How Michigan Water School Advances Great Lakes Stewardship

How Michigan Water School Advances Great Lakes Stewardship

Michigan Water School helps city and county staff and elected and appointed officials increase their knowledge about critical Great Lakes issues impacting local watersheds. Since 2017, over 500 leaders have attended the two-day in-person workshops or virtual convenings.

MI Water School covers four topics: water quality, water quantity, water economics, and the blue economy, and water policy. Before COVID, during the two-day workshop, participants received instruction, toured wastewater treatment facilities, green infrastructure installations, coastal wetlands, and other water-related sites, and reviewed real-world scenarios to solve critical water problems. Watch the virtual convenings here.

Mayor of Eastpointe, Michigan, attended Michigan Water School in Eastpointe’s watershed, Clinton River. After attending she invited Clinton River Watershed Council to present its stormwater education program in front of City Council. Soon after, the city of Eastpointe became a WaterTown, a community-based placemaking program designed by Clinton River Watershed Council to improve water quality and alleviate climate change impacts by promoting and implementing green infrastructure and advancing water-oriented community and recreation opportunities.

Learn more about Michigan Water School by reading input from many organizations during a Twitter chat we hosted with Michigan Sea Grant.

Michigan Water School is a collaborative effort between Michigan State University Extension, Michigan Sea Grant, and watershed organizations, with support from the Erb Family Foundation.

Find which watershed you live in by exploring a map of the Great Lakes watersheds.