Conan Smith, executive director of the Suburbs Alliance and formerly head of MEC's land use programs, recently found himself seated on a cross-country plane trip next to the governor of Nevada. Never one to miss an opportunity for first-class conversation, Conan engaged the governor in a lively exchange about their respective states.

Since every elected official in Nevada is on full alert, fighting the prospect of Yucca Mountain becoming the nation's repository for nuclear waste, Conan thought it noteworthy that Nevada's governor allowed how he'd be willing to take Michigan's nuclear waste-as long as it came with our water.

However tongue-in-cheek, this comment from the governor of one of our nation's thirstiest states is a startling reminder that Michigan's water does not go unnoticed by those who are poorly endowed with Michigan's abundant resource. Given this fact, it's unfortunate that Michigan legislative leaders have been dodging, ducking and delaying passage of essential water protection legislation for two long decades.

Michiganders are invariably startled to learn that ours is the only Great Lakes State that still does not protect its water with conservation and withdrawal statutes. Although we have the public trust doctrine on our side, and there is some federal and state water withdrawal legislation on the books, we know that existing laws are limited and leave our water substantially-and unnecessarily-vulnerable.

Lobbied by interest groups that think the public's water is theirs to waste, Michigan's State House and Senate leaders have bottled up Governor Granholm's proposed Water Legacy Act. Although Senate Majority Leader Ken Sikkema in 2002 sponsored a series of important hearings on water conservation and even issued a promising report on the need for water protection legislation, he's more recently blocked critically-needed reforms. Using the time-tested dodge-"we need to study it more"-the Legislature has caved in to the Michigan Manufacturers Association, the Farm Bureau and global water bottling interests like Nestlé's, who like things just as they are.

But the balance of power is shifting. For the first time MEC and our allies are putting these laissez faire water interests on the defensive. An unprecedented alliance of MEC groups has called on the Legislature to break the partisan deadlock with a thoughtfully designed complement of water protection legislation and rules.

In response to this call and in frustration that the Legislature has held up her proposed Water Legacy Act for more than a year, Governor Granholm recently exercised her executive authority to require permits for certain water withdrawals. The agitated response from key legislators to the governor's action and our alliance's call to action indicates we may finally be breaking the legislative logjam. But our fight is not over, and time is not on our side.

In Monroe and Saginaw counties, residential wells have already gone dry from over-pumping by neighboring sand and gravel or irrigation operations. In Mecosta County, an amazing grassroots group, Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation, is leading a David-and-Goliath fight against water bottling giant Nestlé's ever-expanding withdrawals. And in Nevada, thirsty interests are apparently eyeing Michigan's prized natural resource.