Dear editor:

Michigan’s House Bill 5319 has been recently introduced to guarantee all Michigan’s citizens and businesses are entitled to use our water. This legislation protects our groundwater, small streams and lakes and the Great Lakes, giving protection against users who don’t care whether our water is sold or exported from the Great Lakes Basin. Those who claim HB5319 will interfere with private ownership and use of groundwater are spreading pure deception.

Michigan’s courts have placed an erroneous distinction between large lakes and rivers and smaller streams and groundwater, providing the latter with fewer protections. Yet, the groundwater, small streams and rivers feed the Great Lakes. HB5319 will close a gap in our water protection policies to provide the same protections to all the waters of Michigan.

Michigan’s water resources are critical to our state’s economic sustainability. Agriculture, tourism and manufacturing are the state’s top industries. They all depend on access to water for success. It’s hard to imagine life without our lakes; however I am seeing Lake Michigan diminish. We need protection now, not after our water has been sent to a rich dollar poor water state. Please contact your Michigan House representative and urge them to sign onto HB5319.

Jamie Palmer
Niles