Ten great Great Lakes restoration blogs

The Great Lakes are in trouble - the danger from toxic pollutants, contaminated sediment, and aquatic invasive species is growing every worse and more expensive to deal with every day. The economic and and environmental health of communities in the region are threatened if steps aren't taken to restore and protect them.

Fortunately the effort to restore the Lakes is gaining momentum. The Great Lakes Compact, a law restricting diversions outside the watershed, was passed last year by state and federal legislators last year. Also, after years of underfunding by the Bush Administration, Great Lakes programs got a boost in President Obama's FY2010 Budget to the tune of $475M, which now must be appropriated by Congressional committees.

So how can Great Lakes lovers - boaters, birdwatchers, paddlers, fisherpeople, photographers, hikers, and beach bums alike - stay up to date on ongoing efforts to restore the Great Lakes and ways to help keep up the momentum? Subscribe to or bookmark these ten Great Lakes restoration blogs listed after the jump.





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1) Great Lakes Town Hall: The Biodiversity Project runs this website that serves as sort of like a Daily Kos or Huffington Post for Great Lakes topics - folks from around the region blog and comment about Lakes ecological and political issues in a moderated space. There are good thoughts aired here from a variety of interests and personalities.

2) Great Lakes Echo: This is a project of Michigan State University's Knight Center for Environmental Journalism gathering original journalism about environmental issues in the Great Lakes region. They post good articles about about the science and big picture implications of problems and proposed solutions.

3) Healthy Lakes, Healthy Lives: This is the blog of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, with whom VDC works through a Joyce Foundation grant. The Coalition is focused on making sure federal funding of comprehensive restoration finds its way from DC to the Great Lakes watershed. Read this if you want to be up to date on the politics and implications of Great Lakes restoration - it also has updates and advice about contacting your representatives in Congress about supporting bills and funding.

4) Great Lakes Blogger: Dave Dempsy is and one of the most prolific Lakes writers around. He's written award-winning conservation books and is now Communications Director for Conservation Minnesota. His blog is a great read to get an opinionated and informed take on Great Lakes restoration news.

5) The Political Environment: James Rowen's blog keeps a close eye on water issues, especially in Southeast Wisconsin. He posts good links and informed takes on environmental debates in the area and the wider region.

6) Great Lakes Law: Noah Hall teaches at Wayne State University Law School and University of Michigan Law School and is also the founder and Executive Director of the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center. His blog looks at water and Great Lakes issues from a legal perspective- great stuff for folks looking to get into the legal details on restoration efforts.

7) Great Lakes For All: Steven Huyser-Honig is a photographer and lighthouse enthusiast who keeps up with Lakes news at this blog and posts photographs at his other blog, Beauty Worth Preserving. He's a good one to keep up with to remember why all the effort is needed to protect the Lakes.

8) Great Lakes Guy: Andy Guy is a thinker on how to make "Rust Belt" economies more sustainable and robust, and he considers restoration an important component. His blog has good links and thoughts, but these days he's more active on Twitter as @GreatLakesGuy.

9) Black Bear Speaks: Jerome Alicki keeps up with environmental news throughout the region, with a special focus on Western Michigan.

10) Great Lakes Boating: These guys post news and opinions about restoration from the point of view of the boating community, a major proponent of Great Lakes restoration. Their blogs are a good source of news for anyone who has fun on the Lakes and wants to keep them toxin- and invasive-free.

(photo from Wikimedia Commons)