Great Lakes & Global Freshwater
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Transcript of Great Lakes & Global Freshwater
Great Lakes&
Global Freshwater
INLAND SEASEDUCATION ASSOCIATION
Protecting the Great Lakes Through Education
INLAND SEASEDUCATION ASSOCIATION
Protecting the Great Lakes Through Education
Inland Seas Education Association
Distribution of Earth’s Water
Distribution of Earth’s Water
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Earth's Water Freshwater Fresh Surface Water(liquid)
Icecaps &
Glaciers68.7%
Ground Water 30.1%
Salt Water 97%
Fresh Water
3%
Other 0.9% Rivers
2%Surface Water 0.3%
Lakes 87%
Swamps 11%
Inland Seas Education Association
Global Freshwater Resources
Global Freshwater Resources
Threatened by rising demands due to rapid population growth– Agriculture – 69%– Industry – 23%– Domestic – 8%– Varies regionally (India uses
90% of its water withdrawals for agriculture)
Inland Seas Education Association
Global Freshwater Resources
Global Freshwater Resources
Threatened by changing climate– Some regions could be stricken
by droughts, others flooded by rain & rising sea levels
Threatened by increased pollution– Over 90% of Europe’s rivers have
elevated nitrate concentrations & 80% of China’s rivers cannot support aquatic life
– Asian rivers have 20 times more lead than the global average from rivers in industrialized countries
Inland Seas Education Association
Global Fresh Water CrisisGlobal Fresh Water Crisis
More than 1 of every 6 people lack access to safe drinking water (1.1 billion people)
More than 2 of every 6 people lack adequate sanitation (2.6 billion people)
3,900 children die every day from waterborne diseases
Inland Seas Education Association
What is Being Done?What is Being Done?
Inexpensive water treatment– Pur packets, sand filtration
Green energy solutions– Wind, solar
Biotechnology– Crops that require less water, bacteria
that purify water
Education & information campaigns
Inland Seas Education Association
The Great LakesThe Great Lakes
Superior
Mic
hig
an
Huro
n
Eri
e
Ontari
o
Inland Seas Education Association
Largest of the Great Lakes & 2nd largest lake in the world.
Deepest (max = 1,333 ft.) and coldest of the Great Lakes.
So large that it could contain all of the other Great Lakes PLUS three more Lake Eries!
Retention time of 191 years.
Soo locks – first Canadian built 1797 (destroyed War of 1812), US built 1855 (now there are 4 locks)
Lake SuperiorLake Superior
Superior
Inland Seas Education Association
Lake MichiganLake Michigan
Mic
hig
an
Second largest Great Lake by volume.
Shores lined by the worlds largest freshwater sand dunes.
Maximum Depth 925 ft.
Retention time of 99 years.
Chicago Ship & Sanitary Canal (1887-1922)
Inland Seas Education Association
Lake HuronLake Huron
Huro
n
Third largest Great Lake by volume.
Longest shoreline of the Great Lakes, including the shorelines of its 30,000 islands
Maximum Depth 750 ft.
Retention time of 22 years.
Inland Seas Education Association
Lake ErieLake Erie
Eri
e
Smallest Great Lake by volume.
Warmest, shallowest, & most biologically productive of the Great Lakes. (part of the central basin goes anoxic in summer).
Most densely populated Great Lake & is exposed to the greatest effects from urbanization & agriculture.
Maximum depth 215 ft (average depth only 62 ft).
Retention time of 2.6 years.
Erie Canal (1825) connects Lake Erie to Hudson River.
Inland Seas Education Association
Lake OntarioLake Ontario
Ontari
o
Smallest Great Lake by surface area but much deeper than Lake Erie (average depth 283 ft, maximum depth 802 ft).
Lies 325 feet below Lake Erie at the base of the mighty Niagara Falls.
Welland Canal (4 canals built 1829-1932) connects Lake Ontario to Lake Erie, Trent-Severn Waterway (44 locks built 1833-1920) connects Lake Ontario to Georgian Bay.
Retention time of 6 years.
Inland Seas Education Association
Water Pollution CausesWater Pollution Causes
Pesticides– Fields, lawns, & roadsides
Nutrients– Sewage, manure, & chemical fertilizers
Oil, gas, & additives– Leaking storage tanks, oil-
contaminated ballast water, oil spills, & drips from gas stations, industrial machinery, & cars
Inland Seas Education Association
Water Pollution CausesWater Pollution Causes
Mining– Exposing heavy metals to leaching
from rainwater, mining waste (slurry)
Sediment
Chemical & industrial processes– Radioactive material, heavy metals
Plastic
Inland Seas Education Association
Water Pollution CausesWater Pollution Causes
Personal care products, household cleaning products, pharmaceuticals
Sewage
Air pollution– Mercury, sulfur dioxide, nitric oxides, &
ammonia
Carbon dioxide– Causes acidification
Inland Seas Education Association
Water Pollution CausesWater Pollution Causes
Heat– Discharge of cooling water factories &
power plants
Noise– Ship engines, sonar
Invasive species
Inland Seas Education Association
Water Pollution Facts for US
Water Pollution Facts for US
40% of rivers & 46% of lakes are too polluted for fishing, swimming, or aquatic life2/3 of estuaries & bays are either moderately or severely degraded from eutrophication1.2 trillion gallons of untreated sewage, stormwater, & industrial waste are discharged in US waters annually
Inland Seas Education Association
Water Pollution Facts for US
Water Pollution Facts for US
The Mississippi River (drains 40% of the US) carries 1.5 million metric tons of nitrogen pollution to the Gulf of Mexico each year– Results in hypoxic coastal dead zone
each summer
In any given year about 25% of beaches in the US are under advisories or are closed at least once because of water pollution
Inland Seas Education Association
Freshwater StewardshipFreshwater Stewardship
If you live on a lake, stream or wetland plant a buffer zone of native plants along the waterKeep your lawn small & don’t use fertilizers/pesticidesMake sure your septic system works properly, meets current standards, & is pumped at least every 5 yearsDrive slowly in your boat to avoid shoreline erosion
Inland Seas Education Association
Freshwater StewardshipFreshwater Stewardship
Plant a rain garden, use a rain barrel to catch water from your roof, consider using permeable pavement in your driveway– Runoff that stays on your property will
not wash contaminants into surface waters
Never dump waste into storm drains– Run directly into rivers
& lakes
Inland Seas Education Association
Freshwater StewardshipFreshwater Stewardship
Use less salt on driveway in winterSwitch fishing tackle to non-toxic (lead free)Learn as much as you can about freshwater & the threats it facesBecome a steward of & advocate for clean freshwater
Inland Seas Education Association
SourcesSources
Environmental Protection Agency’s Great Lakes National Program Officewww.epa.gov/glnpo/aoc
Google Earthwww.earth.google.com
The Watershed Center Grand Traverse Baywww.gtbay.org
All pictures and drawings not cited during the presentation were provided by Inland Seas Education
Association. These pictures can be used freely for educational purposes if ISEA is correctly attributed. All
commercial use of these pictures requires written consent from ISEA.