LANSING — Building a water workforce through education and career pathways; advancing technology, scientific research, and data sharing; and protecting vital ecosystems are major focus areas in Michigan’s newly released 2022 State of the Great Lakes report. 

The Office of the Great Lakes in Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy prepares the annual report to the state Legislature on behalf of the governor, exploring major accomplishments, issues, and initiatives related to the health and sustainability of the world’s largest surface freshwater system.  

The new report is posted at bit.ly/3hJF3LJ along with recent years’ reports. In addition to the topics above, its articles address growing Michigan’s water-driven blue economy, water workforce development, climate action, collaborative water management, pollution from microplastics and PFAS, and the importance of protecting culturally significant native plants and forested lands. 

While issues in the report affect all of Michigan, specific locations highlighted include: northern Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, where the nation’s first marine electric vehicle corridor is taking shape; a large swath of northern Michigan on both sides of the Straits of Mackinac, where a newly designated Biosphere Region celebrates its lands, waters and people; and the Keweenaw Peninsula, where long-ago copper mining waste presents a major environmental challenge.