Posted March 21, 2007
Editorial: Don't ignore lower levels in Lake Michigan
Reports
that the water level in Lake Michigan is an inch lower than it was last
year at this time isn't the type of news that will cause panic in the
streets.
But there is significance in this news and it's something that warrants attention for present and future generations.
Low
water levels impact many people. Property owners see the effect on the
shorelines that can hamper water recreational activities. Boaters face
the possibility of not being able to reach their own docks or being
limited in their access to harbors. There is speculation that the lower
water levels will cut into the vital fisheries industry – both for
commercial and sport fishermen.
Freighter
operators might have to cut back on the size of their loads because of
lower water levels, and this can have a negative ripple effect on other
businesses that depend on the freight.
The
situation will get worse before it gets better. Lower-than-average
precipitation on Lake Michigan and Lake Huron this winter will affect
the lake levels for the next few years. Lake Superior, which feeds into
the other lakes, is only two inches above its all-time low level.
Fortunately,
scientists aren't just waiting to see what Mother Nature will do to
correct a growing problem. The U.S. and Canadian governments spent $14
million last year to study the possibility that a dredging project on
the Saint Clair River in 1960 might have poked a hole in the riverbed,
leading to a steady drain from the lakes.
The experts are trying to decide how to repair the hole, if it actually occurred.
Lake
Michigan has undergone many cycles that have challenged its role as a
major recreational and natural resource. There were years when the
die-off of alewives littered the shorelines and drove visitors away
because of the odor. More recently has been the growth of a repugnant
algae that scientists reason has been caused by the infiltration of
zebra mussels.
Invasive
species and diversion will be the major topics that will keep Lake
Michigan in the news. A one-inch drop in Lake Michigan's water level
won't be noticeable.
But the trend that has been seen over the past generation mandates that we monitor the studies that will produce solutions.
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