Inland lakes are immensely appreciated, but often threatened. Along with their recreational and economic benefits come environmental questions and problems for the states, counties and townships in which they are located. In the late 1970s, an environmental communication research program in northern Michigan addressed the problems of water quality protection in inland lakes. The work was conducted by staff and studnets at the University of Michigan Biological Station, located 20 miles south of the Straits of Mackinac at the northern tip of Michigan’s lower peninsula. The cornerstone of the program was a strong link to the local community (township and county officials and lake property owners). A look at the Biological Station’s grass-roots environmental communication program may provide insights on similar environmental problems in inland lake districts across the country.