Offfice:
420 E. Front St.,
Traverse City, MI 49684

231-944 1568

Preamble

The Great Lakes, their tributary streams, lakes and groundwater that feed them are globally, spectacular freshwater seas. They are a gift greater than the Florida Everglades and the Grand Canyon combined. As stewards, we have the responsibility to protect the freshwaters of the Great Lakes and the water commons or public water rights of millions of American, First Nation, and Canadian Citizens living within her Basin whose livelihoods, drinking water, recreation, farming and businesses depend upon the reasonable and sustainable use of this magnificent ecosystem for the present and all future generations.

The FLOW for Water Coalition was created in early 2009 with one over-riding mission: to ensure that the waters of the Great Lakes Basin remain under public control and in the public trust. Currently, the waters of the Great Lakes basin face numerous threats such as: privatization, diversion, climate change, invasive species and more. Water exports by large multi-national corporations threaten our public waters. The Asian carp swim at the edge of Lake Michigan ready to devastate the Great Lakes ecosytem and the fishing and tourist industries that depend upon these fresh waters. As a coalition, we are seeking to close the "water as product" or export leak in the Great Lakes Compact. We are supporting legislation reaffirming that the waters of the Great Lakes Basin as a public resource are held in public trust including ground water and small streams. We support and collaborate with members of other organizations who are dedicated to achieving these and similar goals. Please take a few minutes to learn more about our organization, the challenges we face, and how you can help Preserve the Promise of Our Great Lakes and the Rights of Water for All.

To honor and protect the world's greatest freshwater resource and the water rights of millions of American, First Nation, and Canadian Citizens living within the Great Lakes Basin whose jobs, livelihoods and health depend upon the reasonable and sustainable use of these waters for drinking water, farming, recreation and manufacturing. This will be accomplished by keeping the fresh water of the Great Lakes Basin under public control, holding these waters in public trust, and protecting this public trust as a promise for all generations, now and in the future.

Goals:

• Support the enactment of public trust laws that affirm the Great Lakes and the streams and lakes that feed them, including small streams and groundwater, are held and protected as a in public trust.

• Support the enactment of legislation that plugs the leak in the Great Lakes Compact by removing the water as a product or commodity exception to the diversion ban.

• Educate Citizens of the Great Lakes Basin that water privatization, exports, diversions or other threats to the fresh waters of the Great Lakes Basin violates their rights under the public trust.

• Act as a watch-dog to assure the public trust in the fresh waters of the Great Lakes Basin is protected from privatization, diversion, climate, change, invasive species, and other threats.

• Support efforts of and collaborate with coalition members and other organizations that are working towards these or similar goals. The challenge for all of us is to understand that every arc of the Great Lakes water cycle is a commons that must be viewed and protected as a public trust for current and future generations.

The challenge for all of us is to understand that every arc of the Great Lakes water cycle is a commons that must be viewed and protected as a public trust for current and future generations.