Margaret Schneemann, water resource economist for Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, is featured in American Public Media’s story “So Close, Yet So Costly: In cities on the Great Lakes, water pipes are crumbling and poor people are paying the price.”

The story discusses the water pricing crisis around the country, with a focus on Great Lakes cities, where consumer water bills are climbing despite having abundant fresh water resources nearby. Community residents are being left without running water as their bills become unaffordable. 

Read the full story: https://www.apmreports.org/story/2019/02/07/great-lakes-water-shutoffs

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Join the 2026 Great Lakes BioBlitz! 🌎🦋📸Starting Earth Day, educators, students, youth groups, and families are invited to help document biodiversity across the Great Lakes region using iNaturalist. A kick-off webinar is scheduled for April 16th at 2 pm CT.Participate anytime during the four‑week event. Snap photos, make observations, and contribute to real conservation data while getting students outside and engaged with nature. Learn more and get ready to explore: https://sites.google.com/wisc.edu/annual-great-lakes-bioblitz/2026 #TeachingTuesday#GreatLakes
Don’t miss out! Join us for a deep dive into the latest Lake Michigan fisheries science.Topics will include:-Reef restoration impacts on aquatic and fish species-Wild reproduction rates for salmon and trout species from the Great Lakes Mass Marking Program-Fisheries update from the Illinois Department of Natural ResourcesLearn more & register: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_86eBlPnbjdm7pPg