Will the Great Lakes be drained?

No. People are not capable of changing things on that scale. We could easily pollute the water and make it undrinkable, but we can't drain the lakes, because there is just too much water there, and it's constantly refilled from too many sources, including rain and snow melt.



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No. People are not capable of changing things on that scale. We could easily pollute the water and make it undrinkable, but we can't drain the lakes, because there is just too much water there, and it's constantly refilled from too many sources, including rain and snow melt.

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The Great Lakes are struggling under the combined weight of many ailments, from invasive species and toxic chemicals to the nutrient runoffs that fuel Lake Erie's chronic algae problem. And in many cases, climate change is making it worse.

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Those findings are consistent with a study from Michigan Technological University. That study found Lake Superior is expected to rise on average by 7.5 inches while levels on the Lake Michigan-Huron system is projected to increase 17 inches by 2050 due to climate change.

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The Great Lakes Compact — signed into law in 2008 by President George W. Bush — largely prohibits taking large quantities of water from the Great Lakes and basin's groundwater, smaller lakes, and rivers without the approval of all eight states and the input of Ontario and Quebec, which are both in the watershed.

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The water that replenishes the Great Lakes comes from precipitation, which is driven by the region's climate.

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Significant progress has been made in reducing toxic chemicals in the Great Lakes, but some chemicals, such as PCBs, still pose a threat to human health and the environment. polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), are higher in the waters of lakes Erie and Ontario than in other lakes.

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Pollution from over a century of intensive development remains in the sediment of many Great Lakes tributaries, harming fish and wildlife and leaving water unsafe for people. These sites are being cleaned up through the Great Lakes Legacy Act by the U.S. EPA in partnership with local, state, and private organizations.

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Geology of Lake Inferior Lake Inferior is an underground lake that is located beneath Lake Superior. It is believed to be formed by a process known as karstification, which is the dissolution of limestone and dolomite rock. This process creates sinkholes, caves, and underground rivers and lakes.

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Half-Lie #2 – Companies are pumping millions of gallons of water out of the Great Lakes and selling it to China. There is a bit of truth to this. Companies can collect and bottle water in the Great Lakes region but only in containers of 5.7 gallons or less.

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Together with the Saint Lawrence Seaway, the Waterway allows both ocean-going vessels and the ore, grain and coal-bearing lake freighters to travel from the system's saltwater outlet to its far interior.

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The water in the Great Lakes is owned by the general public according to the Public Trust Doctrine. The Public Trust Doctrine is an international legal theory – it applies in both Canada and the United States, so it applies to the entirety of the Great Lakes.

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The Great lakes are fed by rivers which get their water from rain or melting snow, neither is salty. The lakes then ultimately drain into the St. Lawrence River then the Atlantic Ocean. The water drained away is replenished by precipitation which does not contain salt.

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Climatic conditions control precipitation (and thus groundwater recharge), runoff, and direct supply to the lakes as well as the rate of evaporation. These are the primary driving factors in determining water levels.

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