Low Water Levels In The Great Lakes

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In the past couple of years the low water levels in the Great Lakes have brought up many concerns. As citizens and consumers of the fresh water that is provided to us through these lakes it is of great importance to analyze and be informed on how the water level of these Great Lakes could impact our lifestyle. The context of this paper will focus on “ What has caused the low water levels in the Great Lakes?” Also, information will be provided on the main causes, effects and possible solutions that could be applied in order to minimize issues involving the lakes water levels. Pictures, chart analysis and statistics will be provided throughout this paper in order produce a visual and clearer information on the changes that have occurred in the…show more content…
The lakes are surrounded by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. With the water levels reaching its historical lows in the past few years most of the tourism, shipping, and recreational activities have been impacted. The decrease in water levels has forced Lakes freighters to light load their ship cargos in order to make it through the shallower harbors, which can reduce the ship's efficiency while adding on costs. An example of this would be the coal trade. Large coal carrying vessels that use to pass through the Soo Lock was once able to navigate through the channels with about 71,000 tons of cargo. However, as of December 2012 the vessel's capacity was reduced to about 62,000 ton and eventually decreasing its profit by 8.2%. Many companies that contract space on vessels are having to pay for that capacity, but are not being able to fully load it. For Every inch of water level that goes down, cargo ships have to carry on average 50 – 270 tons less in…show more content…
The organization was created by the Boundary Waters Treaty, signed by Canada and the United States in 1909 and is found responsible for preventing and resolving disputes between the United States and Canada and looking out for common goods in both countries. The International organization also carries on the role of assisting both countries in protecting the trans boundary environment and enabling Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement while keeping governments alerted to any it emerging issues along the boundary. An International Organization of such value just emphasizes how important it is to look after the well-being of our Great lakes and surrounding environment.
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