Water School

What is Water School?

Michigan Water School is a program to help elected and appointed officials increase their knowledge about water management and gain access to tools and resources to help impact their local economy. 

Water School topics include:

  • Factors that impact Michigan water
  • The Blue Economy
  • Fiscal benefits of water management
  • Incorporating water into local planning and place-making
  • Risk assessment approaches
  • Resources to help address water problems
  • Water policy at federal, tribal, state, and local levels

Workshops and webinars

In 2020, Michigan Sea Grant and Michigan State University Extension hosted a four-part webinar series capturing fundamental topics from sections of the Water School curriculum. Speakers included educators and faculty from MSU and MSU Extension, as well as other experts providing local perspectives. You can find the recordings from these webinars at the MSU Extension Water School webpage.

Michigan Sea Grant is currently collaborating with the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) to create free, online, self-paced courses for local elected and appointed officials that will launch in Fall 2024.

Watersheds in your district

This interactive tool will help users explore the overlap of human and natural boundaries to help elected officials make wise and informed decisions about the waterways that flow through their Michigan legislative districts.

See Map