Back in 2008, a law under the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act authorized high-capacity water users, or those using 100,000 gallons of water or more a day, in Michigan to form Water User Committees (WUC) that would work together with the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to create withdrawal requests, make collaborative management decisions, and develop shared water-use solutions that prevent or resolve water use conflicts and adverse resource impacts.

However, 16 years later, no WUCs have been formed.

A team of researchers and policy advisors from MSU's IWR and FLOW published a new report with funding from EGLE to estimate the costs of utilizing institutional controls for groundwater management in Michigan.

A top global public research university, MSU has built a research enterprise that reaches every part of Michigan, driving the state’s economy and contributing to a stronger, healthier present and future.

MSU experts can comment on policies and issues impacting the environment that will be influenced by the Nov. 5 election.

Researchers are using drones, phones and a cryogenic wave tank to learn more about freshwater coasts.

In a world that feels unpredictable, Michigan State University is meeting the moment by creating practical climate solutions today that will ensure a more sustainable and secure future.

The team from MSU will map the current and future costs of energy transition on the health, well-being, and livelihoods of traditional peoples while identifying Indigenous innovations and actions that enhance food-water-energy security for these regions.

Dr. Irene Xagoraraki, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Michigan State University, had been exploring wastewater’s promise as a public health tool years before anyone had heard of SARS-CoV-2.