July 11, 2007

This summer, families across Michigan are spending their days on the water, at beaches, and along lakeshores. Michigan's lakes provide unparalleled boating, fishing, and swimming opportunities for our state, but they also play other vital, and often hidden, roles. Our lakes provide drinking water, irrigation for agricultural fields, and are a source of electricity and power generation. Lakes also serve the important function of absorbing rainfall and runoff from land, helping to prevent floods, and providing homes for wildlife.

Michigan is not only blessed with an abundance of fresh water, but the pristine quality of these water bodies as well.

"Michigan's lakes provide unique opportunities for us to enjoy," said Department of Environmental Quality Director Steven E. Chester. "Our lakes are an unparalleled natural resource that require our protection so that they may be enjoyed now and by future generations."

To draw attention to the value and importance of lakes and reservoirs, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency and the North American Lakes Management Society sponsor an annual Lakes Appreciation Month in July. Additional information on the 2007 Lakes Appreciation Month and what can be done to help protect lake quality may be found on the USEPA Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/owow/lakes/month and on the NALMS Web site at: http://www.nalms.org/LakesAppreciationMonth.

Editor's note: DEQ news releases are available on the department's Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.

"Protecting Michigan's Environment, Ensuring Michigan's Future"

Revised July 11, 2007 by Pat Watson