Huron River

The pending removal of the Peninsular Dam later this year has caused concern for specific animals in its ecosystem. A group of local volunteers have concluded an effort to relocate mussels around the dam this summer. WEMU’s Joshua Nieman reports.

Trinity Health Ann Arbor is launching a new program designed to show that in-patient healing can go beyond hospital walls. Its "Hospital Without Walls" initiative fundamentally redefines modern healthcare by physically integrating medical wellness with the surrounding natural ecosystem. Rebekah Warren discussed this innovative and environmentally friendly plan with Lacey Sapkiewicz, Senior Vice President of Operations at Trinity Health Ann Arbor and Livingston.

The Huron River has experienced an uptick in litter over the past several years. The City of Ann Arbor has been working on ways to address this growing issue. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has the story.

Ypsilanti Township has approved a 180-day moratorium on any new major electric infrastructure. It’s on the heels of The University of Michigan’s decision to build a high-tech computing center on a parcel next to the Huron River. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

University of Michigan Regent Paul Brown says he opposes the decision to place the proposed Los Alamos computer facility at the Textile Road location in Ypsilanti Township. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

Residents in the Middle Huron River Watershed are facing an escalating environmental challenge as warmer summers and severe storm events increasingly trigger harmful cyanobacteria blooms, which threaten recreational water use, local wildlife, and the health of our regional impoundments like Ford Lake. Rebekah Warren discussed the matter and the actions being taken to fight it with Ric Lawson, director of programs for the Huron River Watershed Council.

A creek on the west side of Ann Arbor is being restored to improve the city’s stormwater quality. WEMU’s Ana Longoria reports.

PFAS. Few environmental issues have affected Michigan communities more directly than these so-called "forever chemicals," which have been found in our waterways, groundwater, and drinking water systems across the state. In her first segment as host of "Issues of the Environment," Rebekah Warren was joined by U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan. They discussed what local and national actions have been taken and what is needed to prevent further PFAS contamination.

Climate change has brought more unpredictable weather, and that has resulted in more severe storms and more flooding, more dams at risk and that, of course, puts property and lives in danger. Around here, we depend on the Huron River. The Digital Water Lab at the University of Michigan has set a network of real-time sensors to improve water monitoring, flood response and coordination among dam operators. WEMU's David Fair got a lesson in how that works in a conversation with U-M Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Branko Kerkez.

The expansion of Ann Arbor’s Downtown Development Authority (DDA)’s boundary to the Huron River is expected to benefit the city’s northern corridors. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.