The activities of human population along the Great Lakes shoreline have
caused extensive damage to the Lakes' natural environment. One way
that the Great Lakes are affected is by industrial spills. Spills from
chemical and petroleum industries cause great harm to the environment due
to the lakes’ relative confinement and resultant low dissipation rate.
Another reason for the severe damage from spills is that the Great
Lakes lie within a sub arctic environment where aquatic organisms grow and
reproduce more slowly. Also, spills disperse more slowly and the presence
of ice makes them more difficult to clean.
Lake St. Clair, a waterway connecting Lake Huron to Lake Erie, is the smallest lake in the Great Lakes system. It is particularly stressed by human activity. One of the main reasons for this is that it has a very dense population along its shoreline, especially on the Michigan side. The main sources of pollution in Lake St. Clair are combined storm and sanitary sewer overflow, public works, boat discharges, and wildlife.
This human affect on Lake St. Clair is apparent in the recent number of beach closings and advisories issued by the County Health Departments. In 1999 the St. Clair Health Department issued 58 beach closings and advisories and the Macomb County Health Department issued 14.
This distribution map depicts the population of the area surrounding Lake St. Clair. Each yellow dot represents 2500 people. Shoreline urbanization is one source of human-related stress on the Great Lakes.
Related Links:
Environmental Monitoring Network
Background on Beach Closure Information
