Join us for an in-depth look at the first year of the Expanded Water Quality Monitoring Project in Michigan’s Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB). With just one year of data - collected largely during drought conditions - speakers will orient participants to upstream variability across the five priority sub-watersheds and explore key insights from continuous sensors, grab samples, and subsurface tile drain monitoring. The session will highlight major rainfall events (each over one inch) and examine how those events moved through the system versus tile drain outlets, drawing on case studies from two contrasting watersheds.
Join SEMCOG for a webinar introducing the Flooding and Resilience Plan for Southeast Michigan. This plan builds on SEMCOG’s resilience work and accelerates implementation of equitable, nature-based strategies across the region. SEMCOG will showcase tools and resources that support local planning efforts and how these tools can be leveraged to address flooding challenges, support water quality, and integrate nature-based solutions.
Join us for an exclusive webinar showcasing the user interface of the new MDARD funded Performance-based Conservation Program and its integration with yield stability maps developed by Bruno Basso at the Center for Regenerative Agriculture. The program uses a Pay-for-Performance approach aimed at reducing nutrient loads into the Western Lake Erie Basin.
Learn how to protect land and support the next generation of Michigan farmers in this webinar featuring Legacy Land Conservancy and MiFarmLink. Discover practical conservation tools, easement options, and farmland transition strategies that safeguard water resources and keep farms thriving. Whether you’re a landowner or an aspiring grower, this session offers real solutions for your land’s future.
As a farmer, knowing how to manage environmental regulations and programs can seem like a maze: what actions are required? What are my options? Do I need a permit for that? Find a path to solutions with this webinar covering Michigan’s on-farm environmental regulations, Generally Accepted Agricultural and Management Practices, and resources to help from an environmental specialist who works exclusively with farmers helping them navigate the world of environmental performance and compliance.
Excess phosphorus pollution in the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB) continues to drive harmful algal blooms, which pose significant risks to the ecosystem and human health. Luckily, numerous nutrient reduction projects are already underway across the watershed. A team of 2025 Dow Sustainability Fellows—five University of Michigan graduate students—designed an online directory including extensive information about all nutrient reduction projects within the WLEB. This new digital tool allows for stakeholders, educators, and community members to access information on these projects. The goal of this tool is to strengthen connections, make project information more accessible to the community, and to support more coordinated and effective nutrient management in the WLEB.
Michigan’s waterways are suffering from widespread septic failures, releasing the equivalent of 31 million gallons of sewage daily. As the only state without a uniform septic code, Michigan faces a critical gap in protecting public health and water quality. Discover what’s behind the policy vacuum and how change may finally be coming by registering below.
In this webinar, Dr. Adam Reimer of the National Wildlife Federation and Dr. Marie Carmen Shingne will share lessons learned from interviews and listening sessions with farmers in Michigan, including in the Western Lake Erie Basin. You will hear about farmer perspectives on current conservation programs in Michigan and what is needed to expand use of regenerative systems.
In this webinar, Kali Rush of Ducks Unlimited, and Steve Chadwick of Michigan's Department of Natural Resources will share the history of wetland conservation in the Western Lake Erie Basin and current wetland conservation efforts. They will share updates on the Seneca State Game Area’s Wetland Water Quality Project and discuss the process of developing and implementing the new Wetland Conservation Program.
In this webinar, Brittany Santure and Thad Cleary of Michigan's Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy Agency share updates on three new Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grants supporting BMP implementation.
Location: Virtual via Zoom
Time: Noon
In this webinar, Tom Zimnicki of the Alliance for the Great Lakes and Ed Verhamme of LimnoTech will discuss the origin and updates from a new high density water quality monitoring network in Michigan’s Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB) being funded by Michigan’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Erb Family Foundation. This effort will supply water quality (WQ) data, including phosphorus and nitrogen, from 2025 to 2029 in Michigan’s 5 priority sub-watersheds. This data could be used to determine the efficacy of current WLEB best management practice (BMP) implementation efforts and should inform future conservation investments in the region.
Location: Virtual via Zoom
Time: Noon
In this webinar, Dr. Jennifer Blesh of University of Michigan's School for Environment and Sustainability will share updates on the Healthy Soils, Healthy Waters project being funded by MDARD to enhance our knowledge of soil health and water quality in Michigan's WLEB.
In this webinar, Dr. Ehan Ghane of Michigan State University Extension, will showcase three agricultural water management practices: Controlled drainage, saturated buffers, drainage water recycling. Dr. Ghane will explain how these technologies can contribute to our efforts to manage water resources in the WLEB.
In this webinar, 2024 University of Michigan Dow Fellows describe the process for developing a pilot Nutrient Reduction Project Database to improve collaboration and coordination between actors in the WLEB working on nutrient reduction projects.