Michigan’s 7th Congressional District is located in the southeast part of the state, forming the state’s only shoreline on Lake Erie in Monroe County. Both coastal communities and those that do not touch the water are intimately tied to – and affected by – the Great Lake that lies to the east.
- The City of Monroe draws drinking water from the western basin of Lake Erie, which is notoriously plagued by seasonal harmful algal blooms (HABs) and hypoxia.
- Ice conditions and water levels influence decision-making and commerce in the district’s key port in Monroe.
- Coastal communities feel the economic impact of invasive species like zebra and quagga mussels in Lake Erie, and cannot afford further losses from a potential Asian carp invasion.
- With over 1.6 million acres of land in production and 12% of the state’s agricultural sales, Michigan’s 7th District can utilize agricultural decision support tools that benefit both farmers and Lake Erie.
Read more in the boxes below about how CIGLR and our partners are addressing these issues for safer, healthier, and more prosperous communities in Michigan’s 7th District.