RELATED PUBLICATIONS

Smart Growth for Clean Water publications Polluted stormwater runoff is one of the nation's leading threats to clean water. Rain and snowmelt running over parking lots, roofs, over-fertilized lawns and open construction sites wash dirt, chemicals and bacteria into the water we drink. Communities across Michigan are developing plans to comply with federal stormwater reduction requirements. Smart Growth tools can help Michigan communities find their own, unique ways to address the water quality impacts of land use changes, development and stormwater runoff. (2007)

Developing our coastlines: Four Michigan communities take stock of their Great Lakes assets Michigan's Great Lakes coastline is a magnet for development, drawing people and businesses at a brisk pace that outstrips the growth of inland communities. But fragmented and disjointed planning on the coasts is overseen by more than 400 separate jurisdictions, a confusing checkerboard of often contradictory and counterproductive rules, zoning laws and long-range plans. (August 2006)

Something's amuck: Algae blooms return to Michigan shores Repulsive, potentially toxic clumps of algae are likely to reappear this summer to plague swimmers and beachcombers from the bays of Grand Traverse to the shores of Lake Erie. The troubling return of algae is a throwback to the days when rampant pollution of the Great Lakes led researchers to declare Lake Erie "dead" in the 1970s. And it is a warning that the state can not afford to ignore. (June 2006)

Living with septic systems: Actions you can take to protect water quality Learn how onsite wastewater treatment systems are used in Michigan. Find out about new procedures you can advocate to successfully use onsite systems and protect water resources (September 2004)