Flow Water Advocates

Originally published October 6, 2023; updated February 29, 2024; re-published on September 15, 2026 in memoriam of Skip Pruss By Skip Pruss, Flow Senior Advisor In what is among the most comprehensive clean energy initiatives in the country, Michigan has become the first industrialized swing state to enact laws requiring 100 percent of electric power... Read more »

The post How decarbonizing Michigan will improve water quality appeared first on Flow Water Advocates.

WEBINAR REGISTRATION   TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — In spite of being located in the heart of the Great Lakes, Michigan’s water infrastructure is aging and persistently underfunded, and too many Michiganders live without clean, safe drinking water. On September 21, Flow Water Advocates will present a special live webinar on new legislation to address these... Read more »

The post MI Water Trust Fund Webinar: September 21 at 12:00pm EDT appeared first on Flow Water Advocates.

September 9, 2026 Traverse City, Mich. — Today, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and her administration issued a consequential new statement on Enbridge’s proposed Line 5 pipeline tunnel through the Straits of Mackinac, telling the Canadian company that it’s time to pull back from its tunnel plan that will put the Great Lakes at risk for... Read more »

The post Gov. Whitmer to Enbridge: The tunnel game is up; it’s time for a new solution appeared first on Flow Water Advocates.

By Liz Kirkwood, Executive Director, Flow Water Advocates Michigan has lost one of its most valiant defenders and stewards. Stanley “Skip” Pruss, husband, father, grandfather, friend, environmental attorney, clean energy expert and champion, and a cherished member of the team here at Flow Water Advocates since 2013 as senior advisor and former board chair, has... Read more »

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Every day, hundreds of thousands of barrels of crude oil and natural gas liquids (NGLs) flow across the Straits of Mackinac through two 20-inch pipelines that have proven vulnerable to anchors dropped by passing freighters and barges. There’s a broad consensus for the need to remove the aging pipelines and reduce the risk of a... Read more »

The post There is no such thing as a free lunch – or a free tunnel. appeared first on Flow Water Advocates.

Fast-tracked under a January 2025 presidential executive order declaring a trumped-up “energy emergency,” the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced its decision to approve the Canadian company Enbridge’s pipeline tunnel through Lake Michigan at the Straits of Mackinac. The proposed tunnel would house the Enbridge Line 5 pipelines, which terminate in Sarnia, Ontario, and... Read more »

The post Flow statement on U.S. Army Corps tunnel permit appeared first on Flow Water Advocates.

WEBINAR: Deep Dive on Line 5 Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline and proposed tunnel in the Straits of Mackinac threaten the Great Lakes, while primarily serving Canada. In July, the Tribal and environmental coalition earned a significant victory when the Michigan Supreme Court vacated a required state permit for the tunnel project. Meanwhile, additional state and... Read more »

The post Live webinar: A Deep Dive on Line 5 appeared first on Flow Water Advocates.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 31, 2026 Michigan Supreme Court upholds the public’s rights to the Great Lakes, orders new review of Line 5 tunnel.  Traverse City, Mich., July 31, 2026 — The Michigan Supreme Court ruled that Michigan regulators failed to properly weigh the Great Lakes’ public trust protections and environmental impacts before approving Enbridge... Read more »

The post Flow v. MPSC: MI Supreme Court issues Line 5 tunnel permit decision appeared first on Flow Water Advocates.

Before heading into the early July summer recess, the Michigan Legislature approved a balanced, bipartisan budget for the upcoming 2027 fiscal year. When it comes to water policy, there aren’t many surprises. In many ways, this is a status quo budget — it avoids some of the deep environmental cuts that had been proposed earlier... Read more »

The post What Michigan’s new state budget means for water appeared first on Flow Water Advocates.

In a new piece, which originally appeared on his Substack, Flow senior policy advisor Dave Dempsey examines the state of federal environmental policy, and how we can break the cycle and move forward.  Subscribe to Dave’s Substack US environmental policy needs its own FEMA. The wreckage wrought by the Trump administration is staggering. The shards of... Read more »

The post In environmental policy, we must think anew appeared first on Flow Water Advocates.

Water is the foundation of human health, economic vitality, and democratic society. Water is not a commodity, it is a human right. And the systems we’ve built to deliver that right are extraordinary — and under strain. Adapted from a keynote speech delivered by Flow executive director Liz Kirkwood to the 2026 Great Lakes Drinking... Read more »

The post Water, community, and the governance we owe future generations appeared first on Flow Water Advocates.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 15, 2026 TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — In a pair of key permit decisions announced today by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) regarding Enbridge’s proposed pipeline tunnel through the Straits of Mackinac, the state has failed to carry out its duties under the Michigan Wetlands Protection Act... Read more »

The post Flow Water Advocates statement on Whitmer administration’s Line 5 tunnel permit decisions. appeared first on Flow Water Advocates.

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Flow Water Advocates is proud to announce the release of the Great Lakes Passport, a free educational guide that invites Michiganders and visitors alike to explore the Great Lakes while learning about the rights, history, and legal protections that safeguard these shared waters. Designed for families, educators, outdoor enthusiasts, and all... Read more »

The post Flow launches Great Lakes Passport to inspire exploration and understanding of Michigan’s public waters and shorelines. appeared first on Flow Water Advocates.

A new poll from Progress Michigan in partnership with Public Policy Polling shows strong support for the Michigan Water Trust Fund Act, a package of two bills long championed by Flow and introduced by Sen. Sam Singh (D-28) in May 2026. The bills (SB 950 & 951) would raise approximately $300 million annually by imposing a 25-cent... Read more »

The post New poll shows support for water bottling royalty appeared first on Flow Water Advocates.

Watch the recording Last week, over 200 participants gathered over Zoom for the public hearing on the proposed reissuance of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Individual Permit (NPDES) for Enbridge’s proposed Line 5 tunnel through the Straits of Mackinac. Line 5 is a pair of aging oil pipelines that travels across the bottom of... Read more »

The post Deep concerns raised at Line 5 tunnel public hearing appeared first on Flow Water Advocates.

What happened. On June 3, the Michigan Senate Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee voted to advance SB 771, which would create a statewide septic code, and prioritize evaluations for older septic systems near lakes and streams. Michigan’s septic situation. Michigan does not have a statewide septic code, and there is strong evidence that failing systems are contaminating... Read more »

The post Michigan septic bill advances in Senate; introduced in House appeared first on Flow Water Advocates.

An emerging threat to public drinking water supplies is drawing increased attention in Washington, DC and Lansing. The threat of cyberattacks has implications for the safety and security of these water supplies. International tensions are also cause for concern. Members of Congress and the Michigan Legislature are proposing solutions. What’s the threat? Most water and... Read more »

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After 15 years of transforming grassroots determination into landmark legal and policy victories for our region’s rivers, lakes, and streams, Flow Water Advocates is boldly stepping into its next era of water protection. Elizabeth Kirkwood, Flow’s founding executive director, who has led the organization from a determined startup into one of the Great Lakes region’s... Read more »

The post Flow embarks on new era; launches nationwide search for next executive director appeared first on Flow Water Advocates.

What is happening: Enbridge is requesting a permit from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) for its proposed Line 5 pipeline tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac. If approved, the permit would allow Enbridge to: Dump billions of gallons of wastewater into Lake Michigan — enough to fill 9 Olympic-sized swimming... Read more »

The post Last chance to speak up: Reject Enbridge’s discharge into Lake Michigan appeared first on Flow Water Advocates.

By Tom Healy, Flow Advisory Council member My heart jumped when I saw the slim volume on the bookstore shelf. I was as much surprised by my reaction as by the sight of the cherished book from my childhood: Paddle-to-the-Sea. What a joy to rediscover a friend after so many decades. It’s a story that... Read more »

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