A report finds the erosion in Lake St. Clair is causing Lake Michigan and Lake Huron water levels to drop. (photo by Jere Kibler)
A new study says erosion in the St. Clair River has caused water levels to drop on Lakes Michigan and Huron. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lynette Kalsnes has more:
Transcript
A new study says erosion in the St. Clair River has caused water levels to drop on Lakes Michigan and Huron. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lynette Kalsnes has more:
W.F. Baird and Associates is a coastal engineering firm. They recently conducted a study that found that water levels dropped on the two Great Lakes by eight to thirteen inches over the last forty years. Rob Nairn is the study’s lead author. He says that’s about twice as much as authorities thought.
“The outlet to Lake Michigan/Huron, which is the St. Clair river, is in fact expanding. The analogy would be if you had a drain hole in a bathtub, that drain hole is getting bigger, and more water is going out. And as more water goes out, the lake level drops.”
Nairn says the erosion may be caused by dredging, sand mining, or shoreline protection measures that prevented new sediment from getting into the water.
Several environmental groups say the lower water levels could hurt shipping and boating, and damage natural habitats. They’re calling for the U.S. and Canadian governments to stop the reported water loss.
The International Joint Commission says it can’t confirm the report, but it plans to take a closer look at the study’s findings.
For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Lynette Kalsnes.