Great Lakes Lecture

Question 1

Great Lakes

Answer 1

H-O-M-E-S

Question 2

Watershed

Answer 2

Also called drainage basin, like funnel - includes both rivers and streams, ea lake has it own watershed

Question 3

Saint Lawerence River

Answer 3

Each lakes watershed flows up to main and through the Saint Lawerence River, hitting the Gulf of St Lawerence before going into the ocean

Question 4

Nutrient Input

Answer 4

Changes bringing problems: nutrient input (water quality aka eutrophication), invasive species, water levels, toxin input

Question 5

Diversion

Answer 5

IE- Chicago River being reversed and placed into Mississippi river, built canals that brought water from the river over the hump

Question 6

EPA

Answer 6

Created largely because of river fires on Cuyahoga River, brought changes in pollution control activities like the EPA

Question 7

Invasive Species

Answer 7

Zebra mussels, Asian Carp, Sea Lamprey, Alewife

Question 8

Commercial & Recreational Fisheries

Answer 8

Fishing disrupts if you take too much, total annual values for both about ~ $1-4 billion

Question 9

Sea Lamprey

Answer 9

Couldn’t get in for awhile, got in through canals that were built for shipping boats

Question 10

Lake trout

Answer 10

Decimated by Sea Lampreys in 1940s & 1950s, native species rehab

Question 11

Welland canal

Answer 11

Built for ships to pass from Canada, brought Sea Lampreys, Alewives

Question 12

Ballast water

Answer 12

Water in ship from other ocean and dumped into great lakes after shipping, this is how a lot of invasive species come in - zebra mussels

Question 13

About how much (what %) of the North America’s fresh surface water do the Great Lakes hold?

Answer 13

84% (20% of worlds surface area)

Question 14

What two places hold more fresh water than the Great Lakes?

Answer 14

Polar ice caps & Lake Baikal in Siberia

Question 15

Where does water poured west of Chicago end up leaving the country (which river does it go into and where does it end up)?

Answer 15

Mississippi River, goes there because of river diversion done in 1900 - goes out to Gulf of Mexico

Question 16

About how much further does water poured on the ground in Lansing travel to get to  Lake Erie then water poured on the ground in Ann Arbor? Why is it so much 
further than the distance traveled by car? (This was in class question)

Answer 16

From East Lansing to Atlantic Ocean = 4 lakes, about 800 miles

Question 17

Which Great Lake has the most water? The least?

Answer 17

Most - Superior, least - Erie

Question 18

What percent of the water held in the Great Lakes exits to the ocean through the St.
Lawrence River each year? (A stock vs flow question)

Answer 18

1%

Question 19

Which 3 states or provinces use more than 20% of the water used from the Great Lakes?

Answer 19

Ontario, MI & WI

Question 20

What are 4 main reasons people care about Great Lakes issues (problems)?

Answer 20

Fishing, recreational, withdrawn water uses, environmental concerns

Question 21

What are four main Great Lake’s issues?

Answer 21

Nutrient input (water quality), invasive species, water levels, toxic input

Question 22

What are three broad factors by which climate change leads to Great Lakes water level “seesawing” ?

Answer 22

Increased rain and snow, recurring periods of high evaporation and extreme cold air outbursts (polar vortex) & run off

Question 23

How did the diversion of the Chicago river reduce disease? (Need to know what was leading to the increased disease).

Answer 23

Chicago was dumping raw sewage in Lake MI so Chicago river was reversed in 1900, take sewage away from Lake MI - They were able to do this because it is situated near the Lake MI watershed boundary - went back to 7 to visualize - decreased thypoid and chlorea deaths

Question 24

Why are some people not happy that Michigan allows Nestles to pump so much water for a very small fee?

Answer 24

Environmental impact

Question 25

About how much per gallon does Michigan charge Nestles for the water it takes for bottled water?

Answer 25

Less than 1 cent

Question 26

In 2017 a Michigan senator has proposed charging Nestle how much for Michigan water?

Answer 26

5 cents

Question 27

What were two principal results of the Clean Water Act?

Answer 27

1. made it unlawful for any person to discharge and pollutant into navigable waters, unless a permit was obtained under its provisions 2. funded the construction of sewage treatment plants.

Question 28

What main two factors are “disrupting’ the lake Michigan food web?

Answer 28

1. Increased fished (both commercial and recreational) 2. Invasive species (sea lampreys & alewife)

Question 29

What fish has the invasive sea lamprey affected most? How does it affect them?

Answer 29

Eats same fish people do - attaches and sucks their juices out; Lake Trout & White Fish were really impacted

Question 30

What are two actions being taken to address the negative impact sea lamprey have on Lake Trout?

Answer 30

Assessment, chemical, barriers, trapping, sterile males

Question 31

About how many species are known to have invaded the Great Lakes? What is the rate of invasion?

Answer 31

184 - about 1 per year

Question 32

What is one negative effect of zebra mussels that cost industry money?

Answer 32

Clogging pipes/drains - damaging water utilities; started with ballast water

Question 33

What does the canal in Chicago have to do with Asian carp?

Answer 33

Mississippi river which is connected to Lake MI - thinking about canal connection from Chicago;They are in the Mississippi river which is connected to Lake Michigan through the canal

Question 34

How might Asian carp invading the Great Lakes be a bad thing?

Answer 34

Eat resources that desirable/native fish rely on