities enjoy water sports—a feat that has given the Hoosier State a new claim to fame.

When Milwaukee’s Water Equity Taskforce found that employees of the water sector in the region didn’t reflect the diversity of the community and that structural barriers prevented equitable representation, participating organizations took action.

Building up the Lac Courte Oreilles Band’s capacity for natural resource management aids in monitoring and conserving culturally important native species such as wild rice, and promotes community awareness and education around the Great Lakes ecosystem.

Funding to install two trash collection devices prevents 700 to 4,000 pounds of trash annually from reaching Presque Isle Bay and Lake Erie.

Removing impervious surfaces and impediments to fish passage in Euclid Creek will contribute to improving the local ecosystem, removing the Cuyahoga River as toxic hotspot, and restoring Lake Erie.

Building spawning beds in two Lake Ontario bays are helping native fish species as well as threatened lake sturgeon recover.

Restoring natural areas with native plants will help the city of Grand Marais absorb storm water and reduce flooding and runoff pollution into Lake Superior.

Planting over 200 trees is cooling neighborhoods thereby protecting public health, as well as soaking up rain water to mitigate flooding in communities.

Restoring wetlands in northwest Indiana helps reverse loss of vulnerable marsh birds, supports clean water and engages the community in the area’s beautification.

Analysis of fish from Lake Michigan for toxic PFOS will aid in more accurate fish consumption advisories, protecting human health.