lake huron presentation | us epa archive document
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Pamela ScharfeHuron County Health Unit
Pamela ScharfeHuron County Health Unit
Lake HuronLake Huron
VolumeVolume 850 cu. mi.850 cu. mi.3,540 cu. km.3,540 cu. km.
Water AreaWater Area 23,000 sq. mi.23,000 sq. mi.59,600 sq. km.59,600 sq. km.
Land Drainage AreaLand Drainage Area 51,700 sq. mi.51,700 sq. mi.134,100 sq. km.134,100 sq. km.
Shoreline LengthShoreline Length 3,827 mi.3,827 mi.6,157 km.6,157 km.
PopulationPopulationUS (2000); Can (2001)US (2000); Can (2001)
4,525,3444,525,344
Retention TimeRetention Time 22 years22 years
Average DepthAverage Depth 195 feet 195 feet 59 meters59 meters
Maximum DepthMaximum Depth 750 feet750 feet229 meters229 meters
Lake HuronLake Huron
Source:Source: State of the Great Lakes 2005; NOAA, GLERLState of the Great Lakes 2005; NOAA, GLERL
Lake Huron IssuesLake Huron IssuesOverview:Overview:•• Restoration, but mostly protection, stewardshipRestoration, but mostly protection, stewardship•• Contaminants in fish and wildlifeContaminants in fish and wildlife•• Aquatic communities Aquatic communities –– major changes to food webmajor changes to food web•• Aquatic and terrestrial habitat Aquatic and terrestrial habitat –– high quality, high quality,
protection, binational biodiversity strategyprotection, binational biodiversity strategy•• AOCsAOCs•• Other issues: water levels, botulism, VHSOther issues: water levels, botulism, VHS•• Beaches Beaches –– bacteria, algal foulingbacteria, algal fouling•• Nearshore focus: bacterial contamination at Nearshore focus: bacterial contamination at
beachesbeaches•• SummarySummary
Fish Consumption Fish Consumption Advisories in Lake HuronAdvisories in Lake Huron
Mercury6%
Dioxin, f uran, & dioxin- like PCBs
94%
PCB Levels in Great Lakes PCB Levels in Great Lakes Herring Gull Eggs, 2003Herring Gull Eggs, 2003--0707
Mea
n Su
m P
CB
Con
cent
ratio
nM
ean
Sum
PC
B C
once
ntra
tion
(( µµg/
gg/
g , w
et w
eigh
t), w
et w
eigh
t)
Niagara
Niagara
Chantr
y I.
Chantr
y I.
Granite
I.
Granite
I.
Chann
el
Chann
el--She
lter I.
Shelte
r I.Dou
ble I.
Double
I.
Gull I.
Gull I.
Pt Colb
orne
Pt Colb
orne
Big Sist
er I.
Big Sist
er I.
Agawa
Agawa I.I.
Fightin
g I.
Fightin
g I.
Middle
I.
Middle
I.
Snake
I.
Snake
I.Stra
chan
I.
Strach
an I.
Toronto
Toronto
HrbrHrbr
..
Hamilto
n
Hamilto
n HrbrHrbr
..00
55
1010
1515
2020
2525
3030
LakeLakeSuperiorSuperior
Lake MichiganMichigan
Lake HuronHuron
DetroitDetroitRiverRiver
LakeErie
LakeLakeOntario
NiagaraNiagaraRiver
St. LawrenceLawrenceRiver
MonitoringMonitoring SiteSite
PCB Levels in Herring Gull Eggs from PCB Levels in Herring Gull Eggs from Three Lake Huron Monitoring Sites, Three Lake Huron Monitoring Sites,
19741974--20072007
YearYear
00
11
22
33
44
55
19741974 19781978 19821982 19861986 19901990 19941994 19981998 20022002 20062006LnPC
B 1
:1 C
once
ntra
tion
(µg/
g, w
etw
etw
eigh
t)
Double IslandChantry Island
Channel-Shelter Island
ZooplanktonZooplankton Benthic InvertebratesBenthic Invertebrates InvadersInvaders
QuaggaQuagga musselmussel
Zebra musselZebra mussel
Trawl BiomassTrawl Biomass
Data courtesy of Dr. Edward Data courtesy of Dr. Edward RosemanRoseman
00
5050
100100
150150
200200
250250
300300
350350
1992
1992
1993
1993
1994
1994
1995
1995
1996
1996
1997
1997
1998
1998
1999
1999
2000
2000
2001
2001
2002
2002
2003
2003
2004
2004
2005
2005
2006
2006
2007
2007
Bio
mas
s (
Bio
mas
s ( k
iloto
nnes
kilo
tonn
es))
Round GobyRound GobyTrout PerchTrout PerchSticklebackSticklebackSculpinSculpinBloaterBloaterRainbow SmeltRainbow SmeltAlewifeAlewife
Declines in Prey FishDeclines in Prey Fish
Chinook SalmonChinook Salmon
Chinook SalmonChinook Salmon
Yellow Perch & WalleyeYellow Perch & Walleye
Cisco & BloaterCisco & Bloater
Emerald ShinerEmerald Shiner
Lake TroutLake Trout
Proportion of Total HarvestProportion of Total Harvest
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1.0
1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
Year
Prop
ortio
n of
Tot
al H
arve
st
SuckersL. HerringCatfishN. PikeY. PerchWalleyeBloaterL. TroutL. Whitefish
Questions about the aquatic Questions about the aquatic ecosystemecosystem
•• Why are declines occurring in lower trophic Why are declines occurring in lower trophic levels?levels?
•• Will lack of Will lack of mysismysis and and diporeiadiporeia for food result in for food result in continued high predation on zooplankton?continued high predation on zooplankton?
•• Will alewife recover?Will alewife recover?
•• Will native species continue to recover?Will native species continue to recover?
•• What impact will more recently introduced What impact will more recently introduced species have? (e.g. round goby)species have? (e.g. round goby)
Aquatic and Terrestrial EcosystemsAquatic and Terrestrial Ecosystems
•• High in biological and landscape diversityHigh in biological and landscape diversity
•• Many rare and threatened speciesMany rare and threatened species
•• Coastal wetlands in the north rank among the Coastal wetlands in the north rank among the best in all Great Lakesbest in all Great Lakes
•• Biodiversity under stress Biodiversity under stress -- opportunities for opportunities for protection should be pursuedprotection should be pursued
•• Define threats to biodiversity featuresDefine threats to biodiversity features
•• Strategies to abate these threats Strategies to abate these threats
•• International action plan International action plan
•• Priority sites for strategy implementationPriority sites for strategy implementation
•• Indicators to measure health and Indicators to measure health and integrity of conservation targetsintegrity of conservation targets
Biodiversity Biodiversity Conservation StrategyConservation Strategy
IslandsIslands
NearshoreNearshoreCoastal wetlandsCoastal wetlands
TributariesTributaries
Coastal terrestrialCoastal terrestrial
Native fishesNative fishes Open lake systemOpen lake system
Areas of ConcernAreas of Concern•• Canada:Canada:
Collingwood Harbor: Delisted 1994Collingwood Harbor: Delisted 1994Severn Sound: Delisted 2003Severn Sound: Delisted 2003Spanish Harbor: Area in Recovery 1999Spanish Harbor: Area in Recovery 1999
•• U.S.A.:U.S.A.:Saginaw BaySaginaw Bay
•• BinationalBinational: : St. St. MarysMarys RiverRiver
Other Lake Huron IssuesOther Lake Huron Issues
Algae BloomsAlgae Blooms VHSVHSBotulismBotulismLakes Michigan-Huron / Lac Michigan-Huron
-0.6-0.4-0.20.00.20.40.60.81.01.21.41.6
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
Hei
ght a
bove
Cha
rt D
atum
Hau
teur
au-
dess
us d
u zé
ro d
es
cart
es
175.4175.6175.8176.0176.2176.4176.6176.8177.0177.2177.4177.6
Elev
atio
n ab
ove
IGLD
(198
5)El
évat
ion
au-d
essu
s du
SR
IGL
(198
5)
20 08
Water LevelsWater Levels
Nearshore Focus: Bacterial Nearshore Focus: Bacterial Contamination at BeachesContamination at Beaches
•• Bacterial Contamination at Michigan BeachesBacterial Contamination at Michigan Beaches
•• Bacterial Contamination at Ontario BeachesBacterial Contamination at Ontario Beaches
•• Multiple Pollution SourcesMultiple Pollution Sources
•• Predictive ModelingPredictive Modeling
•• Communicating to the PublicCommunicating to the Public
•• Impact of Climate ChangeImpact of Climate Change
Lake HuronLake Huron’’s Beachess Beaches
Algal Fouling = Algal Fouling = ““MuckMuck””
Photo: Dan Photo: Dan StaudacherStaudacher, Bay City Times , Bay City Times
““Beach closings in Michigan Beach closings in Michigan on the rise,on the rise,””
Jeff Kart, Jeff Kart, The Bay City Times,The Bay City Times,August 06, 2008August 06, 2008
Bacterial Contamination at Bacterial Contamination at Ontario BeachesOntario Beaches
Algal Fouling Algal Fouling Beach Postings Beach Postings
Main pollutants:Main pollutants:•• PathogensPathogens•• Nitrogen and Phosphorus Nitrogen and Phosphorus
Water Protection Steering Water Protection Steering CommitteeCommittee
Ashfield Colborne
Lakefront Association
Friends of the Bayfield River
Beach Water Sample ResultsBeach Water Sample Results ““Old NewsOld News””
If you swam yesterday, youIf you swam yesterday, you’’re OK. re OK. The water was fine! The water was fine! Today might be okay too, but we wonToday might be okay too, but we won’’t t know because we wonknow because we won’’t be sampling t be sampling again until next Monday.again until next Monday.
Predictive ModelingPredictive Modeling
Multiple Pollution SourcesMultiple Pollution Sources
Heavy Rainfall EventsHeavy Rainfall Events
Communicating Beach Results Communicating Beach Results and Health Riskand Health Risk
•• What do we do What do we do with all that data?with all that data?
•• When do we When do we post/close post/close beaches?beaches?
•• How do we notify How do we notify the public?the public?
TALK TO THE PUBLICTALK TO THE PUBLIC
Climate ChangeClimate Change Impact on Beach Water Quality?Impact on Beach Water Quality?
TemperaturesTemperatures
PrecipitationPrecipitation
Seasonal ChangesSeasonal Changes
Water LevelsWater Levels
Beach Water QualityBeach Water QualityNeed to seek out partners to strengthen ourNeed to seek out partners to strengthen ourbeach water monitoring programs and water beach water monitoring programs and water quality standards:quality standards:
•• Predictive modeling to determine and report Predictive modeling to determine and report accurate and timely beach water qualityaccurate and timely beach water quality
•• Inform the public in a clear and timely wayInform the public in a clear and timely way•• Conduct research as to what are the pollution Conduct research as to what are the pollution
sources & their impactsources & their impact•• Identify and implement remediation strategiesIdentify and implement remediation strategies
SummarySummary•• How we are dealing with the issues: How we are dealing with the issues:
direction direction –– remediation remediation –– protection?protection?
•• Stewardship and working with local Stewardship and working with local communitiescommunities
•• Principles of Framework Principles of Framework –– awareness, awareness, support community projects, take action, support community projects, take action, monitor and adaptmonitor and adapt
•• How we need to adapt to changing How we need to adapt to changing ecosystems?ecosystems?
Acknowledgments Acknowledgments
Janette Anderson, Environment CanadaJanette Anderson, Environment Canada
James James SchardtSchardt, EPA, Great Lakes National Program Office, EPA, Great Lakes National Program Office
Jim Jim BredinBredin, State of Michigan, State of Michigan
Jeff Schaeffer, USGSJeff Schaeffer, USGS
Ted Briggs, Ontario Ministry of EnvironmentTed Briggs, Ontario Ministry of Environment
David Reid, Ontario Ministry of Natural ResourcesDavid Reid, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
Danielle Sass, ORISE Research FellowDanielle Sass, ORISE Research Fellow
Chip Chip WeselohWeseloh, Environment Canada, Environment Canada
Dave MooreDave Moore, Environment Canada, Environment Canada
Greg Greg MayneMayne, Environment Canada, Environment Canada