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A tiered waterfall rushes through a Michigan forest as the green leaves and grass are beginning to transition to the gold of autumn. Rocks, leaves and fallen trees all impact the flow of the water.
Clean Water in Michigan As challenges around water continue to grow, the work of The Nature Conservancy in Michigan contributes to Great Lakes learning and knowledge that informs freshwater solutions across the region, and around the world. © Joel Porterfield/TNC Photo Contest 2019
Stories in Michigan

Clean Water, Great Beer

Behind every pint poured at one of Michigan's 350+ breweries are the forests and fresh water making it possible.

Beer has four main ingredients: water, grain, hops and yeast. While water may seem like the simplest of those ingredients, a lot goes into making sure we A) have enough fresh water; B) that water is clean. At the root of this is healthy forests. Some 40% of the world’s usable water is stored and filtered through forests. From the tree canopy all the way down to root systems, every part of a forest plays a critical role in cleaning and protecting our water supply.

Just over half of Michigan is forested. These 20 million acres play an important role for our wildlife, our workforce and our water. According to the Brewer’s Association, Michigan produces 842,216 barrels of craft beer every year. We need clean water to make it. And without healthy forests, it wouldn’t be possible.

Healthy Forests = Clean Water = Great Beer (0:50) From the tree canopy all the way down to root systems, forests play a critical role in cleaning, storing and protecting our water—beer's main ingredient.

Three Ways Forests Make Beer Possible

Your cold glass of beer is more than 90% water. In addition to the water in your beverage, water is used to produce other ingredients like grain and hops. This makes it an essential part of the brewing process. Enter forests.  

1. Forests help stop erosion and reduce runoff.

When it rains, water has to go somewhere. Rather than rainfall rushing to the ground, the leaves and branches of a tree slow rainwater’s descent, preventing erosion. Meanwhile, tree roots slowly absorb water back into the ground, reducing the amount of runoff and pollutants that enter our waterways. 

2. Forested watersheds clean water and recharge groundwater.

After tree canopies slow rainfall and the roots help the ground absorb the water, nutrients are filtered out. The water then flows into underground aquifers which provide an important source for clean water. At least 35% of the drinking water in the United States is supplied by groundwater. 

3. Tree canopies of large forests influence rainfall patterns.

As you recline under a canopy on your favorite patio, tree canopies are hard at work. A tree's foliage releases water vapor into the atmosphere. This helps produce something known as "rivers in the sky" which are responsible for rainfall both locally and thousands of miles away. 

Sliding the image to the left reveals the answer Up to 36,500 gallons. Sliding to the right reveals more of the lake and the colorful Michigan treeline.
On the left is a calm Michigan lake in the Upper Peninsula, surrounded by colorful trees. On the right is the question: How many gallons of water per year can one large tree capture and filter?
Tree-via Question How many gallons of water per year can one large tree capture and filter? A. Up to 25,750 gallons B. Up to 36,500 gallons C. Up to 54,000 gallons D. None; trees filter only air © Jason Whalen/Big Foot Media
Sliding the image reveals the Answer 90 to 95%. Sliding the the image in the opposite direction reveals more of the colorful Michigan forest along the lake's shore.
On the left is a calm Michigan lake, surrounded by autumn trees. On the right is the question: On average, water makes up what percentage of beer?
Tree-via Question On average, water makes up what percentage of beer? A. 60-65% B. 70-75% C. 80-85% D. 90-95 © Dietrich Ludwig
Sliding the image to the left reveals the answer: Two mature trees. Sliding the image to the right reveals more dazzling autumn foliage.
Image on the left of a dense area of trees in Michigan. On the right is the question: How many mature trees are needed to provide enough oxygen for one person to breathe over the course of a year?
Tree-via Question How many mature trees are needed to provide enough oxygen for one person to breathe over the course of a year? © Ellie Scholtz/TNC
Sliding the image to the left reveals the answer: More than half. Sliding the image to the right uncovers more of the brightly colored Michigan forest.
Image on the left of a waterfall rushing down a rock wall in a Michigan forest as the trees change color. On the right is the question: How much of U.S. drinking water originates from forests?
Tree-via Question How much of U.S. drinking water originates from forests? A. One quarter B. One third C. One half D. More than half © Jason Whalen/Big Foot Media

OktoberForest Activity Sheet

Learn about forests and fresh water with this activity sheet.

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We're Root-ing for Michigan Forests

So, we need clean water. Sound simple? Not so fast. The key here is that we need healthy forests to filter our water. Unfortunately, the health of Michigan’s forests has been challenged by a complex history of ownership and intensive use, as well as encroaching pests and disease.  

That's why The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is demonstrating sustainable, data-driven forest management practices—and encouraging others to use them as well. Together, we can ensure Michigan’s forests remain healthy, resilient and productive for generations to come.

Shallow water in the Ottawa National Forest in the early spring.
Ottawa National Forest Photo of a riparian area in the Ottawa National Forest from a similar tree planting project in 2021. © Kim Steinberger/TNC

Strategy

Healthy Streams

For over a decade, TNC has partnered with the U.S. Forest Service to restore and protect forests along streams and rivers in the Ottawa National Forest, planting trees on over 1,100 acres. In the spring of 2022, we continued that tradition by planting more than 44,000 native seedlings, particularly in areas threatened or impacted by pests like the spruce budworm and emerald ash borer.

Healthy, diverse forests have a critical role to play in healthy freshwater ecosystems. They prevent erosion, maintain shade cover over streams and preserve the colder water temperatures that fish and other aquatic species depend on, especially in a changing climate. But Michigan’s northern forests, including those of the Ottawa National Forest, do even more for water. The streams they help filter are headwaters of the Great Lakes themselves—which 40 million people depend on for clean drinking water.

Trees grow back in a clearing at Ross Coastal Plain Marsh Preserve in Michigan.
Ross Coastal Coastal plain marshes are rare in the Great Lakes region; they are typically found only along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. © John Lerdel/TNC

Strategy

Forest Restoration

TNC’s 1,500-acre Ross Coastal Plain Marsh Preserve features an incredibly varied landscape, from sandy, tree-dotted dunes to rich wetlands and forests. This helps make it part of an important “climate corridor” that will help species adapt to changing conditions.

To ensure the preserve can continue to play this important role, TNC undertook a significant restoration—removing 43 acres of an introduced red pine monoculture, and replacing it with 2,300 saplings of native tree species that better reflect the forest’s natural diversity. Now at the end of its first growing season, this area is already showing signs of developing into a more diverse, disease-resistant and climate-resilient forest.

The Little Betsy Shoreline in the Keweenaw Peninsula. The water of Lake Superior is blue and the sky is clear.
Keweenaw Heartlands The Keweenaw Peninsula has globally significant opportunities for nature-based carbon solutions and land and water protection. © Devin Leonarduzzi/Quincy Aerial, LLC

Strategy

Land Protection

In fall of 2022, The Nature Conservancy was thrilled to announce the protection of 31,000+ acres of forestland in Michigan’s iconic Keweenaw Peninsula, acquired from The Rohatyn Group. Formed from one-billion-year-old lava flows and shaped by glacial ice and the waves of the largest freshwater lake in the world—Lake Superior—the Keweenaw Peninsula is at the heart of one of the most beautiful, unfragmented and culturally significant landscapes in the Great Lakes.

Protecting these forests will allow them to be managed for wildlife, climate resilience and freshwater protection, while providing a myriad of ways for people to connect with nature. It also protects important waterways like the Montreal River—a popular location with anglers.