Climate change and water use patterns demand better management of Great Lakes
Climate change, overuse and diversion pose grave threats to Great Lakes water resources, according to a new report issued by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). Global warming, which increases evaporation rates, is contributing to lower lake levels. As surface water levels decline in and outside the Great Lakes basin, pressure will build to increase water withdrawals and diversions.
That “one-two punch” demands an evermore vigorous and focused effort to manage and protect a resource that millions of people in the U.S. and Canada depend on for their economy and way of life, according to Noah Hall, an environmental law professor at Wayne State University Law School in Detroit.
In collaboration with Bret Stuntz, a Michigan attorney and geologist, Hall has written Climate Change and Great Lakes Water Resources. The 44-page report, funded by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, examines the potential impacts of rising temperatures and reduced precipitation on the lakes. It also explores ways in which surrounding states can help adaptively manage these water resources to preserve them.
“The report illustrates how the Great Lakes region can become a leader in managing and protecting our water resources and to set an example for the rest of the country,” said Molly Flanagan, water program manager for the NWF’s Great Lakes office.
Current laws and policies intended to protect water resources from diversions outside the Great Lakes basin and overuse from within the basin are not up to the new challenges posed by climate change, according to Hall and Stuntz.
“We have known for many years that existing laws are inadequate to protect the Great Lakes from diversions and overuse,” Hall said. “Now we know that climate change is certain to put additional stress and pressure on the Great Lakes.”
In 2005, the governors of the eight states surrounding the Great Lakes proposed a set of specific guidelines for regulating the withdrawal and use of water from the basin. Known formally as the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact, the “compact” would be a binding agreement among the eight states surrounding the Great Lakes. Under the terms of the compact, the states will agree collectively to abide by a basinwide environmental standard for water uses. And each will develop a program to manage withdrawals as well as water conservation and efficiency programs to reduce waste by all users. A companion agreement that includes Ontario and Quebec provinces establishes similar expectations for Canadians.
We have known for many years that existing laws are inadequate to protect the Great Lakes from diversions and overuse.”Noah Hall
The legislatures of the eight Great Lakes must ratify the compact to enact its provisions, said Flanagan. Once this has been accomplished, the U.S. Congress also will be asked for its approval, at which point it will become federal law. To date, Minnesota and Illinois have adopted the compact. Legislation is moving forward in New York, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
“This report is a wake-up call,” said Stuntz, noting that as the Great Lakes and other regions struggle with loss of water supplies, demand for water is expected to increase unless water conservation laws and policies are adopted.
Since 2000, as part of its environmental work related to the Great Lakes, the Mott Foundation has made 23 grants totaling nearly $3 million to support research, build relationships among water uses and increase public participation in policy discussions related to the compact.