The Michigan Dept. of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) protects Michigan’s environment/public health by managing air, water, land & energy resources
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ALT A promotional graphic for the Statewide Water Monitoring Conference shows a large blue-and-white research vessel named “Laurentian” docked under a bright blue sky. Below, two individuals sit at tables sorting small aquatic organisms in trays, and a close-up image displays various stream macroinvertebrates on a white dish. Text on the graphic reads: “Board a research vessel. Sort a stream bug. A two-day conference for people interested in Michigan’s lakes, streams, and water monitoring.” Additional text at the bottom reads: “2026 MiCorps Annual Conference, Nov. 5–6 · Muskegon,” alongside the Michigan Clean Water Corps logo featuring a dragonfly.
ALT A group of volunteers at a river cleanup that collected thousands of pounds of litter and cleared invasive species.
ALT John Riley of EGLE’s Water Resources Division and another volunteer in kayaks filled with trash collected from the river and riverbank.
ALT Volunteer holding rake and clearing out invasive plants along the river and riverbank. Photo Credit: Michigan Waterways Stewards
ALT John Riley of EGLE’s Water Resources Division and another volunteer cleaning up trash along the river and riverbank. Photo Credit: Michigan Waterways Stewards
ALT Mackinac Bridge covered in wildfire smoke.
ALT Gillain Gainsley wearing a personal floatation device while seated in a kayak on a river.
ALT Logo for the event. Illustration of PFOS molecule on side with text that reads, "Great Lakes Virtual PFAS Summit and Treatment Technology Symposium."
ALT Map of state of Michigan with Baraga, Marquette, Iron, Dickinson and Menominee counties highlighted to show areas impacted by Air Quality Alert.
ALT A chart titled “Air Quality Index” shows six color‑coded categories with descriptions. Green (AQI 0–50) is labeled Good and says air quality is satisfactory with little or no risk. Yellow (AQI 51–100) is Moderate and notes a small health concern for a limited number of people unusually sensitive to air pollution. Orange (AQI 101–150) is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups and says sensitive individuals may experience health effects while the general public is less likely to be affected. Red (AQI 151–200) is Unhealthy and states that everyone may begin to experience health effects and sensitive groups may experience more serious effects. Purple (AQI 201–300) is Very Unhealthy and indicates a health alert with increased risk for everyone. Maroon (AQI 301–500) is Hazardous and warns of emergency conditions where the entire population is more likely to be affected. A note explains that sensitive groups include active adults, people with heart or lung disease including asthma, older adults, and
ALT Graphic titled ‘Wildfire Smoke Ready Michigan’ from MDHHS. It lists steps to protect health during wildfire smoke: check local Air Quality Index, avoid breathing smoke, stay indoors, use MERV 13+ air filters, and use N95 masks. Includes icons for each step.”
ALT Screen shot of EGLE's new story map, "The Great Thumb Fire of 1881, The Story Behind Michigan's Largest Fire". Title of story map is over red flames.
ALT A promotional graphic inviting people to become MI Healthy Climate Fellows. The top section has bold text that reads “Become a MI Healthy Climate Fellow,” with the program logo in the upper right corner. An orange banner below states “Deadline Extended | Applications due October 11.” The lower half shows a group of current fellows standing together on a sandy beach with water, trees, and a red building in the background. Many fellows wear matching green shirts with a colorful design. It is a sunny day with tall grasses along the edge of the beach.
ALT Three volunteers conduct macroinvertebrate stream sampling in 2023.
ALT Volunteers counting bugs.
ALT Volunteers collecting water sample in stream
ALT A presentation slide titled “Protect and Monitor” lists several environmental features of Michigan: • “4 Great Lakes and Lake St. Clair” • “3,300 miles of coastline” • “11,000 inland lakes” • “36,000 river and stream miles” • “6.5 million acres of wetlands” • “74,000 acres of coastal dunes” • “1,226 public beaches” To the right, there is a satellite image showing the Great Lakes region, displaying green land masses and dark blue lake waters. A small video thumbnail of a meeting participant appears in the upper corner, consistent with a virtual event format. The EGLE logo appears at the bottom right of the slide.
ALT A virtual meeting screen shows a presentation slide titled “EGLE’s role in microplastics work.” The slide includes the “2026 Great Lakes Microplastics Summit” logo, which features a stylized water‑droplet shape composed of multicolored, irregular mosaic pieces. Text on the slide reads: • “EGLE received a $2 million one-time appropriation dedicated to microplastics research and recommendations (Senate bill 747 Sec. 1005).” • “Statewide Microplastics Strategy – 2027 EGLE to collaborate with other agencies and stakeholders on development of strategy.” Above the slide is a small video thumbnail showing a person speaking in the virtual meeting interface, with standard Zoom controls visible.
ALT A presentation slide titled “Microplastics: Why care?” appears beside a photograph. The slide header includes the “2026 Great Lakes Microplastics Summit” logo, which features a multicolored mosaic-style water droplet. The photograph shows a sandy shoreline with scattered white and translucent plastic pellets near the water’s edge, along with a piece of driftwood. A small caption below the image reads: “Plastic pellets on the banks of the Kalamazoo River near Saugatuck, Michigan.” To the right, bullet points explain that microplastics are widespread from remote to urban areas, persist in the environment for long periods, and that the full distribution and impacts on organisms and ecosystems are not yet understood. A small video thumbnail of a speaker appears in the upper corner.
ALT Slide titled “Indigenous Ways of Knowing” with three images: a classroom scene where students watch a presentation on a large screen; a close-up of a small sturgeon swimming in a tank with bubbles rising from an aerator; and the cover of the book “Be a Good Ancestor,” showing an illustrated figure looking toward mountains, forests, and an eagle. On the right side, speaker Jim Barnes appears in the virtual meeting interface.
ALT Slide titled “Finding microplastics.” On the left, two images show microplastics viewed under magnification. In the center, a classroom scene shows students examining water samples, including one student using a microscope at a round table. On the right side of the screen, shows speaker Jim Barnes’ daughter, who helped students understand what they found in the water.
ALT EGLE Director Phil Roos, Michigan U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell, and others with Gov. Whitmer at the Reclaim the Rivers event on Belle Isle in Detroit.
ALT EGLE Director Phil Roos at microphone at Reclaim the Rivers event in Detroit.