Good Water News!

We bring you all good news in this special holiday edition.

Our Canadian neighbors have declared an enormous portion of the rugged, stunningly beautiful northern shore of Lake Superior a conservation area. Stretching for more than 100 miles east from Thunder Bay, this is now the largest freshwater reserve in the world. For the article, including fun quotes about ducks by agency people, see http://www.environmentreport.org/transcript.php3?story_id=3782

The Mississippi River is getting no sewage from Minneapolis this year. Improvements in stormwater management, including use of a city stormwater fee and credit system for the creation of rain gardens, and sewer infrastructure changes have produced the turnaround. The city cut its release of raw sewage from 60 million gallons per year in 2000 to a maximum of 3 million gallons in 2004. For 2007 the city expects to have achieved Zero discharge! More work must be done to maintain this level in wetter years, but the city is on the right path. For the full story see http://www.startribune.com/local/12338876.html

Sustainable energy is becoming more accessible to individual homeowners due to improved small-scale products. Check out the latest report on geothermal, wood, wind and solar for private homes at http://nhbr.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071207/INDUSTRY17/71205033

Michigan just became the third Great Lakes state to approve the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact. This legislation would give authority over water diversions to these states, reducing the chance of our water being piped out west to feed Las Vegas fountain light shows. New York is in the process of approval. Once the states have signed on, the legislation must get through Congress. For the full article see http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071206/POLITICS/712060366/1408/LOCAL

Happy holidays and may you be inspired, enraged and enlightened in 2008!