For Friday, April 3, 2026

1 – Sustainability in the Great Lakes region just received a $45 million boost. 

The nonprofit water innovation hub known as Current recently announced three years of federal funding to scale the Great Lakes RENEW project, backed by the U.S. National Science Foundation. 

Leaders say RENEW’s vision is “to transform the waste in our water systems into wealth.”

An announcement from the Chicago-based nonprofit explains that water-intensive industries like AI data centers, energy production and manufacturing are placing growing demands on the region’s freshwater. 

Great Lakes RENEW and its coalition of more than 75 partners are working on solutions to support the long-term sustainability of water resources. 

In its first two years, RENEW focused on connecting key water and industry partners in Illinois, Wisconsin and Ohio. In the next phase, the initiative will focus on partners in Indiana, Michigan and Minnesota.

…

2 – Fishery workshops are scheduled for April. 

Anglers and others interested in current research and information related to the Great Lakes fishery are invited. The events are being held virtually and in-person. 

The workshops are put on by Michigan Sea Grant and Michigan State University Extension, in partnership with state and federal agencies and local fishery organizations. 

They’ll cover topics such as fish populations, angler catch data and prey fish surveys, as well as updates on fisheries management and citizen science opportunities.

Workshops are planned for Lake Huron on April 14 and Saginaw Bay on April 21. 

See MichiganSeaGrant.org for more. 

– Mr. Great Lakes is heard Friday mornings in Bay City, Michigan, on Delta College Public Radio 90.1 FM (listen live). Follow @jeffkart on Twitter #MrGreatLakes

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