Win! West Michigan Lake Remediated and Removed from Toxic Site List
Time to celebrate! After decades of hard work and more than $84 million in investment Muskegon Lake was removed from the list of toxic hot spots. The 4,149-acre lake is now free of 190,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment and 110,000 tons of logging-era sawmill debris. In addition, approximately 134 acres of habitat and more than 6,000 feet of shoreline have been restored.
Funding for the cleanup at Muskegon Lake and the 42 other toxic hot spots around the Great Lakes got a huge boost over the last 15 years from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Freshwater Future played a leadership role in securing this federal funding initiative that has invested $6.6 billion in restoring the health of the Great Lakes and sites like Muskegon Lake.
Your Self-Care is a Priority – Join Us for October’s Online Mindfulness Session
Join us for our monthly Mindfulness & Movement Webinar to reduce stress and re-energize your efforts in water work and beyond. The 45-minute session is led by Jonathan Relucio, a mindfulness expert with 20+ years of experience. You’ll learn simple techniques to recharge, refocus, and reduce stress. This FREE event is open to everyone—community leaders, family, friends, co-workers, and volunteers. Register today for our next session on Thursday, October 23rd, 11:30 am-12:15 pm ET!
During October, Donate $50 or More and Receive a FREE Bag of Coffee from Superior Coffee Roasting Co.!
Your donation today can make a real difference in helping to protect our amazing Great Lakes, inland lakes, rivers, wetlands, and drinking water. For a limited time, if you donate $50 or more to Freshwater Future, Superior Coffee Roasting Co. will send you a FREE 12oz. bag of coffee of your choice (redeemable with a code). This offer ends on October 31st, 2025. Donate now to receive your free bag of coffee. Thanks to Superior Roasting Coffee Co. for their generosity.
Take Actions: Together, Our Voices Make a Difference
Keep Up the Pressure: Continue Contacting U.S. Lawmakers to Protect Our Water
The U.S. House of Representatives is planning to vote on a package of anti-clean water bills, also known as the PERMIT Act, sometime this year. Here are a couple examples of what makes this bill harmful:
- Lets Polluters Off the Hook–The bill protects polluters from being held responsible if they know about harmful pollutants in their wastewater but do not report them.
- Takes Away State and Tribal Power–This bill strips states and tribes power to review big federal projects like pipelines or dams, leaving decisions to federal agencies and giving less voice to people living in impacted communities.
Send a personalized message to your elected U.S. Representative and ask them to vote NO.
Connecting with Community
Top Left – Alexis Smith and Sally Howard of Solara Concepts and Federation of Monroe County Environmentalists, Great Lakes Conference in Rochester, NY
Top Center – Ann Baughman helps lead bike tour along Muskegon Lake, MI for Pedal for Progress
Top Right – Alexis Smith and Peggy Berry from Between the Waters, Great Lakes Conference
Bottom Left – Executive Director, Jill Ryan takes part in a Great Lakes panel discussion at the Land Trust Alliance’s Rally in Cleveland, OH
Bottom Right – Leslie Burk, Wisdom Institute’s LaTanya Bell, and Kristen Haitaian at Great Lakes Conference
