Although Michigan's lakes, rivers and streams still have some protections against damaging water exports, court decisions trigged by lawsuits from international water companies have eroded our rights to control what happens to our groundwater, the lifeblood of the entire Great Lakes system.

That's why Clean Water Action is working to put stronger water rights protections into Michigan's water laws. It's the only way we can protect the water underneath us in the same way we protect our lakes, rivers and streams.

In recent years, groundwater and other water sources have become the target of international water bottling companies as China and other countries with weak environmental laws deal with up to 70 percent of their water supply being polluted in the midst of growing demand for water.

Clean Water Action's Water Rights Campaign is about making sure legal protections are in place so that the groundwater that fills our wells and feeds our streams is protected first and foremost for the use of Michigan citizens! This means requiring state government to first and foremost consider the needs of local well owners, farmers, manufacturers - all of us who live and work in Michigan - when making decisions on how much groundwater can be withdrawn for others' use.

Previous court rulings have affirmed that our lakes and streams are protected for public use. Yet groundwater is not provided the same protections under the current law which needs to change.

Groundwater and surface water are connected as part of our Great Lakes hydrological system. If groundwater is pumped out, surface water levels are lowered, potentially harming fish and wildlife and our uses of water. While this fact is well understood, current law does not apply the same protections to groundwater leaving it vulnerable to privatization and export.

Water's Future Is Michigan's Future

The increasing worldwide demand for freshwater along with a warming climate means that big corporations are looking to profit from water sales to places like China where clean water is scarce. Michigan is a prime target for this kind of water taking because of our plentiful supply of freshwater.

A secure supply of groundwater is necessary to help recharge our lakes and streams. It supplies drinking water, and water used by our farms and industry. Only 1% of the Great Lakes is renewed annually from precipitation or groundwater recharge, so it is important that we protect these sources. A prosperous future for Michigan depends on a secure supply of fresh groundwater.

Without stronger legal protections, Michigan citizens and communities would not have the final say before groundwater is sold out from under you to corporations that want to ship large quantities of water out of the state. A law is needed to make sure our interests are protected before any state approval is given to withdraw and export water