A complete list of all programs within the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE)
Community involvement and public participation are an essential part of EGLE’s mission, vision, and values.
Resources and information on utilizing RRD's data exchange and the Inventory of Facilities.
An interactive map displaying contaminated sites throughout Michigan regulated under Parts 213, 201, and 211.
This system allows water well drilling and pump installation contractors to submit water well records.
EGLE's interactive calendar is designed to provide timely information on decisions before the Director, proposed settlements of contested cases, administrative rules promulgation, public hearings, meetings and comment deadlines, and environmental conferences, workshops and training programs.
The Michigan Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) provides all persons (except persons incarcerated in correctional facilities) with access to public records of public bodies. Requests to inspect or receive public records from EGLE must be in writing and describe the requested records with enough detail to enable the department to identify and locate the requested records. Some records are exempt from disclosure under the FOIA or another statute and thus will not be provided. A fee may be charged to process your request. Please note that many records are available that do not require a formal FOIA request.
Search is currently unavailable. Please try again later.
The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer.
The name of Lake Erie was taken from the Native Americans that lived along the south shore when Europeans arrived in the early 1600s. Erie is a short form of the Iroquoian word “Erielhonan” meaning "long tail" and refers to the Eastern Cougar. Lake Erie is the smallest of the Great Lakes by volume, the shallowest and second-smallest in surface area (9,776 square miles). Globally, Lake Erie is the 15th largest lake in the world by volume and can be divided into the western, central and eastern basins. Lake Erie also includes three major connecting channels: the St. Clair River, the Detroit River and the Niagara River.
The shallowness of the lake promotes submergent vegetation in the nearshore zone, which provides excellent nursery and forage habitat for many fish, reptiles and amphibians. Coastal wetland complexes provide important habitat for many species. Lake Erie has one of the largest freshwater fisheries in the world. Due to these factors, Lake Erie has the highest primary production, biological diversity and fish production of all the Great Lakes. It is, however, also the Great Lake most impacted by human activity.
In recent years, the Western Lake Erie Basin has been experiencing the reappearance of significant algal blooms, some of which are harmful to aquatic life and can affect the drinking water of nearby residents.
In Lake Erie, several factors contribute to algal blooms. Nutrient-rich water from wastewater treatment plants, farm fields and fertilized lawns, the effects of invasive species, and the warm, shallow waters of the lake are some of the known contributors, but there may be others that aren’t quite understood yet. Though the causes are complex, the State of Michigan is committed to improving Lake Erie, ensuring safe water and supporting healthy ecosystems.
Lake Erie from the southern end of Grosse Ile Andrew Bahrou, BahrouA1@Michigan.gov, 517-897-6529
