Next week is #WeAreLakeErie Day
Lake Erie may be smaller and shallower than its fellow Great Lakes, but it is still a Great Lake! What isn’t great is the decades of pollution that’s compromised our relationship with it, from safe drinking water to healthy fish we can eat. While more work is needed, decades of restoration have significantly improved Lake Erie’s waters.
Lake Erie is naturally great! It is a critical stop for migrating birds. Its water creates thunder when it spills over Niagara Falls. And for time immemorial, its waters nourished indigenous peoples.
Next Friday August 14th is #WeAreLakeErie Day – Let’s honor what makes Lake Erie so special. Celebrate your love for Lake Erie with us: Submit some pictures or words of love here. We will share our collective appreciation on social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Bluesky) next Friday. You can also share your stories and pictures on social media, and we will re-share them!
Win! Michigan Supreme Court Rules Against Line 5 Tunnel Permit
Last Friday, a Michigan Supreme Court ruling brought a new win in the long battle over Line 5 and the proposed tunnel running through the Straits of Mackinac, a sacred site of creation for Anishinaabe Tribes. The Court ruled 6-1 that the Michigan Public Service Commission improperly limited the environmental review process and did not consider all aspects of the new tunnel permit. A pipeline spill would harm a culturally significant waterway, jeopardize the drinking water of over 40 million people, and devastate the regional economy.
The President of the Bay Mills Indian Community, one of the plaintiffs, says that “this decision gives us another opportunity to honor our treaty rights, protect our waters, and consider the generations who will inherit this place.” The pipeline company may reapply for the permit and the review process with public comment would restart. While this ruling does not shut down the pipeline, it is a reminder that together, we can make a difference and hold companies and regulators accountable.
Double Threats to Water: Data Centers and the Resurgence of Dirty Energy
Massive data centers for artificial intelligence, already heavy water users, are leading to the development of new water-intensive power plants across the Great Lakes. Nuclear and fossil fuel corporations and state, provincial, and federal governments see these data centers as the key to rebuilding reliance on dirty energy sources.
In the U.S., federal orders are delaying the planned retirement of coal-fired power plants to boost energy supplies for data centers, like in Indiana where legacy coal ash waste is contaminating groundwater. Retired nuclear reactors in both Michigan and New York are being pushed back online to meet skyrocketing demand. Data center developments are also pushing a resurgence in natural gas extraction and power plant construction or conversion, especially in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Canada. In Pennsylvania, data center developers plan on using energy directly from at least seven new gas-fired plants, and it would add at least 250 new fracking wells every five years. Meanwhile in Canada, with strong federal and provincial support, natural gas corporations see Great Lakes-area hyperscale data centers as a new growth opportunity.
The bottom line: these mammoth computer server farms require unprecedented amounts of water for either onsite cooling or offsite energy generation. As developers rush to take Great Lakes water for new industries, they are also delaying a clean energy transition and polluting our freshwater.
U.S. Federal Government Pauses Invasive Carp Protection Project
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stopped work at the Brandon Road lock, which would keep invasive carp from entering Lake Michigan through the Illinois River. For decades, Great Lakes states and the federal government have been working to finalize plans and funding for this solution. Because these fish would devastate the entire Great Lakes ecosystem, Freshwater Future urges the U.S. Army Corps to provide an explanation for this pause and new administrative review.
Updated! Upcoming Online and In-Person Events
New! Lake Michigan Day, Manitowoc, Wisconsin – Friday, August 14, 8:30am-3pm (Central)
Next week, join Freshwater Future grantee, the Lakeshore Natural Resource Partnership, for a day to learn, celebrate, and connect about the opportunities, challenges, and collaborative solutions shaping the future of Lake Michigan. Learn more and register here: https://www.lnrp.org/lake-michigan-day.
Public Charities Can Lobby: How Your 501(c)(3) Can Influence Policy for the Greater Good – Tuesday, August 18, 12:00 pm ET
Freshwater Future’s partner, Alliance for Justice, will lead our next monthly session focused on nonprofit lobbying “Do’s and Don’ts”. Please note that this session will not be recorded.
Relax with Mindfulness and Movement
All are invited to this free, 45-minute guided session with Jonathan Relucio, an expert with over 20 years of experience. Join us to relax and restore each month, and please invite others! Can’t join? Registrants can access past session recordings here – contact alana@freshwaterfuture.org for the password.
Wednesday, August 19, 11:30 am (Eastern) Register here!
Wednesday, September 16, 11:30 am (Eastern) Register here!
New! Grants Q&A Webinar – September 2nd, 12-1pm (Eastern)
Join Freshwater Future staff to learn more about our grant programs, what projects are eligible to receive funding, and how to set yourself up for success when applying. Please register by August 30th. Note that this webinar will not be recorded, but a recording of our 2025 webinar is available on our website. We hope to see you there! Register here!
New! Affordable Water Now Day of Action, Lansing, Michigan – Wednesday September 23, 2026, 8am-3pm (Eastern)
On Wednesday, September 23, 2026, we’ll gather at the Michigan State Capitol for our Affordable Water Now Day of Action—and we hope you’ll join us! Never lobbied before? No problem! You do not need to be a seasoned advocate to participate, and to help you prepare, we are hosting a virtual training session! Details to be shared very soon!
