The Great Lakes Water Authority Watershed Hub: A Platform for Improved Regional Collaboration in Water Resources Management

The Watershed Hub is a regional initiative created as an outcome of Great Lakes Water Authority’s (GLWA) 40-year Wastewater Master Plan (WWMP). The vision of the Watershed Hub is to bring together regional stakeholders, with GLWA serving as the convenor or hub, to build a common understanding of water quality and concerns, coordinate siloed programs, and improve regional water quality through planning and decision-making that prioritizes shared objectives and integrates stormwater and sanitary programs. Watershed Hub activities are advanced through a core work group that comprises representatives from member partner counties and communities, regional governmental councils, local watershed and planning groups, and foundations with a focus on environmental sustainability. In its first year, the Watershed Hub has been instrumental in developing, advising, or improving coordination between multiple water quality monitoring initiatives, and has successfully demonstrated its utility as a new networking platform for engaging with diverse stakeholders throughout the GLWA service area in southeast Michigan and beyond.