Michigan’s 1st Congressional District contains the second-longest shoreline of any district in the US and touches 3 of the 5 Great Lakes. Communities in Michigan’s 1st District are among the most impacted by the physical and biological phenomena that occur where the land meets the Great Lakes.

  • Ice conditions and water levels influence decision-making and commerce in the district’s more than 20 ports, including Alpena, Stoneport, Presque Isle, Calcite, and Escanaba.
  • The 1st District is the heaviest-hit in Michigan by lake-effect snow, which affects all counties except those in the southwest Upper Peninsula and northeast Lower Peninsula.
  • The proliferation of invasive species like zebra and quagga mussels in Lakes Michigan and Huron impact the economy of coastal communities.
  • With over 1 million acres of land in production, Michigan’s 1st District can utilize agricultural decision support tools that benefit both farmers and the Great Lakes.

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 1st District.