Imagine all the water in Michigan—dried up, contaminated, gone.
What would you miss the most?
For me, it would be my grandma’s cabin on the White River. I have been kayaking there for as long as I can remember, and each time is just as fun as the last. Whether we go for an hour or three, I always have fun. Kayaking is peaceful (if you mind the rocks) and there is always so much to see and do-- I have kayaked behind sandhill cranes as they go about fishing, scooped turtles off rocks, fished from the shores and jumped off every bridge.
Or perhaps, for you, it would be going swimming in Lake Michigan and getting ice cream afterword (Traverse City Cherry, anyone?), exploring our thousands of campgrounds, parks, waterfalls, forests, islands, and lakes. From rock hunting for Yooperlites and scuba-diving at Whitefish point to picking apples and drinking hot cider, there is an endless list of what I would miss about Michigan if there was no more water.
Yet, this threat is an actual reality.
But it’s not too late.
Not yet.
I am proud of all our state has to offer, but what makes Michigan so special-- gives Michigan its magic-- is our water. Our vast lakes of freshwater drive everything that is Michigan: It is easily our most vital resource.
Unfortunately, our freshwater needs our help.
Why?
• Blue Triton (formerly Nestle) pumps 288 gallons of water PER MINUTE from Michigan. The effects are already being seen in the surrounding area, with trout populations plummeting in Osceola Township. Read Here: https://theworld.org/stories/2018-02-04/tiny-michigan-town-water-fight-n...
• 22 MILLION POUNDS of plastic debris enter the Great Lakes every year. This plastic is in our drinking water and in our fish. Read Here: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161219151752.htm
• Line 5, the oil pipeline from Canada to Michigan, has already leaked more than a million gallons of crude oil into the surrounding waters. Read Here: http://www.gtbindians.org/downloads/line_5_pipeline_101.pdf#:~:text=Line....
• Agricultural pollution (fertilizers) runoff and create harmful and toxic algal blooms. These algal blooms produce dangerous conditions for humans and wildlife, which can result in the death of countless fish and beach closures. Read Here: https://www.michigan.gov/egle/0,9429,7-135-3313_3681_3686_3728-383630--,...
• Flint’s water crisis has been going on for over six years. Read Here: https://www.nrdc.org/stories/flint-water-crisis-everything-you-need-know
• Benton Harbor’s water crisis began in 2018 due to contamination of lead. Read Here: https://abcnews.go.com/US/benton-harbors-water-crisis-highlights-failing....
• Over 40 million people get their drinking water from the great lakes.
We Michiganders need to act.
Without our water, we can’t make the memories we make today. Our future generations won’t be able to make the beautiful memories we have.
Without our water—all that is Michigan falls away.
So, join a conservation effort like MCWC (https://savemiwater.org/), grab a bag and clean your local river, ease up on the fertilizer, and keep yourself informed on Michigan’s water issues.
Before it’s too late.
