Lake Michigan

In northwest Indiana, there’s a 20-mile stretch of Lake Michigan that’s dominated by industry. It’s some of the dirtiest water in the lake, but it's also home to some of the biggest waves anywhere on the Great Lakes. Despite the pollution, there’s a dedicated group of surfers who keep flocking to this area. And one day, after a really big chemical spill from one of the factories, the surfers decide to do something about it.

Kevin Shafer is obsessed with rain. As the head of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, it’s his job to be. But when a thousand-year storm comes out of nowhere and dumps over a foot of rain, Kevin is faced with a decision: send sewage into people’s basements or into Lake Michigan.

For almost seven years, Bugsy Sailor has been on a mission to watch every sunrise. But now, he wonders if the inspiration that started this project will also be the thing that ends it.

Buildings and light pollution are taking a heavy toll on migrating birds. Some cities in the Midwest and Great Plains are working to fix that.

There's been a fivefold expansion of seawalls, riprap and other coastal armoring, which protects properties from erosion but makes things worse in the long run.

In one of the most polluted parts of Lake Michigan, whitefish are thriving. Some people wonder if we should try to replicate that environment elsewhere to save the iconic species. But that could mean doing something untested and controversial.

After Traci Lynn Martin’s mom died, she knew she couldn’t keep putting off her dream: Becoming the first person to kayak around the Great Lakes in one year.

One minute David Holtfreter was kayaking on Lake Michigan; the next he was in the water, fighting for his life. A fisherman saw David struggling from the shore and swam out about 200 yards to rescue him. But in the rescue commotion that followed, David wasn’t able to give the stranger a proper “thank you.”

Two catastrophes occurred 141-years ago this week on Little Traverse Bay.

One family’s visit to a famous Indiana sand dune turns into a wild tale of a missing boy and mysterious tunnels.