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Traverse City, Michigan
Cheboygan, Michigan
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Chicago, Illinois
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Golden, Colorado
Los Angeles, California
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Frankfort, Michigan
Marquette, Michigan
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Fresh Coast
Troubled Water is an exhilarating adventure, conservation film that beckons viewers to follow along on a transformative journey down the stunning coast of Lake Michigan. As the journey unfolds, we unveil the sheer significance of the Line 5 pipeline issue, the dire need for collective action and the historic precedent that this movement would establish. If successfully shutdown, it would become the first active pipeline in US history to be terminated before it ruptures.
For as long as they can remember, lifelong friends Chris Yahanda and William Wright have spent their summers exploring the lakes and shores of Northern Michigan. Recently however, they noticed the lakes around them changing and, as tensions build surrounding a particularly threatening oil pipeline, the two are determined to take action. Chris and William embark on an audacious 425 mile standup paddle journey through the Great Lakes to raise awareness and help protect their favorite place in the world.
Troubled Water is an exhilarating adventure, conservation film that beckons viewers to follow along on a transformative journey down the stunning coast of Lake Michigan. As the journey unfolds, we unveil the sheer significance of the Line 5 pipeline issue, the dire need for collective action and the historic precedent that this movement would establish.
If successfully shutdown, it would become the first active pipeline in US history to be terminated before it ruptures.
Departing from
Mackinac Island
Down the west coast…
… into the Grand River
Finish at the State Capital
in Lansing MI
June 25, 2020
Camped on a beach halfway through our summer paddle trip down Michigan’s western coast, Chris received an alert on his phone: “BREAKING: Given Enbridge’s failure to act, a judge granted a temporary restraining order to shut down Line 5.” Looking out at Lake Michigan bathed in the flare of the setting sun, we couldn’t help but wonder: How can any Michigander stomach the risk of an oil spill on this coastline?
As we spent time investigating that question, it became apparent that most Michiganders can’t and many have been fighting to shut down Line 5 for the last 15 years. We also discovered that we were not as knowledgeable as we thought. There are numerous water issues in our backyard that we didn’t know anything about: invasive species leading to the death of a fishing industry, climate change reaping havoc on fruit farmers, bottling companies relocating our fresh water, farming runoff causing deadly algal blooms, and more.
So, we committed to making a documentary about the manmade impact to Michigan’s fresh water. There is no doubt that Michigan has a turbulent past preserving its fresh water, but times are changing. Unprecedented actions from the Whitmer administration could be a large step in the right direction.
Email: dhuber95@gmail.com
Phone: (260) 414 9192
A filmmaker focused on conservation story telling, underwater cinematography, and natural history; Davis loves the outdoors and seeks to tell its many stories. Davis’s work has reached prominent brands including NatGeo, BBC, Netflix, and Columbia Sportswear.
Email: wswright95@gmail.com
Phone: (260) 446 1211
A lifelong lover of Northern Michigan and its waters, William’s energy for adventure is unrivaled. Needless to say it was he who came up with the crazy idea to paddle 425 miles from the Mackinac Islands to Michigan’s capital.
Email: chrisyahanda@gmail.com
Phone: (260) 494 5485
Despite working in New York, Chris’s mind is in Michigan the whole year. Channeling his SUP race success, Chris will pick up the paddle for the 425 mile journey. His experience is invaluable when grinding against the wind and waves of the Big Water.