The U-M Water Center was established in October 2012 to help guide efforts to protect and restore freshwater ecosystems. The Center engages researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and non-profit groups with the goal of supporting, integrating, and improving current and future restoration and protection efforts.
With grant funds from the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation and the University of Michigan, the Center is focusing its initial efforts on the Great Lakes. The Center is working closely with academic colleagues and practitioners in the Great Lakes region to improve restoration science and ensure its practical application. A key aspect is to develop a framework to guide future restoration activities.
Vision: 
Sustainable freshwater ecosystems through improved restoration science, management, and policy.
Mission:
The U-M Water Center engages multi-disciplinary expertise to improve ecosystem restoration success – science, management, policy – in the Great Lakes and other freshwater systems globally.
Expected Outcomes: 
- Stronger regional restoration efforts that more fully integrate science to support management actions and policy decisions, assess environmental outcomes, and enhance current and future restoration and protection efforts
- More effective protection and restoration efforts based on a deeper understanding of potential cumulative impacts of currently funded Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) and other regional restoration projects as well as assessment of remaining science and management gaps
- Guidelines for improved large-scale freshwater ecosystem restoration and protection practices for the Great Lakes basin and beyond
Advisory Board:
Advisory Board Members (PDF)
Center Leadership:
Director: Allen Burton - burtonal@umich.edu, (734) 763-3601
Deputy Director: Jennifer Read - jenread@umich, (734) 763-2642
Research Scientist: Gary Fahnenstiel - fahnenst@umich.edu, (734) 763-0744
Research Scientist: Thomas Nalepa - nalepa@umich.edu, (734) 763-0739
Research Scientist: David Schwab - djschwab@umich.edu; (734) 763-1093
Faculty Fellow: Donald Scavia - scavia@umich.edu, (734) 615-4860
Faculty Fellow: David Allan - dallan@umich.edu, (734) 764-6553
Restoration Specialist: Adrienne Marino - almarino@umich.edu, (734) 763-0662
Restoration Specialist: Maeghan Brass - maebrass@umich.edu, (734) 763-0727
Related Links:
- Announcement of New U-M Water Center (October 2012)
- Sustainable Waters Initiative (predecessor to the Water Center)
- Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation
- U-M's Long and Prominent History of Great Lakes Research
- Erb Foundation Grant Continues Long History of Support for Sustainability, the Great Lakes, and U-M
- Science Strategy for Improving Great Lakes Restoration (PDF)