From our latest issue of The HELM:

In Lake Zurich, a northwest Chicago suburb, leaders are looking at their current water situation as a glass that is half full. This Lake County village is in the process of deciding what will be its future water source because continuing to pump from its deep aquifer is not sustainable.

“Some people think of these issues as challenges; I think of them as opportunities,” said village Trustee Richard Sustich, who is spearheading the water initiative.

On March 7, the Lake Zurich Village Board signed a memorandum that approved hiring an integrated water resources management team to advise the community as it develops its future water plan. The team will assist the village with the engineering, cost, and analysis of the different water options.

The Metropolitan Planning Councilis leading the team, which also consists of Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, and the Center for Neighborhood Technology. Read more.

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Got a research idea worth a bigger room? The 2026 State of Lake Michigan Meeting is accepting proposals for symposia and workshops, and we want to hear yours!📅 Nov. 4–6 | Michigan City, IN⏰ Proposals due June 1 at 1 PM ETHelp shape what the Great Lakes research community discusses this year.🔗 Submit at the link in bio.
To every educator who has brought the Great Lakes into their classroom, thank you. 🍎Your curiosity is contagious. Your lessons last. And the students who learn to love these waters? They’ll protect them.Happy Teacher Appreciation Week from all of us at IISG.
Located in Washington, D.C., the Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship provides a unique educational and professional experience to graduate students who have an interest in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources, and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. This is a one-year fellowship open to any student, regardless of citizenship, who is enrolled toward a degree in a graduate or professional program on the day of the deadline.Students enrolled at an Illinois or Indiana university or college should submit their applications through Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant by emailing Angela Archer at amcbride@purdue.edu. Students in surrounding states without a Sea Grant program should contact the National Sea Grant College Program at oar.sg.fellows@noaa.gov for a referral. Application deadline: June 3, 2026.To learn more about the fellowship, visit the link in bio.