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Water Quality

MSU Extension works with community leaders to create water-protection strategies, landowners and industry to reduce risks of water pollution, and state agencies to develop water quality information systems.

Joan Rose, Ph.D.

Homer Nowlin Chair in Water Research; Professor; Director, Water Alliance
rosejo@msu.edu
517-432-4412
Joan Rose, Ph.D.

Homer Nowlin Chair in Water Research; Professor; Director, Water Alliance
rosejo@msu.edu
517-432-4412
Terry Gibb

Water Resource Management and Education
gibb@msu.edu
586-469-6440
Paige Filice

Natural Resources Educator
filicepa@msu.edu
517-676-7291
Lauren Stigers, Ph.D

Extension Educator
jescovit@msu.edu
(906) 487-2974
Bindu Bhakta

Natural Resources Educator
bhaktabi@msu.edu
248-858-5198
Controlled Drainage Beyond Flat Fields

Published on August 28, 2025
Controlled drainage has long been recommended for flat fields but new research from Michigan State University is challenging that recommendation. This bulletin shares results from a paired-field study that evaluated controlled drainage on a Michigan field.
Unveiling the True Potential of Saturated Buffers

Published on August 28, 2025
A saturated buffer is a conservation drainage practice that targets nitrate in tile drainage discharge. A new Michigan State University study used a paired-field approach to compare a saturated buffer to a free drainage control field.
Smart Shorelands: Planning Your Nearshore Garden

Published on January 4, 2024
Extending your lakefront garden into the water opens an exciting new opportunity to enhance your property’s beauty and function.
Lakeland Report #12, "Greenbelts: A Circle of Protection for Inland Lakes"

Published on May 31, 2016
This report reviews basic standards for establishing and maintaining greenbelts, explains how greenbelts work to protect water quality, and recommended ground covers, shrubs, and trees are best in a greenbelt.
A Model for Predicting Daily Peak Visitation and Implications for Recreation Management and Water Quality: Evidence from Two Rivers in Puerto Rico

Published on January 17, 2008
Visitor use surveys and water quality data indicates that high visitor use levels of two rivers in Puerto Rico does not appear to adversely affect several water quality parameters. Optimum visitor use to maximize visitor defined satisfaction is a mor...
Impacts of Biodiversity Loss on Ocean Ecosystem Services

Published on January 17, 2006
Human-dominated marine ecosystems are experiencing accelerating loss of populations and species, with largely unknown consequences. We analyzed local experiments, long-term regional time series, and global fisheries data to test how biodiversity loss...
Aquatic Invasive Plants: A Field Guide for Michigan Lakes, Streams, and Ponds

Published on April 17, 2025
This guide is designed to help you identify aquatic invasive plants that you might encounter in or near Michigan’s lakes, streams, and ponds. Each entry includes an illustration or photograph highlighting key characteristics to aid in identification.
2015 Lake Erie Harmful Algal Bloom Early Season Projections and Bulletins

Published on July 29, 2015
The severity of the western Lake Erie cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom (HAB) is dependent on phosphorus inputs from March 1- July 31, called the loading season.
Multiple human pressures and their spatial patterns in European running waters

Published on September 25, 2015
This study represents the first high-resolution data analysis of human pressures at the European scale, where important pressure criteria for 9330 sampling sites in 14 European countries were analysed.
Spatial-Dynamic Modeling of Algal Biomass in Lake Erie: Relative Impacts of Dreissenid Mussels and Nutrient Loads

Published on January 17, 2008
Over the past several decades, reductions in phytoplankton stocks and increased water clarity in Lake Erie have resulted from phosphorus load abatement and the introduction of zebra (Dreissena polymorpha) and quagga mussels (D. bugensis). The relativ...
Water Withdrawals and Water Use in Michigan (WQ62)

Published on October 20, 2015
Maintaining accurate information about the amount of water used in Michigan and the purposes of its use is important for effective water resource management.
Smart Shorelands: Stormwater Solutions for Protecting Your Waterfront

Published on January 4, 2024
Not only can smart stormwater practices improve water quality, they can also enhance the natural beauty of your landscape, improve wildlife habitat, and conserve water.
Rebuilding an Eroding Bank on an Inland Lake

Published on November 23, 2015
Rebuilding an Eroding Bank on an Inland Lake: A Comparison of Traditional and Prefabricated Encapsulated Soil Lifts
Smart Shorelands: Waterfront Plants to Enhance Your Shoreline

Published on January 3, 2024
Plants that grow in, along, and just outside water play an important role in protecting water quality and providing habitat for many water loving critters.