Did you know? Michigan has over 52,000 miles of streams, and more than 10,899 inland lakes.
These precious water resources and the benefits they provide are protected by several state laws from impairment due to pollution, physical alterations and nuisance aquatic species. The state's water resources are monitored by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and partnering organizations to determine the water quality, the quantity and quality of aquatic habitat, the health of aquatic communities, and compliance with state laws.
Because shore protection structures can have negative effects on natural resources and other shoreline properties, shore protection structures should only be installed when they are needed to address erosion problems and the type of shore protection used should be carefully considered. Near shore shallow waters provide habitat for a greater variety of organisms than all other aquatic zones and are essential in the life cycles of many of Michigan's fish and wildlife.
Different than aquatic nuisance, an invasive species is one that is not native and whose introduction causes harm, or is likely to cause harm to Michigan's economy, environment, or human health.
Although aquatic plants are a natural component of every aquatic ecosystem, excessive plant growth can sometimes be a nuisance for riparian property owners and other lake users.
Inland Lakes in Michigan can have various ordinances related to wake boats. These types of ordinances can establish vessel speed limits, prohibit or restrict use of certain vessels, water skis, water sleds, aquaplanes, surfboards or other similar contrivances, restrictions on certain types of boating activities on all or parts of the waterbody, or restriction on certain types of boating activities during specified hours of the day or specified days of the week. Vessel owners are responsible for any damage to life or property resulting from a wake or swell created by the negligent operation or propulsion of the vessel, if the vessel is being operated with his or her consent. Michigan Department of Natural Resources enforces these ordinances which can be found below.
Water resources in Michigan are everywhere, and monitoring the quality of these resources is vital to ensuring a high quality of life for future generations. Water quality monitoring is fundamental to understanding the environment around us and is an essential component of our mission. Monitoring tells us the what, where, and when of environmental issues. Without water quality monitoring, we wouldn’t know what pollutants are in a water body, where you can eat the fish, and when the beaches are safe for swimming.
Volunteer with the Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps). The MiCorps program was established in 2004 to assist the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) in collecting water quality data for use in water resources management and protection programs.
