Center for Great Lakes and Watershed Studies
Center for Great Lakes and Watershed Studies (CGLWS)
“Watershed-scale thinking for Watershed-scale problems”
Northwest Ohio is rich in water resources which support industry, agriculture, tourism, and human wellbeing. However, challenges like harmful algal blooms, emerging contaminants, agricultural runoff, invasive species, and changing environmental conditions threaten these resources. The Center for Great Lakes and Watershed Studies at BGSU is an interdisciplinary group of scholars studying the environmental and societal issues impacting our shared water resources, developing implementable solutions, and training the next generation of “watershed-wise” citizens and scientists in the Great Lakes region and beyond. Our mission is to advance public good by applying watershed-level thinking to solve watershed-level problems; highlighting connections among our land, lakes, and communities. We aspire to be a trusted hub of innovative, interdisciplinary Great Lakes scholarship with local relevance and global impact.
Contact
Dr. Sarah Emery, Director
Bowling Green State University
Center for Great Lakes and Watershed Studies
Bowling Green, OH 43403
Phone: 419-372-3892
CGLWS in the News
Water Research & News
Noted BGSU algae scientist encourages people to stand up for Lake Erie
Climate change has become a stronger force in the fight against western Lake Erie algal blooms.
CGLWS visits The Journal on PBS
Members of the BGSU Center for Great Lakes and Watershed Studies give an update of their ongoing research of Northwest Ohio’s Watershed.
Ohio Has Invested Millions in Wetlands to Catch Nutrient Runoff From Farms. A New Report Suggests It’s Working.
The annual report from the H2Ohio Wetland Monitoring Program found all of the wetlands examined successfully trapped nutrients and shed new light on possible best practices.
Bowling Green turns out for Robin Wall Kimmerer’s talk on embracing collective responsibility for Mother Earth
Weaving together science, Indigenous knowledge, and moral philosophy, Kimmerer challenged audiences to rethink humanity’s relationship with the natural world—not as one of ownership, but of responsibility.
From Jefferson to today: Public Land Survey System leaves lasting mark on northwest Ohio
The very square, very mathematical system for divvying up the land into parcels has remained the lay of the land for over 200 years in Wood County and northwest Ohio.
Updated: 04/28/2026 04:36PM