To the Expositor:
Where is Lake Huron’s water going?
The outflow of Lake Huron into the St. Clair River is approximately 121 billion gallons per day. The International Joint Commission’s International Upper Great Lakes Study Board reported in their St Clair River Report that the normal outflow has increased since about 1986 by 5.8 percent and recommended that nothing be done about it. However, scientific investigations completed by the Great Lakes Section of Sierra Club Ontario estimate the outflow has increased by 9 percent. Even a 5. percent% increase in the flow capacity enables approximately 6 billion gallons per day extra water to leave Lake Huron through the St. Clair River making the real discharge through the St. Clair about 127 billion gallons per day. Under a US Supreme Court decision the Chicago diversion takes 2.1 billion gallons of water per day out of the Michigan/Lake Huron basin. Thus, the amount of extra water now leaving the Michigan/Huron basin via the St. Clair River is almost 3 times the amount leaving via the Chicago diversion. Folks, that is a lot of water. This loss of our water has been going on for over 20 years and is reflected in the 13 consecutive years of low water levels around Manitoulin Island, the North Channel, French River Delta and Eastern Georgian Bay.
On Saturday, August 6 from 10 am-noon at Kagawong’s Park Centre, the International Upper Great Lakes Study Board members will be holding a public meeting to present their findings for Lake Huron. This meeting offers you a chance to provide input and ask questions of Study Board members and researchers. You may also submit comments and input by traditional mail, email, and via the Upper Great Lakes Study website at iugls.org.
We urge you to attend this meeting and encourage everyone to ask questions about Lake Huron’s sustained low water levels. If nobody comes, nothing will change.
Therese Trainor, secretary
Manitoulin Area Stewardship Council
