As states in the South and West dry up, they're coveting the Great Lakes' bounty of freshwater. Things are really heating up. We'll constantly be adding links to stories and videos about this battle over resources.

Clicking a link will open the story on the right side of the page.

In addition, head to our Message Boards to sound off on this issue. Should the Great Lakes share their wealth -- or is that idea all wet?

Seal the leaks
"The wagons were already in a circle. What?s needed is for the pact uniting the states and provinces that surround the Great Lakes to win its various layers of ratification so that the means of protecting that vital natural resource will be made markedly stronger." Read More...

Granholm to sign lake protection law at Saugatuck's Oval Beach
"Proving that water transcends politics, Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm on Wednesday will sign new Great Lakes protection legislation on a beach in the hometown of Republican Sen. Patricia Birkholz." Read More...

Stickland signs ceremonial Compact

"Hundreds of people came to the grounds of the Marblehead Lighthouse Monday afternoon to witness Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland?s ceremonial signing of the Great Lakes Compact. State leaders, members of environmental groups and others gathered in the bright sunshine, with temperatures in the 90s. The Ohio Senate approved the measure June 10 and Strickland has already signed the actual bill." Read More...

Wet June helps lake levels
"For boaters on Lake St. Clair and the businesses who rely on them, the dark, moisture-making clouds of June had a silver lining. Frequent and heavy rain helped push the lake's water level 4 inches high than a year ago, providing relief to boating enthusiasts and business owners impacted by lower levels in recent years." Read More...

Pa. Senate OKs Great Lakes compact
"The state Senate unanimously approved a bill yesterday that would allow Pennsylvania to join a multistate compact to protect and manage the water in the Great Lakes." Read More...

Saving Our Lakes
"Michigan's normally nasty partisan politicians deserve credit for finally putting their differences aside and following Ohio's lead in voting to ratify the Great Lakes Compact, designed to protect the lakes against having their water diverted elsewhere." Read More...

How Much Water Is Lost In The Great Lakes Basin?
"Do you ever wonder how much of the water that we remove from the Great Lakes for use in everyday products such as food, ethanol, household chemicals or paper products is not returned? Or what type of use is most likely to cause these losses?" Read More...

Shut the spigots on selling out state water.
"Do you think Michigan's lakes, streams and connected groundwater are a resource the public owns, or do you think they should be up for sale to the highest bidder? A bidder who could then market the water anywhere in the world?" Read More...

Great Lakes compact focus shifting to Congress.
"A year ago, it seemed a proposed interstate compact designed to prevent thirstier regions from raiding the Great Lakes might be sunk by squabbles among the eight states with jurisdiction over the vast reservoir." Read More...

Water protection bills near passage.
"Legislation designed to protect Michigan water and join the state in a regional compact to prevent the diversion of Great Lakes water was hailed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm as "a defining moment in Michigan history" as it neared final passage Wednesday." Read More...

Saving our lakes.
"Michigan's normally nasty partisan politicians deserve credit for finally putting their differences aside and following Ohio's lead in voting to ratify the Great Lakes Compact, designed to protect the lakes against having their water diverted elsewhere." Read More...

Don't jeopardize key to farmers' livelihood.
"Michigan Environmental Council President Lana Pollack's June 18 commentary, "Legislators must guard spigot to Great Lakes water," does not deserve a response for content, but for its assault on the character of Michigan farmers." Read More...

Get Great Lakes Compact to finish line.
"OK, Michigan. OK, Pennsylvania. If Ohio can do it, you can. The Ohio General Assembly's vote last week to ratify the Great Lakes Compact -- an international agreement which must be approved by all eight Great Lakes states and the Canadian province of Ontario before it can become law -- is an important step in protecting an important natural resource." Read More...

U.S. Coast Guard policy would allow lake freighters to keep dumping refuse.

"Freighters could continue dumping tons of coal and other dry cargo residues into the Great Lakes indefinitely under a proposed U.S. Coast Guard policy. Federal law and an international treaty prohibit ships from dumping waste into the Great Lakes. But since 1993, an interim policy approved by the Coast Guard and Congress has allowed freighters to wash non-toxic cargo residues off ship decks and into the Great Lakes after leaving port; the practice must be conducted at least five miles offshore." Read More...

Ballast regulations progress reported.
"Lawmakers have struck a deal expected to take the multistate Great Lakes compact out of Senate dry dock and make Ohio the seventh state to approve it this week." Read More...

Great Lakes deal vital to our water.
"Read the headlines from around the nation, and you will realize Michigan has one commodity that many states would place in high demand this summer: water." Read More...

Ballast regulations progress reported.
"Substantial progress has been made in the past year regarding regulation of ballast water discharges into area waters, according to the Great Lakes Ballast Water Working Group which has released the Great Lakes Ballast Water Management Report." Read More...

State House passes more of its water management plan.
"Michigan lawmakers haven't reached a final deal to regulate water withdrawal from state lakes and rivers, but they have set the boundaries for a possible compromise." Read More...

It's too early to cheer over Great Lakes pact.
"Everyone in the Capitol, on both sides of the aisle, is bragging about the passage of the Great Lakes Compact. Gov. Jim Doyle signed the legislation, enviros cheered, the good wine was opened. Smiles and back slaps all around." Read More...

Parched areas beginning to eye Great Lakes water supply.
"In the Southwest, everything from towing icebergs to seeding clouds is under consideration as the massive area served by the Colorado River basin struggles with a historic drought." Read More...

Wisconsin 5th to sign Great Lakes compact.
"Wisconsin became the fifth state Tuesday to ratify the Great Lakes Compact after Gov. Jim Doyle signed in Green Bay what he called a historic, bipartisan agreement that will preserve the state's future." Read More...

Is Wisconsin a winner in water compact?.
"State lawmakers are proud of the agreement they reached to ratify the compact protecting Great Lakes water from raids by dry regions. Gov. Jim Doyle signed the legislation Tuesday amid fanfare on the Lake Michigan shore." Read More...

Beware thirsty Americans, Kennedy tells Canada.
"Canadians should be seriously concerned about wasteful lifestyles south of the border that could leave the U.S. dry and looking north for water, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Thursday." Read More...

Ohio likely to be 7th state to OK lakes pact.
"The Ohio Senate unanimously agreed yesterday to put the question of water property rights directly before voters, breaking a logjam that long has blocked ratification of the multistate Great Lakes compact." Read More...

Senate agreement on water compact set for next week.

"Ohio senators agreed Wednesday to pass the Great Lakes Water Compact and a constitutional amendment that will protect Ohioans' rights to groundwater next week, an official said. The compact, an agreement between the eight Great Lakes States that would keep lake water from being diverted to drier parts of the country, would become effective Dec. 8, said Sen. Mark Wagoner, R-Ottawa Hills." Read More...

Waukesha Water Utility would pay any Great Lakes tap fees.
"If Waukesha decides to ask permission to tap into Lake Michigan as a long term water supply, it won?t cost the city anything. The price tag for submitting an application through the likely-to-be-approved Great Lakes Compact for a water diversion would be borne by the Waukesha Water Utility, said Dan Duchniak, the utility?s general manager." Read More...

Ohio lags behind in Great Lakes pact.
"With Michigan and Wisconsin ratifying the proposed Great Lakes water compact Wednesday, the next moves by Ohio Sen. Tim Grendell (R., Chesterland) will be all the more intriguing." Read More...

Constitutional amendment would protect water rights.
"Ohio Sen. Tim Grendell today will pitch his proposed constitutional amendment to protect private property rights that he claims would be eroded by the eventual passage of the Great Lakes Water Compact." Read More...

Great Lakes Compact requires prompt action.
"State lawmakers need to wrap up work on adopting the Great Lakes Compact, an interstate agreement that strengthens the power of governors in the region to protect the lakes from diversion to thirstier parts of the country." Read More...

Lake levels take a dip.
"If boaters run aground early in the season, they might have to blame themselves -- not the Lake Erie water levels. The lake, though down about an inch from a year ago, is still about 3.15 inches above its long-term average of 571.9 feet above sea level, said George Cotroneo of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers." Read More...

Port Huron to host federal water hearing.
"Rep. Candice Miller will be in town Monday and she's bringing the federal government with her. Advertisement Not the entire government -- just a U.S. House subcommittee hearing chaired by Rep. Jim Oberstar, D-Minn." Read More...

Great Lakes Compact interest dries up.
"Local activists want to make a splash about the Great Lakes Compact. Yet recent efforts have attracted little community interest. Three area events this week -- two in Mansfield on Monday and one in Ashland on Tuesday -- have had a total of five people in attendance. No one showed up for the Ashland meeting, which was scheduled for the South Patio Room of Trinity Lutheran Church." Read More...

Manmade cures may not fix Great Lakes.
"Rain can change the debate on Great Lakes water levels. But after about an inch of rain was expected to have fallen on the lake system's basin over the weekend and into this week, drier conditions are forecast." Read More...

Lake Superior is 10 inches higher than May 2007.
"The level of Lake Superior rose 6 inches in April, double the usual increase for the month, and is closest to its monthly average than any time since July 2006." Read More...

Water levels top worries, survey finds.
"A poll released Thursday shows Wisconsin residents are more worried about declining water levels than about potential troubles stemming from global warming." Read More...

http://www.mlive.com/news/chronicle/index.ssf?/base/news-14/120973951171540.xml&coll=8.
"Government officials studying sinking Great Lakes water levels said they are hoping for a big crowd at a public hearing on the issue Saturday in Muskegon." Read More...

GOP lawmakers fight linking Great Lakes Compact, budget repair.
"Three Republican legislators -- two senators and a member of the Assembly -- said legislative leaders must not tie ratification of the Great Lakes compact and passage of a budget-repair measure together in one bill." Read More...

Lakes study will not be rushed.

"A committee that's examining Great Lakes water levels won't be rushed to judgment before carefully collecting and examining all pertinent data. John Niven, communications advisor for the International Upper Great Lakes Study, said that message was received loud and clear during a public meeting Tuesday in Port Huron. "That's exactly the message. Don't rush to judgment. Let the scientists do their work," Niven said. " Read More...

Lakes' pact gets support from Toledo mayor and Fisher.
"Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner and Ohio Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher yesterday threw their weight behind the most comprehensive legislation the Great Lakes region has considered to defend itself from outsiders trying to get water from the lakes." Read More...

Author says Great Lakes water supply at risk.
"Nearly four decades after the first Earth Day launched efforts to cleanse polluted lakes and streams, a new type of water war is spreading across the Great Lakes region and around the world." Read More...

Lake basin states face similar challenges.
"Indiana is not alone in its struggles over water protection. As turmoil over BP Whiting's new wastewater permit raged last year, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management was a target of blistering criticism, some that IDEM regulators admitted was warranted." Read More...

Congressional panel hears of Great Lakes needs.
"Witnesses told a House subcommittee Friday that declining water levels of the Great Lakes and growing invasive species in those waters demand strong federal action that shouldn't be delayed." Read More...

Compromise doesn't reduce strength of water compact.
"The Great Lakes Compact will remain 100 percent intact and be passed by wide majorities in both the Wisconsin Senate and Assembly, State Sen. Bob Jauch said in Superior today. The compromise reached between proponents and critics merely clarified language in supporting documents, the Poplar Democrat said in a morning news conference at the University of Wisconsin-Superior." Read More...

Scientists coming to Bay City to discuss low water levels.
"Water levels have rebounded in all of the Great Lakes but Michigan and Huron." Read More...

GOP representatives pledge support for Great Lakes compact.
"In response to a Green Bay Press-Gazette editorial on April 1, we are writing to make it clear that as your Northeastern Wisconsin state representatives, we are committed to passing a Great Lakes Compact that protects our lakes for future generations. Preserving the Great Lakes is essential to maintaining the environment and the growing economy of Northeast Wisconsin." Read More...

So much snow, but little help for lakes .
"Even though Milwaukee was hit by near-historic levels of snow this winter, the effect of so much moisture will diminish greatly in the months to come." Read More...

Lakes compact languishes in Ohio.
"The future of the Great Lakes may be decided in Ohio and Wisconsin. As lawmakers in those two states debate details of an interstate compact aimed at protecting their waters from being drained away by diversion or wasted away by misuse, the measure is moving swiftly through six other Great Lakes states." Read More...

Time to start paying water's real price.
"Great Lakes levels are plunging yet we still treat water like it's a limitless resource. We have to get our act together and start paying the real price. And soon." Read More...

Great Lakes focus of drought debate.
"Scott Piggott came to the Climax Rotary Club to talk about conservation, but the discussion quickly turned to water." Read More...

Fisher missed the boat on Great Lakes water issue.
"Environmentalists bit their tongues and gave Ohio Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher a free pass for his outlandish speculation Monday that the Buckeye State - someday - might actually commit a 180-degree policy reversal and sell Great Lakes water to thirsty parts of the country instead of fighting to keep it here." Read More...

Wet, snowy winter raises Lake Superior's water level.
"A wet and snowy winter has Lake Superior's water levels up over last year, and the spring melt should bring it even higher, scientists say." Read More...

Lakes forecast: Tension high, and Michigan partly to blame.
"Climate change and more droughts in coming decades could add to pressure to ship Great Lakes water to thirsty regions, at the same time global warming could cause the lakes to shrink, creating a nightmare scenario, said Peter Annin, author of an influential book on the politics of Great Lakes water." Read More...

Protect Canada's water, Ottawa urged.
"Warning that most Americans see Canada as that "great green sponge up north," four organizations plan to issue a plea today to the Conservative government to protect the nation's water before it's too late." Read More...

Lt. Gov. Fisher's wrong answer on Great Lakes water.
"Some good should come from Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher's foolish statement about Ohio's most precious asset - its bountiful supply of fresh water." Read More...

Win-win water sales.
Read More...

Lake Superior water level down more than usual in March.
"Lake Superior dropped one-half-inch more than usual in March, a sign that a dry winter is causing the big lake to decline again after several months of upswing." Read More...

Not a drop to spare.
"Now that Gov. Ted Strickland has thrown cold water on his second-in-command's precipitous suggestion that Ohio might one day allow the diversion its most precious natural resource to thirsty regions of the country, we trust that Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher won't make that mistake again." Read More...

Fisher 'misspoke' on water diversion.
"Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher yesterday said he misspoke when he said Great Lakes water might someday be sold to drought-stricken parts of the country." Read More...

Ohio's Fisher visit raises possibility of selling Great Lakes water.
"Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher said yesterday the Great Lakes region may have to decide in less than a decade whether to sell water to other parts of the country that need it." Read More...

Utility could reap $4 million a year by selling more to Waukesha County.
"At least $4.3 million in yearly revenue is available to Milwaukee Water Works if Waukesha and most of the eastern tier communities of Waukesha County decide over the next few years to purchase wholesale quantities of Lake Michigan water." Read More...

Who Owns Our Water?
"A decade ago this month, a Canadian businessman got the OK to start shipping Lake Superior water to Asia -- 160 million gallons a year, tanker by tanker." Read More...

IJC releases new water regulations proposal.
"It's taken over 50 years, but the International Joint Commission is now proposing a new plan to regulate water levels. The current plan, Plan 1958-D, stated that the IJC must respect navigation, domestic and industrial use, irrigation, shorelines and the Montreal Harbor." Read More...

Great Lakes - Maximizing their potential.
"There's a reason people have lived and worked and travelled in the Great Lakes basin for centuries and there's a reason communities like Windsor, Detroit, Toronto, and Chicago have flourished within it. The basin is a natural trading nexus, located in the centre of North America, with nautical links to the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico." Read More...

Great Lakes groups push development.
"Winning federal money to rebuild roads, sewers and other infrastructure, along with attracting skilled legal immigrants, could help Great Lakes states share the global economic pie, leaders believe." Read More...

Seaway opened path for non-native species.
"Spiny water fleas from Asia foul fishing lines on Lake Superior and inland lakes." Read More...

Great Lakes aquatic invasive species: What?s happening now?.
"There are several orders and regulations in various stages regarding invasive species that have come into the lakes through the seaway." Read More...

With water, state can boost economy and help the world.
"Saturday was World Water Day, so designated by no less a body than the United Nations to call attention to the global water crisis. But you probably didn't even notice. And why would you? Hereabouts, we are relatively awash in the stuff that most of the people on the planet scrounge for daily." Read More...

Protect our lakes.
"Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama both want to be president of the United States. But, for now, each is a U.S. senator from a state where a great many people depend on the Great Lakes for their very lives." Read More...

State's water concerns tapped.
"There may be "water, water everywhere" in Michigan today, but many believe citizens must take steps now to protect this precious resource." Read More...

New York Joins Great Lakes Water Resources Compact.
"New York State will join seven other Great Lakes states and two Canadian provinces in a formal effort to protect and improve the water resources of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin." Read More...

Doyle might resort to special session to pass water compact.
"Gov. Jim Doyle urged lawmakers to pass the Great Lakes compact before they adjourn Thursday but said he would call a special session after that if necessary." Read More...

Environmental groups turn attention to laws governing Great Lakes pact.
"With passage of the Great Lakes Compact in sight, state environmental organizations are turning their attention to the accompanying legislation that will govern how it is implemented." Read More...

Doyle, Assembly at odds over Compact.
"Approve the Compact now. That?s Gov. Jim Doyle?s message to the Wisconsin Assembly, he said in Superior this morning." Read More...

Assembly rejects proposed vote on Great Lakes compact.
"The Republican majority in the state Assembly tonight blocked an effort by Democrats to hold a vote on the Great Lakes compact." Read More...

Lakes water levels expected to rebound with high snow volume.
"The melt from one of the snowiest winters in years around the Great Lakes is expected to boost water levels in the upper lakes, which had hit or approached record lows last fall, by as much as a foot this summer, bringing joy to boaters and lakeside businesses." Read More...

Senate approves Great Lakes Compact.
"The state Senate passed an interstate treaty Thursday designed to keep arid states from pulling water out of the Great Lakes. But it appears doomed anyway in the Wisconsin Legislature." Read More...

Legislature must OK Great Lakes Compact.
"State legislators must move quickly to pass the Great Lakes Compact to block communities from outside the region from accessing the lakes' water, Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton said Wednesday." Read More...

Uneven burden: Great Lakes get billions in local funds.
"There seems to be widespread agreement that our Great Lakes need to be cleaned up, restored and protected. They are, after all, a natural treasure that provide huge economic, environmental and recreational benefits not only for the region but for the entire nation." Read More...

Two minor revisions would make this deal much better.
"A healthy discussion is currently under way over whether the Wisconsin Legislature simply should rubber-stamp the current draft of the Great Lakes compact." Read More...

Tinkering a good compact to death.
"The Great Lakes are at a crossroads. There is a real threat of harm to the lakes from thirsty communities outside the natural basin of the lakes. And the Wisconsin Legislature needs to approve strong implementing legislation for the Great Lakes compact signed by the governors of the Great Lakes states more than two years ago in Milwaukee." Read More...

Waukesha officials suggest reopening Great Lakes talks.
"Two Waukesha County leaders said Thursday that state legislation on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact should not be rushed through the current legislative session because of concerns that it would allow competing states to use the agreement to squelch growth in Wisconsin." Read More...

Don't rewrite Great Lakes pact.
"The regional Great Lakes Compact advances Wisconsin's interest in protecting one of the state's -- and one of North America's -- most valuable assets." Read More...

Local communities spend far more than feds on Great Lakes.
"As hundreds of environmental activists gather in Washington today to mark Great Lakes Day in the nation's capital, a new study finds a huge gap between local communities and the federal government in funding for the lakes." Read More...

Sault goes against flow on Great Lakes funding.
"Don't necessarily include Sault Ste. Marie among the coalition of cross-border communities lashing out at senior government over its miniscule investment into Great Lakes protection and restoration." Read More...

Funds for Great Lakes make smart investment.
"Advocates for the world's greatest freshwater resource are gathering Thursday in Washington, D.C., for Great Lakes Day. As we do, the citizens of Michigan and of all the states in the Great Lakes region should take time to recognize the importance of these priceless bodies of water and what we need to do collectively to protect and preserve them." Read More...

Canada's water crisis 'escalating.'
"Canada is crisscrossed by innumerable rivers, some of which flow into three oceans. Yet Canada's fresh water isn't as abundant as you may think. And it's facing serious challenges and the looming menace of climate change, which is expected to exacerbate Canada's water problems and leave more of the world thirsting after our precious liquid resource." Read More...

Levels of lakes draw concern; Huron and Michigan fall by one metre in 10 years.

"Increasing evaporation rates may be responsible for an alarming drop in Great Lakes water levels, an expert says. James Bruce made that revelation Thursday while speaking to the annual meeting of the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority. Bruce, the co-chairperson of the public interest advisory group for the International Upper Great Lakes Study, said lakes Huron and Michigan have fallen by a metre since 1997." Read More...

Canadians plunge into talks on Lake St. Clair.
"Members of the Macomb County Blue Ribbon Commission on Lake St. Clair are reaching across the border to Canada for help in protecting the waters -- and they're finding plenty of willing partners." Read More...

We need protection for the waters of the Great Lakes basin now.

"While it is hard to imagine it in the dead of winter, summer will be upon us soon. And with summer will come hot, dry weather impacting the thirsty southern areas of the United States. We are sure this will create another season of water concerns for the south and, being as how we live in a state surrounded by fresh water, we feel it is only a matter of time before those thirsty southern states start looking our way." Read More...

Will Lake Erie water be diverted to the Parched Plains or Thirsty South?
"I don't think it will happen anytime soon, but perhaps you do. Minnesota, Illinois, New York and Indiana have ratified the original plan, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact, to hold back any fresh water diversion from the Great Lakes, including Lake Erie." Read More...

Daniels signs bill letting state join area compact on Great Lakes.
"Gov. Mitch Daniels has signed a measure that allows Indiana to join a regional compact intended to prevent water-hungry states from tapping into the Great Lakes." Read More...

Lack of dredging on Great Lakes threatens shipping.
"A Great Lakes 'dredging crisis,' magnified over the last few years by falling lake water levels, is threatening vital international shipping and the overall health of the U.S. economy." Read More...

Fouled lakes spark fertilizer debate.
"The small cove along Lake St. Clair where James and Dawn Doran bought their dream home was meant for swimming and boating. Instead, a gradual six-year buildup of vegetation and slime starting at the water's edge has rendered it virtually useless -- and the couple believe phosphorus is to blame." Read More...

New debate may dissolve water pact.
"Hopes ran high at the beginning of last week that the plan to limit Great Lakes withdrawals would be ratified by Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania and be sent to Congress for approval before the end of 2008." Read More...

Water report missing key issues.
"Michigan's draft report on state-impaired waters fails to document a dramatic increase in algae blooms in Saginaw Bay and along western Lake Erie, despite the odor problems and health risks to beachgoers." Read More...

Great Lakes protection bill gaining support.
A long-awaited bill calling for approval of a multistate agreement to protect the Great Lakes is likely to be ready for consideration by the state Legislature in the coming week. Read More...

Change sought in lakes pact.
"An eight-state compact designed to protect Great Lakes water from diversions could be delayed and potentially scuttled because of changes proposed in the Ohio and Wisconsin legislatures Thursday." Read More...

Lake Superior cargo demand increases as capacity drops.
"Shippers could face a daunting situation next month when the Soo Locks open and lakers commence a new season." Read More...

Don't be surprised if Uncle Sam starts salivating over Canada's fresh water.
Blind River water users have been informed they will pay 25 per cent higher rates for water consumption. Get used to it, we will all be paying a lot more in the future. Read More...

Parties split over water withdrawal.
The politically charged question of how best to regulate large-scale water withdrawals in Michigan boils down to a question of trust, according to people on both sides of the debate. Read More...

Protecting the Great Lakes.
An ice floe at sea moves faster than Congress is proceeding on pending legislation to protect the Great Lakes from invasive species and viruses that arrive in the ballast water of foreign ships. Read More...

No reason to wait.
There are at least two good reasons the state Legislature needs to give the Great Lakes compact a high priority in the new year. Read More...

Water pact needs support of Legislature.
In the days before the Legislature scooted out of Harrisburg for the holidays without passing a statewide smoking ban or stronger open-records legislation, the state House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee unanimously approved a measure to protect the Great Lakes. It was an important first step. Read More...

Warm-winter cycles accelerating loss of Great Lakes water.
Lake Huron is in a fog, part of a gloomy cycle that's pushing water levels to record lows, scientists say. Last week, a winter storm dropped more than a foot of snow over the Great Lakes. Over the weekend, warmer temperatures melted that snow, which evaporated into the air. Read More...

Lakes bill is literally a drop in the bucket.
A Great Lakes water agreement won't seem like such a big deal to Northwest Indiana residents swimming and boating in Lake Michigan, and that's the point. Read More...

Great Lakes states must ensure our water future.
For all that we have in common the Great Lakes states have never been known for their unity. Other than being a core Democratic region during the era when the auto industry and United Auto Workers ruled, we seem to dwell as much on our differences as what we have in common. Read More...

Shaking up the Great Lakes.

Michigan may be in the doldrums right now, but more and more companies will likely belly up to the Great Lakes states when water gets scarce in the South and Southwest. That?s one reason why state lawmakers are moving now to protect the Great Lakes and rivers, but there?s a lot of dissent on how to do that. A proposed Senate bill would allow groundwater withdrawals that would decrease river flows on some river stretches by up to 42%. Read More...

Lead by example to protect our Great Lakes.
I am acutely aware of falling lake levels because interacting with Lake Michigan is a pursuit of mine. The coastline where I roam contains more rocks than beach, and for the past three or four years I am seeing more and more rocks and less and less water. Read More...

Lake Michigan monthly averages nearing record lows.
For a couple of days last week, Lake Michigan dropped beneath its record monthly low, heightening concerns about lower water levels in the Great Lakes. Read More...

Make it a priority.
Now that the presidential election cycle is officially starting with tonight's Iowa caucuses, Great Lakes governors, legislators and business leaders should take a page from the region's mayors and make sure that the future of the lakes gets the attention it deserves from lawmakers. Read More...

A thirst for fresh water.
Midwesterners with perennially damp basements likely can't relate. But here in southwestern Montana, where low flows in the Gallatin River are a constant worry to trout anglers and the mountain air is so dry visitors must lather on skin moisturizer, everything hinges on the water. Read More...

Great Lakes Compact should be ratified.
"The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors is taking an important step forward by supporting the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact. I am sponsoring a resolution, which was unanimously approved by the County Board's Parks, Energy and Environment Committee last week, urging State and Federal lawmakers to make the compact a reality." Read More...

Federal annual water reports are 5 years overdue as Ottawa breaks its own law.
"An annual report required by law to update Canadians on how crucial water resources are being managed is now five years overdue. The federal Conservative government, like the Liberal regime before it, has violated the Canada Water Act which mandates yearly assessments of how supplies are used and maintained." Read More...

Further water level decline predicted.
"The Army Corps of Engineers office in Detroit has predicted that water levels in Lake Michigan could decline six inches more than the normal seasonal decline this winter because of decreased precipitation and increased evaporation." Read More...

Water use agreement draws widespread support.
"Environmental groups and business leaders joined hands Monday in support of Indiana's effort to protect the world's largest source of freshwater from being diverted to parched western states or international dry spots." Read More...

Great Lakes water threats are real.
"Climate change aside, building huge cities in desert regions is ridiculous. Now those parched cities are screaming for water, and many dry regions have their eye on the Great Lakes." Read More...

Loophole may let in more lake invaders.
"A loophole in proposed federal legislation designed to keep ocean freighters from importing more exotic species into the Great Lakes could sink the proposal, leaving the door open to continued invasions." Read More...

Reports say warming hurts Mich., but are fixes too costly?.
"The international fight over global warming, and what to do about it, is coming to Lansing, where a fight is brewing over proposed reforms that advocates say can repair environmental damage but critics contend a recession-plagued state can't afford." Read More...

Approve Great Lakes Compact.
"Climate change is an international hot topic of the day, with former Vice President Al Gore campaigning for the environment and picking up the Nobel Prize in the process. But it hits close to home as well, and Western New Yorkers should be very concerned about the potential effects of global warming on the Great Lakes." Read More...

James Rowen: Great Lakes protection among state's failures.
"When it comes to water policy in Wisconsin, you can call 2007 "The Year of Living Indifferently." December has anniversaries marking failures of will in our state -- one on the part of state government, and the other by the state's major media." Read More...

Lake levels nearing records lows.
"Water levels in Michigan and Huron, which are technically one lake, briefly dropped dipped below the record low on Sunday, according to federal monitoring data. That reading, from one gauge on Lake Huron, was not a record because it has not been sustained over a one-month period -- yet." Read More...

Government hiding damaging climate report, critics charge.
"A new federal report is warning of an international scramble for oil and minerals under melting Arctic ice and water scarcity in the Great Lakes, but the Harper government is keeping the study on the shelf, CanWest News Service has learned." Read More...

County: Keep hands off lakes.
"County commissioners unanimously signed a resolution protesting potential efforts of drought ridden states to use Great Lakes water at their Thursday meeting." Read More...

Blue, Blue Canada.
"Your country is crisscrossed by innumerable rivers, some of which flow into three oceans. Yet Canada's fresh water isn't as abundant as you may think." Read More...

Supporters: Climate change makes Great Lakes compact more urgent.
"Climate change appears likely to reduce already low Great Lakes water levels even further, making it more urgent to approve a regional compact protecting them from diversion and overuse, environmentalists said Tuesday." Read More...

Great Lakes face trouble on 2 fronts.
"If you're thinking that global warming might make Western New York a more comfortable place to live, think again." Read More...

Protecting a vital resource.
"Water is one of the most basic of natural resources - one, as this summer's drought demonstrated, that we ought not take for granted." Read More...

Prevent diversion of our water supply.
"Lake Michigan gives us so much that it should never be taken for granted. First and foremost, it gives us life. Water from Lake Michigan slakes the thirst of nearly 7 million people in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs." Read More...

Global warming predictions rouse Great Lakes Lobbying.
"Dire predictions about Earth's warming climate yesterday inspired a national activist group to step up its lobbying for the proposed eight-state Great Lakes water compact." Read More...

Huge water park planned for Arizona desert.
"By tapping rivers and sucking water from deep underground, developers have covered Arizona with carpets of Bermuda grass and dotted the parched landscape with swimming pools, golf courses and lakeshore homes." Read More...

Great Lakes water-compact backers, foes stand ground on water diversion limits.
"Ohio's dilemma about a proposed regional compact that would limit Great Lakes water withdrawals has come down to how legislators view state Sen. Tim Grendell's argument that it could intrude upon private property rights." Read More...

Great Lakes health a campaign issue.
"Wisconsin was a "battleground" state in the 2000 and 2004 presidential election with candidates fighting for our electoral votes. In 2008, the "battleground" just may shift to the water - as in health of the Great Lakes. " Read More...

Great Lakes facing a one-two punch.
An environmental resource run by Steve Huyser-Honig. Read More...

Legislators: Hands off our water.
"Two Michigan members of Congress fired a stern warning Thursday to colleagues in faster-growing, drought-stricken parts of the nation: Don't even consider using a seemingly harmless bill to study the nation's water usage as cover to begin a process aimed at taking Great Lakes water." Read More...

Water Crisis Center.
A constantly updated compendium of Water Wars new articles. Read More...

The Chicago Tribune Water Wars Archive.
The Chicago Tribune's list of stories on the Water Wars. Read More...

Great Lakes water wars.
"Even on a windy, gray, spring day, when its churning water turns from sky-blue to brown, Lake Superior can still quench thirsty souls. On this late March morning, Dennis O'Hara scales the rugged rock beach just north of Duluth. "It's always a special trip," he said." Read More...