Water

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.

For years, Washtenaw County’s relationship with the "forever chemicals" known as PFAS has centered on massive industrial pollution along the Huron River, like the Tribar industrial spill upstream. Yet, a two-year, proactive study by the Multi Lake Water and Sewer Authority entirely flips that script, revealing that the low-level PFAS consistently detected in local wastewater isn’t a corporate spill—it's coming from everyday consumer products used inside Dexter and Lyndon Township homes. Rebekah Warren discussed the study and what actions may come from it with Daniel Brown, climate resilient specialist and emerging contaminant for the Huron River Watershed Council.

It's the first "1st Friday" with former state lawmaker Rebekah Warren and Michigan League of Conservation Voters President/CEO Lisa Wozniak as your hosts. For this month's edition of "1st Friday Focus on the Environment," Rebekah and Lisa talked about the current state of the Great Lakes with Cameron Davis, who served as a senior advisor to the administrator of the EPA and as "Great Lakes Czar" during the Obama administration.

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.

Michigan Senate Democrats released their proposal for new data center regulations Thursday. Colin Jackson has more.

U.S. Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) introduced legislation Tuesday that would direct millions to help low-income families with their water bills. WEMU’s Caroline MacGregor reports.

The City of Ann Arbor has announced its plans to reconfigure the intersection at Pontiac Trail and Dhu Varren Road. WEMU’s Ana Longoria reports.

Chloride from excessive road salt runoff is endangering several Ann Arbor creeks and other waterways. That’s the findings of a workgroup of the city’s Sustainability Commission. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

We often ask ourselves how we can make a difference in the health of our environment at home. One of the answers is to build a rain garden. There are now well over 1,000 rain gardens in Washtenaw County as the Water Resources Commissioner's Office has scaled a decentralized network to capture and filter stormwater. It's making a difference, and the effort will expand this year. WEMU's David Fair gets more details in a conversation with Rain Garden Coordinator, Susan Bryan.