Win! Nipigon Bay Delisted as Area of Concern
39 years after being designated as an Area of Concern (AOC), Nipigon Bay is finally being delisted. Nipigon Bay and Nipigon River lie at the northern tip of Lake Superior, and almost 50,000 acres have now been rehabilitated, thanks to the ongoing efforts of Indigenous communities, community voices, and government agencies. Originally impaired from paper mill discharge, logging debris, and wastewater discharges, the area is now seeing major improvements in water quality and insect and fish populations. The rehabilitation consisted of 35 projects, including a new wastewater control plant to stop raw sewage from being dumped into the river, re-naturalizing rivers, and restoring wetland and spawning grounds for fish. Marking the first Canadian AOC to be delisted since 2010, this is a significant victory for the region and all who were dedicated to the restoration and protection of the area. As with all delistings, this is not the end, care must always be taken to prevent future harm to our waters.
Project Grant Spotlight: Williams County Alliance and the St. Joseph River Watershed Monitoring Project
What’s in the water? For the last year, volunteers from the Ohio-based Williams County Alliance monitored the impact of unpermitted cattle feeding operations that are impacting the St. Joseph watershed. Their outreach made local leaders more aware of poor manure management practices and neighbors are more willing to get involved by reporting incidents. The Williams County Alliance completed this project in collaboration with a 2025 Spring Project Grant from Freshwater Future. Interested in applying for a grant? See below for more information on our Fall Project Grant Cycle!
Photo credit: Williams County Alliance
Funding Available for Your Water Work – New Q&A Recording Available!
Freshwater Future’s Fall Project Grants cycle is open until September 30th and we are looking for grassroots advocacy projects that will make a permanent change throughout the Great Lakes! Your local community organization could receive up to $5,000 in funding to protect drinking water, shorelines, inland lakes, rivers, wetlands, and groundwater throughout the region. We encourage you to call us to discuss your project ideas to confirm eligibility and what counts as advocacy. Contact Lindsey at (231) 348-8200, ext 110, or Lindsey@freshwaterfuture.org with any questions.
Learn more about the application process, eligible projects, and more with these resources:
- New! Recording of the Sep 2nd Grants Q&A Webinar
- Read our RFP here
- Visit our Grants page
- Look over past projects to get a feel for what we are looking for
Upcoming Online and In-Person Events
Better Together: Facilitation & Meeting Basics
Tuesday, September 15, 2026 11 am CT / 12 pm ET
Protecting water often requires holding meetings. Join Freshwater Future on September 15th to gain some tips on effective meeting facilitation and design. You will learn how to create meetings that are outcome-driven, engaging for participants, and offer space for everyone to contribute ideas. This hour-long online session will give you practical tips and tools to take into your next meeting. Register here!
Relax with Mindfulness and Movement
Working to protect water is demanding. Join us for our Mindfulness & Movement session, a 45-minute guided session with Jonathan Relucio, to relax and restore. Can’t join? Registrants can access past session recordings here – contact alana@freshwaterfuture.org for the password. All sessions start at 10:30 am CT / 11:30 am ET.
Wednesday, September 16th Session
