#flowforwater

[themagiccrafter]

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Thank you for keeping our beaches clean @flow_for_water 💙🐳🌊 You and your awesome team of volunteers make creatures like me (and those ducks!) very happy! Here's to keeping the Great Lakes (and our planet as a whole) great! #keepthegreatlakesgreat . . . Let's keep doing our best to be tidy critters 💖 . . . #keepthgreatlakesclean #lakemichiganlove #traversecity #tcmi #lakemichigan #bryantpark #traversecitymi #traversecitymermaid #lakemichiganmermaids #mermaidsofinstagram #michiganmermaids #mermaidvideos #mermaidsighting #themagiccrafter #flowforwater #beachcleanup #traversecitylife (at Bryant Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bneism6FOqW/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=5v2kdw5h9ive

[cleanwaterchronicles]

GROUNDWATER-Michigan's Sixth Great Lake

The beauty and abundance of Michigan’s freshwater is well known. The Great Lakes, the largest freshwater system in the world, has a surface area of 94,600 mi 2  and holds over 5,400 mi 3  on average. While many of us are familiar with the depths of Lake Superior, the dunes of Lake Michigan, the history of Lake Huron, the fisheries of Lake Erie, and the abundant wildlife of Lake Ontario, there is another hidden water resource. Under our feet lies invisible and expansive groundwater – our Sixth Great Lake.

There is more than a thousand times more groundwater than all the lakes and rivers on earth.

For Love Of Water (FLOW) works to protect public water resources in the Great Lakes region. Groundwater is an unseen part of those resources, yet it directly impacts all aspects of our lives. Groundwater is critical to our public health, trout streams, agricultural irrigation, manufacturing, unique natural features, and important ecosystems. Education about and protection of this important resource have become an important part of what FLOW aims to do - preserve our freshwater for generations to come.

Much of it is beyond our reach or spread throughout miles of porous rock layers. This makes studying groundwater difficult and tracking pollution issues challenging.

In Michigan and across the U.S., groundwater is seriously polluted, threatened, and in some areas, entirely unusable, and the harmful effects of human activity on groundwater are not well understood.

Because groundwater supplies 45% of Michigan’s population with drinking water through public community systems and individual private wells, it is critical that we all understand this important resource.

Michigan Groundwater Quick Facts

The amount of fresh groundwater in the Great Lakes Basin is estimated to be equal to the volume of Lake Michigan—1,180 cubic miles of water.

Direct and indirect discharges of groundwater to the Great Lakes are estimated to account for as much as 2.7% and 42% (respectively) of the inflows to the Great Lakes.

In 2019, Michigan businesses, governments, agriculture, and other sectors used 197,330,949,243 gallons of groundwater, according to EGLE.

Michigan has 9% of the nation’s public groundwater supply systems, the highest share of any state (12,038 out of 128,371).

HOW TO PROTECT GROUNDWATER

Groundwater is constantly flowing beneath our feet and by being aware of this precious resource, we can take action to protect it. Everyday choices can ensure the health of our groundwater.

dispose of chemical cleaners, motor oil, batteries, other  household items , and  medications  properly.

limit pesticide and fertilizer use.

If you own a well, create a protection area around it and test your water regularly.

Use water wisely to avoid waste. Find your annual water usage estimate here. 

 Test and maintain  your septic system. 

TAKE ACTION WITH FLOW

Join FLOW to help ensure that our government and laws protect our rights to healthy, plentiful groundwater!

Follow FLOW on social media.

Facebook:  facebook.com/flowforwater 

Instagram:  for.love.of.water 

Join FLOW at one of our events to learn more and support our mission.

Help protect groundwater by making a financial contribution to FLOW  here.

Donate your time or talents to FLOW's mission by signing up here.

Subscribe to FLOW's e-mail here.

Source: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/f7e01ecb492340aca636014d2b1a314c

[themagiccrafter]

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A post shared by Brittany Adams (@the_magic_crafter)

Want to meet a mermaid? 💙 Legend has it that they sometimes come to shore to thank those who help take care of the lakes, oceans and rivers that they call home! 🌎 Just a reminder that if you join @flow_for_water tomorrow at Bryant Park Beach (in Traverse City) at 9:00 AM for the annual Beach Cleanup you may spot a mermaid! 😇 . . . I encourage you to bring your family and friends along with you to help pick the weird things out of the sand that don't belong. In exchange for keeping our lakeside beautiful, I promise not to splash you! 😜💖💕 . . Are you going to be there? Tag your cleanup crew! 🖤💜🖤💜🖤💜 #mermaidsarereal #mermaidvideos #mermaidsofinstagram #flowforwater #traversecity #tcmi #mermaids #mermaidphantom #themagiccrafter #lakemichigan #beachcleanup #keepthegreatlakesgreat (at Lake Michigan) https://www.instagram.com/p/BncIbMol1Xx/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ntgcbcy5tq6e