A series of lake-specific booklets, “Lake Profiles,” was developed in northern Michigan to transfer water quality information from a technical information source (the University of Michigan Biological Station) to a local audience (lake property owners and public officials). Each lake profile was devoted to a single water body, averaged 10 pages, and was amply illustrated with maps, photos, and graphs. Sections were included on the history of settlement, limnological and land use characteristics, and the identification of critical concerns potentially affecting water quality degradation. A followup questionnaire indicated that the lake profiles were, indeed, effective in communicating water quality information and aided in the local initiation of specific lake protection programs. The development of each lake profile involved frequent meetings with local residents and officials and cosponsorship by a lake property owners' association. Although the lake-specific content of the booklets was important, we attribute the success of this program as much, if not more so, to the process of developing the lake profiles with local involvement.