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Dear Friend of FLOW,
 When I think of our collective duty to protect access to safe, affordable water for all people, I’m reminded of a quote by author Brian Fagan: “History teaches us that the societies that last longest are those that treat water with respect. As an elixir of life. A gift from the gods.”
Water is life. Water is fundamental to all people. There is no humanity, no dignity without access to water for all.
Here in Traverse City, I’m proud of our City Commission for unanimously passing a resolution in December 2021 that affirmed public ownership of our water as a human right and public trust, and as a defense against privatization. This resolution is modeled on the one that the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) unanimously approved in June 2021, as well as Michigan Rep. Padma Kuppa’s HR 57 World Water Day Resolution. Traverse City’s victory is already part of a larger movement to guarantee safe, affordable water for everyone. We all have work to do because we all live downstream.
I shared this good news with our friends at the People’s Water Board Coalition during an interview yesterday in hopes that the Traverse City Commission’s action can plant a seed of hope that one day germinates elsewhere and everywhere. Our call as water activists is to consider the larger movement and connect different geographies and communities and their people who may never have met before.
It is through these alliances that we share successes, impart hope, and also learn and sometimes re-learn painful lessons, including those from Detroit and elsewhere regarding household water shutoffs; Benton Harbor and Flint, where lead has poisoned the drinking water; and from Traverse City’s neighboring East Bay Township, where state government waited eight months before warning residents about the possibility of PFAS in their private drinking water wells.
History teaches us: In the face of a confirmed or suspected environmental health threat, the first response of officials ought to be concern and action, not denial and delay. Together we must continue to hold government at every level accountable, and we must care for each other and for our water as a human right and public trust.
In solidarity,
Liz Kirkwood, FLOW Executive Director
FLOW SPOTLIGHT:
FLOW Welcomes Development Specialist Tessa Diem
 FLOW is excited to announce that Tessa Diem has joined our staff as Development Specialist. Tessa has worked in the nonprofit sector since 2014, serving environmental and cultural organizations to advance their missions through program coordination, strategic planning, resource development, and communications. Her project and field work in aquatic ecology, biodiversity, and climate change has explored the connections between society and the environment to address how we can utilize creative and impactful solutions to address the challenges of our time. We asked Tessa about her connection to the Great Lakes, her favorite place in Michigan, and her favorite Great Lakes fact.
FLOW Seeks Summer Interns in Communications, Law & Policy
 FLOW is seeking interns for summer 2022 in communications and law and policy. Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled. Learn more below and apply today! FLOW is a Great Lakes law and policy center based in Traverse City, Michigan, and operates as an independent, non-partisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We act to protect 20% of the planet’s surface freshwater for the benefit of all by educating and engaging citizens to advance cutting-edge public trust policy solutions. Through our targeted policy initiatives and multi-media communications, FLOW has built key partnerships with state-level and regional environmental groups and leveraged our expertise to influence agencies and impact state and federal legislation. We are a trusted source of current information for citizens and decision-makers on issues affecting the Great Lakes, groundwater, and drinking water.
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UPDATES:
From PBB To PFAS To Lead: Will Government Ever Learn?
 When a coalition of citizen groups, including FLOW, last fall urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to protect the nearly 10,000 residents of Benton Harbor from lead in their drinking water, it was a reminder that government officials have failed to heed the lessons of a half-century of Michigan environmental health disasters. Once again, Michigan’s state government had failed to act with urgency to protect the public from toxic contaminants. This week, seeking to protect Benton Harbor residents from lead as well as hoping to head off further criticism, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services promised to continue providing bottled water to the community until all lead pipes are replaced. Click here to read more.
What’s the Scoop in the Poop? Sewage Offers Early Warning on COVID Trends
 Not long after the arrival of COVID-19 in Michigan in early 2020, some municipal wastewater systems began monitoring for signs of the virus in their treatment plants. Later, state government funding expanded the program. Rather than waiting for cases to climb, public officials may be able to use sewage surveillance to forecast a surge of infections through monitoring. An on-line dashboard provides information on levels and trends across the state. FLOW interviewed Chelsea Wuth, Associate Public Information Officer of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, about results of the program. Click here to learn more.
Gov. Whitmer’s Budget Proposes Environmental Investments
 In a proposed budget with major increases thanks to a booming state economy and massive amounts of federal infrastructure and COVID-19 relief funding, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday announced important investments in environmental programs. As an aide to the governor said, “budgets are a reflection of values.” The Governor’s office characterized Gov. Whitmer’s environmental recommendations as record amounts for protection of water, including the replacement of lead pipes, control of toxic PFAS, rebuilding water infrastructure, and providing safe drinking water in schools.
Celebrate “Earth’s Kidneys” on World Wetlands Day and Every Day
 A global aquatic resource under threat from drainage, filling, and development is the focus of World Wetlands Day, which is observed annually on February 2. Michigan has a special stake in preventing wetland destruction and promoting wetland restoration. Michigan was a national leader when the state legislature approved the Wetland Protection Act in 1979. This visionary statute requires a state permit before most wetlands can be altered. It has dramatically slowed, but not stopped Michigan wetland loss. Click here to read more.
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TAKE ACTION:
Act Now! Let’s Break Free from Plastic Pollution
 Plastic pollution is pervasive. You can find it in debris washing up on Great Lakes and ocean beaches, litter clogging streams and inland lakes, industrial chemicals polluting our communities, and in tiny microplastic particles, which have been found from the summit of Mount Everest to the deepest oceans. There is sweeping legislation currently before the U.S. Congress that will help tackle this crisis. Sign the Waterkeeper Alliance’s petition today to show support for the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act!
Urge President Biden to Act and Support Line 5 Shutdown Order
 It's time for President Biden to support Gov. Whitmer's Line 5 shutdown order. An oil spill from the Line 5 oil pipeline in the Great Lakes threatens drinking water for 40 million people. He must act now to protect the Great Lakes from Enbridge's damaged, dangerous, and old pipelines. Click here to urge President Biden to act.
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UPCOMING EVENTS:
Jim Olson, FLOW Team Offer Online Classes on "Water & Shoreline"
 Don't miss FLOW founder Jim Olson's "Water & Shoreline" courses offered this winter and spring through Northwestern Michigan College Extended Education. These courses are taught by Jim and the FLOW team, including FLOW Board Member Bob Otwell, Executive Director Liz Kirkwood, Legal Director Zach Welcker, Policy Advisor Dave Dempsey, and Legal Advisor Skip Pruss. The public is invited to sign up and attend these four online courses:
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Feb. 15 & 17 -- "Who Owns The Water?”;
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March 15 & 17-- "For Love of Water and the Future of the Great Lakes";
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April 12 & 14 -- "Can Humans Survive Climate Change?"; and
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April 19 & 21 -- "A Matter of Public Trust: The State of Michigan’s Shutdown of Enbridge’s Line 5 Pipelines" Click here to sign up.
NMC Dennos Museum Hosts “Stay Healthy and Strong”
 How do we as individuals or as a species respond and rebuild after an event such as a hurricane or a global pandemic has dramatically changed our lives? How does the abundance of scientific data facilitate or complicate our own sense of resilience in the face of these global threats? Artist Nathalie Miebach explores these questions in an exhibition co-sponsored by FLOW at Northwestern Michigan College’s Dennos Museum from January 23-May 29. On February 23 at 7 p.m., join Dennos Deputy Director Jason Dake and Miebach for a virtual conversation about her recent work in the exhibition, "Stay Healthy and Strong."
Save the Date: March 22 FLOW Groundwater Webinar—Making the Invisible Visible on World Water Day & Every Day
 Michigan's groundwater provides drinking water to 45 percent of Michigan residents and is important to agriculture and industry, but has been taken for granted, misunderstood, and abused. Being invisible, groundwater contamination issues have been easy to ignore. The webinar on Tuesday, March 22, at noon ET, will present the work of the Michigan Groundwater Table, which has brought together 22 knowledgeable and influential stakeholders from local governance, academia, and regulatory agencies. The Groundwater Table has explored how scientific knowledge and data could be used to advance groundwater reform and management, enhance public understanding of groundwater related issues and challenges, develop consensus-based findings for groundwater protection, and help secure needed resources to better protect human health and environment. Stay tuned for information about this Zoom webinar hosted by FLOW on World Water Day.
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FLOW in the NEWS:
FLOW’s expert staff members provide key context and analysis to journalists covering freshwater threats and protection. Our full list of media coverage involving FLOW includes these most recent stories:
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