For Friday, March 13, 2026 🔪 🩸 🏒

1 – Researchers are examining data collected on Lake Huron by the state research vessel Tanner. 

Tanner and its crew from the Alpena Fisheries Research Station made stops at spots including Saginaw Bay during 2025. Officials say the information collected will help inform managers on the status of lake trout, walleye, yellow perch and other important fish species across the lake.

Some highlights: A survey in Saginaw Bay found more young walleye than almost any other year on record. Catch rates of adult yellow perch remain low. 

Also, three juvenile lake sturgeon stocked as part of recent restoration efforts were captured. Researchers say this is promising, demonstrating that small, hatchery-reared sturgeon can survive after they are sent into the wild.

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2 – The Alliance for the Great Lakes says communities across the basin are increasingly confronted by proposals for large-scale developments with significant water demands, including data centers to power Artificial Intelligence or AI.  

As the Alliance tells it, proposals often move quickly and can come with community and environmental impacts that are not always clearly explained to local residents or leaders.

A new Regional Playbook is designed to inform residents about the processes and potential consequences, identify the right questions to ask, and navigate local and regional decision-making to help protect the lakes, its water resources and the communities that depend on them. 

The AI data center playbook is online at greatlakes.org.

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3 – This week was national Groundwater Awareness Week. 

Nearly half of Michiganders rely on groundwater for drinking water, according to the state’s environmental agency. 

Michigan’s groundwater is so vast that it’s often called our “sixth Great Lake.” 

Some ways to protect it: 

• Test your well water yearly 
• Maintain your septic system 
• Dispose of household waste such as batteries, electronics, and paints properly.
• Reduce chemical use around your home and yard.