The MiWaters application is a part of the permitting process, allowing Michiganders to fulfill federal electronic reporting requirements and provides an online component for access to public information. You do not need a MiWaters account to view and comment on Public Notices.
For registered users, MiWaters is the portal to several types of actions:
To complete any of these actions, you'll need a MiWaters account.
For future reference, this page can be accessed as Michigan.gov/MiWaters
For general questions about using MiWaters:
For specific questions related to permits or compliance:
Find Public Notices, hearings, and other events as well as documents made available to the public. Report spills, pollution, or any other unauthorized activities in wetlands, lakes, or streams. Sign up to receive notifications when Permit applications are received, issued, or denied; as well as when Public Notices are posted. Do all of these things and more without needing to create an account.
NOTE: For Apple Safari users, MiWaters forms will not work correctly.
Receive emails with latest updates on the topics below. Each distribution list is separate, so you'll need to sign up for each topic you're interested in.
To find a Public Notice in MiWaters you do not need a MiWaters account. Simply visit the MiWaters application and select "Public Notice Search".
From this page, you can view all current Public Notices or search for a specific one by using the search bar.
Clicking the dropdown arrow in the search bar will expand the Search Filters menu, where you can narrow your results by County, Application Number, Permit Number, and other fields.
After you find the Public Notice you want to comment on, click the "View/Submit Comment" button to the right of the Public Notice.
From this screen, you can view the details and documents for the notice, and by selecting "Add Comment", you may write and submit your comment to EGLE.
NOTE: Commenter name and comment are subject to public disclosure.
Applications, reports, and other requests can be found under "Apps, Requests, and Reports".
For example, if you need to create a new application, go to "Apps, Requests, and Reports", then click "Start New Form", and type keyword(s) of the type of application you want to submit.
Site Map Explorer provides public access to many documents associated with MiWaters. However, it is not intended to be a complete record for a site. Some older records, such as violations prior to October 1, 2015, and draft documents are not accessible through Site Map Explorer.
Site Map Explorer uses MiWaters data combined with data obtained from other agencies or organizations.
Site Map Explorer is not intended to be used to determine the specific locations and jurisdictional boundaries of wetland areas subject to regulation under Part 303, Wetlands Protection, or critical dune areas subject to regulation under Part 353, Sand Dunes Protection and Management, of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, 1994 PA 451, as amended.
Only an on-site evaluation performed by the EGLE in accordance with Part 303 and/or Part 353 shall be used for jurisdictional determinations. A permit is required from the EGLE to conduct certain activities in wetlands regulated under Part 303 and critical dune areas under Part 353.
For information on how to use Site Map Explorer, visit MiWaters: Using Site Map Explorer.
You will need a MiWaters account to fill out the Joint Permit Application.
Under federal rules, certifier rights are needed to submit certain types of forms and reports. To be granted certifier rights it is required that users submit a Certifier Agreement Form that must be approved by the department and an administrator for the site must request certifier status in MiWaters.
Certifier status can be requested by clicking on Authorized Users and clicking “Open” to the right of the person you are requesting certifier status for.
Then click the “Request Certifier Access” button and download the certifier agreement form to completed, signed, and the original wet ink signature form mailed via U.S. Mail to:
Certifier Agreement Administrator
Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy
P.O. Box 30458
Lansing, MI 48909-7958.
The address is available on the top of the agreement form also.
Administrators of a site can invite other users to join by clicking “authorized users” and the green “invite user to join” button. You will be prompted to enter the name, email address and role you would like the person to have. An auto-generated email will be sent to both you and the person you invited with a link that will connect them to the site when they click it. Roles provide different capabilities:
Authorized users also allows administrators to change roles that have been assigned to individuals and inactivate users who are no longer involved in the site.
If you have a change in staff or would like to update contacts for any reason you can do this by clicking "Details" on the left of the screen under your site name, then clicking "Contacts" in the upper middle tab.
From the "Contacts" tab, you can click the "Add Contact" button to add a new contact, or you can click the "Open" button to the right of the person’s name you would like to edit or inactivate.
You cannot permanently delete a contact for historical record purposes.
Several users have reported receiving a “Certifier” error at point of submittal on reports. In the event you receive this error during submittal, please try the following:
To reset your password, visit the MiWaters application and select "Forgot Password" -- you will be prompted to enter your email address and answer a security question.
if you have forgotten the answer to your security questions, please contact EGLE-WRD-MiWaters@Michigan.gov or call the Environmental Assistance Center at 800-662-928.
If you have locked yourself out of your account, please contact EGLE-WRD-MiWaters@Michigan.gov. You will be asked to verify your identity.
If you are receiving too many emails from MiWaters, you can change your notification preferences and have them sent to your MiWaters account only. Click on your name and it will take you to your User Profile. Scroll down to Account Settings and change the Notification Delivery Preference to "Deliver in MiWaters Only".
Choosing "Deliver in MiWaters Only" means you will no longer receive "Schedule of Compliance" reminders via email.
In MiWaters on the upper right you will find a symbol of a person and your user name. Click on your name and it will take you to the User Profile screen where you can update your:
Shared Accounts are not authorized within MiWaters. User accounts must represent an individual and name changes should only result from legal name changes or change in place of employment of the user.
To change the email address on your account, send an email to EGLE-WRD-MiWaters@Michigan.gov and include your current email address, new email address, and the reason for the change.
You will receive an auto-generated email to both of the email addresses when the change has been made.
Shared Accounts are not authorized within MiWaters. User accounts must represent an individual.
