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Lakeshore Advance, 2013-04-03, Page 11Sierra Club worries about record -low lake levels OMI Agency The u►icertainty surrounding global climate change is trickling into the management or lack thereof of the record -low water levels plaguing the region and the continent. "What (will he done) about the impact of cli- mate change on all of the lakes, and specifically about Lake Sinlcoe and lake Couchiching, l don't really know," Mary Muter, chat' of the Great Lakes section of the Sierra Club of Ontario, said Wednesday. What she does know, however, is tvatl'r levels in Georgian Bay are dropping dramatically and have been for more than a decade. "It's basically a disaster that's unfolding," she said. 'lin' Sie'1'1'a Club, an environmental aW al't'lletiti group, has found lakes Michigan and 1 luron to be 25 inches below their long-term aVel'ages. Lakes Erie, Ontario and Superior are 10 inches below their long-term averages. The Canadian and American governments invested $17 Million in a five-year review of the Great Lakes Basin through the International Joint Commission (1)C), a North American transna- tional water advisory body, in 2007. The final report from the study board was released to the public for consultation last year. "1 think what came out of the study is what we need is to have better monitoring and analysis of what's going on so we can better understand trends and, also, rve can better react to what's happening," said IJC spokesperson Bernard Beckoff. A formai recommendation has not yet been made to the governments. "1 thought we would have heard from them by now, to be honest," Simcoe North MP Bruce Stan- ton said. "If you're going to take action, especially on issues relating to water, you have to be informed on the science of the situation." Beckoff admitted the still -limited understand- ing of climate change is a hindrance to studying the water system, but acknowledged sporadically changing weather patterns have caused fluctua- tions and problematically low levels throughout. "What do you do? You hold back the water for the benefit of lake I luron/Michigan, but tvhat happens downstream with Erie and Ontario, which are also experiencing low water levels?" he said. "In a situation like this, where, basin -wide, we're getting low water levels, that isn't really going to provide much of it solution:' But Muter wants to see the 1%2 agreement between Canada and the 11.S. to compensate nav- igation dredging of the St. (lair River, which drains Lake Huron into Lake St. (:lair and con- nects it to Lake Erie, honoured. "'Ihe St. (:lair River is eroding and, at the very minimum, one of the first things they need to do is cover over the eroding areas with rock,' she said. "Not only will that stop the erosion, improve fish -spawning habitat in the river, but it will stop forever this downward trend line that we have" While the study board looked into putting structures to regulate outflows into the St. (:lair River, it recommended against it. "So far, our federal government has not come up with any kind of statement that they are con- cerned and are interested in addressing this," Muter said. "None, whatsoever.' Mayors along Georgian Bay have !brined a coa- lition to try to draw attention to and force action on the water levels and advocacy groups, includ- ing the cross-border Restore Our Water initiative, are starting to pop up. But Stanton doesn't want to jump the gun tvith- otlt officially hearing the stance of the IJ(:. Between the mid-1960s and late 1990s, Geor- gian Bay essentially enjoyed above-average water levels, which Beckoff thinks could actually be part of the problem. "1 think that's what's fuelling a lot of concerns. They were kind of used to these high levels and now it's been kind of prolonged below average," he said. "We will get highs again. I think everybody pretty much accepts that. The big question is when." A number of large storms have moved up from the 11.5. and dropped snow and rain in the Great Lakes Basin during the fall and winter, said Stan- ton, who expects the water levels in Georgian Bay will start to climb from their all -tithe December wM OFFICE HOURS The New Office !lours for The Lakeshore Advance will be as follows. Mondays - 8am - 4pm Tuesdays - CLOSED Wednesdays - 9am - 4pm Thursdays - 9 am - 4pm Fridays - 8am - 4pm 58 Ontario St. N., Grand Bend PH: 519-238-5383 EMAiL: lakeshore.advance0V sunnledia.ca ashore Advuioe -'• • - w • •l,•.► M Low levels In Grand Bend low, even if only by a bit. f listorically, the levels have fluctu- ated within one -and -a -half to two metres, depending on the climatic cycle, he said. Beckoff said cries for action have not fallen on deaf ears. "Certainly, we've heard a lot of peo- ple saying, 'No, we do need something regardless of these issues," he said. But Muter thinks the governments needed to move yesterday. West Coast kitchens... 1 Mill R,.runx And Much More • KIlchrnc • ('u.ton Vanitu , • Intrnnlnnttnl 1huls • 1lnn (sauce% IPROF'K IS1ON At. INSTALLATIONS CUSTOM DEMONS & Covrmt t ors it (Iur Shrnt'n tnn 50 West St. Goderich 519-440-0352 (a,lrnch A !Nitric! ('hamMr of Comment Huelnen of the tear Award 1(MM Enudl: westromIAllo(hunuNrL"n.ca David Bannister/Lynda Hillman-Rapley "Other than supporting this do- nothing approach by the International Joint Commission, we've seen noth- ing," she said. And the problem isn't going anywhere. - "1t's just going to keep unfolding, Muter said. "And as the ice melts and people realise that their water and tank pipes are exposed and there's no way they can launch boats, things are just going to explode." rotten a.bell(e)sunmedia.ca • C ff OR Gil► .52% (Mtnunum .nnreml m.ry apply) Gaiser Kneale INst!RANCI,BROKERS INC EXETER - 519-235-2420 GRAND REND - 519-238-8484 CLINTON - 519-482-3401 Visit us online for daily rates wwuegaiserkneale.conm