From in the Red To in the Black

Ink from recycled paper, of all things, was what polluted the Kalamazoo River Watershed so much, it was placed in two federal cleanup programs.

Paper mills, oil spills, dams, manure—the “Kazoo” has seen it all. And yet, this watershed and its inhabitants have persevered. With contamination comes a fierce pride, and with pride comes action.

The Kalamazoo River Watershed Council was created to bring its namesake river out of the red and into the black. It’s been doing a just that, all while bringing folks of diverse geographies and histories together to protect the waters that connect them all.

In the third episode of our water protections miniseries, Doug McLaughlin joins us to put our contamination conversation into a local context.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts

To learn more about the Kazoo and its Kalamazoo River Watershed Council, go to kalamazooriver.org.

Learn about water protections and more through the Michigan Environmental Council. You can also subscribe to its email and follow it on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.

Common Groundwater is hosted by the Michigan Environmental Council and Beau Brockett Jr.

Our music is “The Four Seasons” by Antonio Vivaldi, arranged by Derek Zhang and performed by Jackson resident Taj Wallace.

Our series is sponsored by Kalsec, a global ingredient company headquartered in Kalamazoo that meets the highest recognized social and environmental standards through its B Corps certification.