The depletion is most severe in the southern portion of the aquifer, especially in Texas, where the water table beneath sizeable areas has dropped 100-150 feet; in smaller pockets, it has dropped more than 150 feet. Michigan is the current top consumer of Great Lakes water, followed by Ontario, Indiana, New York and then Quebec. Required fields are marked *. It did not intercede as allowed with the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact. To implement Prof. Hendersons proposal would require the region to turn its conservation thinking upside down. This country benefits from sharing resources. It eventually launched the process that led to the Great Lakes Compact in 2008, which prevents large-scale diversions of the kind Henderson is proposing. Further complicating matters is the fact that natural variation in the water levels is essential for maintaining a healthy ecosystem. However, some conspiracy sites and forums have erroneously reported that the Obama Administration sold Great Lakes water to China. Recently the blogosphere and news sites have been bristling that Barack Obama is allowing water from the Great Lakes region to be pumped and sold to China. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy, 2013 MLive Media Group All rights reserved (About Us). This would create quite a traffic jam at the Soo Locks! Annin directs the Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation at Northland College and Davis is a commissioner at Chicagos Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. The largest, longest-standing and most controversial diversion from the Great Lakes is at Chicago, where the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, finished in 1900, reverses the Chicago River and connects Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River. In August, the federal Bureau of Reclamation cut, by 9 percent, the amount of water people in the southwestern United States could draw from Lake Powell. Although the future is not certain, increases in temperature and alterations in patterns of precipitation are likely to affect water levels in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River system. We cannot afford to conduct business as usual in any area when the old systems and protections are irrelevant to our survival. Its set a precedent of allowing water to go outside of our basin, said Harvey. Rivers and lakes are important water resources, indispensable for human life and production; they also facilitate the material and energy cycle between the land and ocean, and their hydrochemical properties have important implications for human health, aquatic biota and ecosystem services [1,2].The chemical composition of water not only indicates surface weathering processes, but also reflects . They just assume that there will always be plenty of fresh water for all of us to use just like there always has been. The president is now pushing for free trade with South Korea which I am totally against. About 88% of all water diversion occurs in Illinois to the Mississippi. Todd Henderson, University of Chicago law professor, Photo by University of Chicago. 2022-06-07 . Experts have been quoted blaming the weather for low lake levels in everything from this blog to the New York Times and in NBC News reports, but as described in detail in a previous post about how climate change and variability drive water levels on the Great Lakes, just blaming the weather is not the full story. Your email address will not be published. I think he knows there are significant barriers that would have to be overcome before Great Lakes water could be sold and while they may be insurmountable, theyre worth discussing. Busting 5 Myths About Water Levels on the Great Lakes, recent Water Currents post on lake levels, climate change and variability drive water levels on the Great Lakes, Adaptive Management Plan for the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Systems, Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network, Regular Use of Ivermectin as Prophylaxis for COVID-19 Led Up to a 92% Reduction in COVID-19 Mortality Rate, OUR WORK GET INVOLVED ABOUT Search Back to All Blog Posts Utah Water Deal Siphons Colorado River Tributary, Feel like the climate crisis is out of control? Let me know how I can help.Mike. They OWN our debt and thus, US! OK.think about this..5.5 billion gallons per hour of water flows over Niagara Falls..that flow can be controlled..and a lot of that control at the falls is not for the upper lakes but for the St Lawrence Seaway shipping and Quebec flood controlmoney/ profit can do good things.like fight the infiltration of Asian Carp , lake shore erosion, hydro dams for green energythe lake levels can be controlledonce again .5.5 billion gallons per hour of water flowed over Niagara Fallsand you know what that potential revenue in the $$$$$$$ billions turns into ..SALT WATER !!!!! Something to think about. Also, its a cheap rhetorical ploy to defend a practice based on your assertion that its been going on for years, is only half as bad now, is partially mitigated by some prior and completely unrelated offset. Despite the rain, the other three Great Lakes remain below their long-term averages. In comparison, investment in natural solutions that could improve water quality by 10% in China's 30 fastest growing cities would cost about $300 million each year. My purpose was to spark a conversation, said University of Chicago law professor Todd Henderson as he touched the third rail of Great Lakes issuesselling water to arid states outside the region. The water would then be flushed through the Great Lakes into pipelines to the south-western US. What in the world is Barack Obama thinking? Dont forget to Like Freedom Outpost on Facebook and Twitter, and follow our friends at RepublicanLegion.com. There is a bit of truth to this. I had no idea this was going on and always thought the Great Lakes were sacred. And further east, similar things are happening. Kunteyi Lake. As the global climate warms and water scarcity mounts, Great Lakes water is more valuable than ever before. Now it wants a new permit that would allow the company to pump 400 gallons of water each minute of the day, 365 days a year. Climate change may very well have forced us into a new normal and be irreversible. The only dredging that occurs today is to keep rivers at authorized depths for navigation. Water Levels of the Great Lakes Are Declining. As of now, China has not joined the convention, representing a key blow to the UN's efforts. 15. Theres no denying that we humans share some of the blame. In addition, great lake levels are cyclic. Higher than average precipitation throughout most of the region in July left Lakes Erie and Ontario with above average water levels for this time of year, according to the most recentmonthly water level reportby the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Detroit District Office. Lake Mead supplies about 85 percent of the water to Las Vegas, and since 1998 the level of water in Lake Mead has dropped by about 5.6 trillion gallons. According to a recent National Geographic article, the average depletion rate of the Ogallala Aquifer is picking up speed. Current water control structures at the outlets of Lakes Superior and Ontario do very little in controlling the overall supply of water in the basin. Foreign Companies Are Stealing Great Lakes Water, Great Lakes Beaches Across Michigan are Amazing, Michigan Wolves Howl in the Face of Biodiversity Loss, 2012 Great Lakes Water Levels Had Near Record Lows. . Just recently, the Huffington Post ran an article entitled These 11 Cities May Completely Run Out Of Water Sooner Than You Think. Illinois had an unfunded pension liability of $137 billion in December 2019, according to a Reuters report. Ulungur Lake. According to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the U.S. interior west is now the driest that it has been in 500 years. All the Great Lakes constitute the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth, holding about 5,472 square miles of water. The ominous words of David Brauer of the Ogallala Research Service should alarm us all, Our goal now is to engineer a soft landing. Manas Lake. Catch up on more Great Lakes Now coverage of Nestle and water withdrawals in the Great Lakes: Nestle Prevails: Law judge sides with water bottler in water withdrawal case Bottled Water Wars: Legal setback for Nestle, Michigan legislators move to restrict shipments out of Great Lakes watershed 2. The task of looking after such a large area is daunting. Change). The event put a spotlight on the vulnerability of laws barring diversions. Thanks for weighing in. Required fields are marked *. Your email address will not be published. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the icon to the right of the comment, and report it as spam. First, economic valuation of a region-specific, vital resource as a basis for negotiation generally ends very badly for the resource-holder. Long before Obama was a national politician, Canada was looking to sell Great Lakes water wholesale. On average, Lake Superior loses 29 billion gallons of water PER DAY through evaporation, he told me. If the state water board approves the cease-and-desist order against BlueTriton, the company could face fines of up to $1,000 a day, or up to $10,000 a day if a drought is declared in the area. There is no question that lake temperatures are warming and winter ice cover is decreasing. These springs are connected to the lakes and yes the water is being bottled up and taken away. Just check out how a recent Fresno Bee article described what is happening to Pine Flat Reservoir. Since then, he has authored a vast range of content and established a loyal base of 75,000 visitors per month. Canada reviewed and approved the agreement. Greed! Helping people find their dream home since 1962. About half of Texas is experiencing moderate to severe drought.. Committed to educating the public about solutions to our ecological, economic and political crises. Its true that the weather plays a major role in water level fluctuations. By using a little-known loophole in the 2006 Great Lakes Compact, Obama minions are allowing Nestle Company to export precious fresh water out of Lake Michigan to the tune of an estimated $500,000 to $1.8 million per day profit. This is false. They note that the Great Lakes Compact requires that a diversion be primarily for residential customers, and in the case of the Racine diversion, the primary customer will be Foxconn. For more details, review our .chakra .wef-12jlgmc{-webkit-transition:all 0.15s ease-out;transition:all 0.15s ease-out;cursor:pointer;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;outline:none;color:inherit;font-weight:700;}.chakra .wef-12jlgmc:hover,.chakra .wef-12jlgmc[data-hover]{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.chakra .wef-12jlgmc:focus,.chakra .wef-12jlgmc[data-focus]{box-shadow:0 0 0 3px rgba(168,203,251,0.5);}privacy policy. Gary Wilson. Pine Flat Reservoir is a ghost of a lake in the Fresno County foothills a puddle in a 326 billion-gallon gorge. He cited Illinois as an example of where selling water could benefit the state. All the Great Lakes constitute the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth, holding about 5,472 square miles of water. We have trans-continental pipelines for oil, why is water so much different or more difficult? He doesnt see the eight states revisiting the compact based on the current high water levels and thinks it would be foolish for the region to encourage outsiders to tap the Great Lakes. Water flows into Lake Powell, nestled between Utah and Arizona, from high in the Rocky Mountains via the Colorado River. For example, Californias Central Valley produces much of the food abundance we enjoy but needs water to do it, which is in short supply there. Hendersons water-trading idea is not the first. But when activists and government officials became aware, they were outraged, and approval of the permit was withdrawn. Pricing is the best way to get people to think about the value of water, he said. I suspect there would be a water level where sales could not proceed. In 2018 there was a public comment period in which over 80,000 Michigan residents submitted objections to a permit that allows Nestle to pump over half a million gallons of water a day from Michigan aquafers. I don't doubt it since a glass of tap water costs what? Gretchen Whitmer recently announced she would use her authority to borrow $3 billion for road repairs. 4. Sadly, most Americans are not aware of any of these things. Menu mayberry funeral home lewisburg, tn. If Nestle doubles its consumption, the Great Lakes will be drained in 16,000,000 years. The States bordering the Great lakes can make all the laws and pacts they want with each other and Canada, but the Supreme Court can step in anytime they want and override everything. 8. Illinois financial problems were used as an example of the type of issue that might be solved by selling Great Lakes water. China stealing/ taking the Great Lakes water, then selling it back to us. Nestle/Ice Mountains water pumping permit was reduced by almost half. OK.think about this..5.5 billion gallons per hour of water flows over Niagara Falls..that flow can be controlled..and a lot of that control at the falls is not for the upper lakes but for the St Lawrence seawaymoney profit can do god things.like fight the infiltration of Asian Carpthe lake levels can be controlledonce again .5.5 billion gallons per hour of water flowed over Niagara Fallsand you know what that potential revenue in the $$$$$$$ billions turns into ..SALT WATER. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The Great Lakes Water Authority has no jurisdiction in cases like this. Even though this is well documented by the agencies that have been monitoring water levels, going back to 1918, various theories about possible causes abound, especially online. Two years earlier, two Chinese entrepreneurs purchased a 22,000-acre ranch in Utah for about $10 million, which they used to grow alfalfa for export to China. Plunging water levels are beyond anyones control, says another expert, James Weakley. The International Joint Commission (IJC) approves and provides regulatory orders for projects that affect levels and flows on the other side of the international border. Approximately 40 percent of all rivers in the United States and approximately 46 percent of all lakes in the United States have become so polluted that they are are no longer fit for human use. you can help us dredge our dock again next summer. The only point upon which we appear to agree is the fact that none of this is President Obamas doing, contrary to the monkey saymonkey mindlessly repeat style of right leaning bloggers and opinion writers, all of whom would benefit greatly from a months vacation from Fox, Vox and Bing. It turns out that the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is powerless to stop the foreign company from proceeding with its pumping. If Texas is drying out, they need to look at past choices, non-sustainable water usage, activities that impact climate disruption and not running a huge garden hose up to Lake Michigan. The time to start pondering that is now. Srling Co or Siling Co, as the third largest salt lake of China, is a large deep-water . Well, of course most of the water that leaves the Great Lakes is lost by evaporation. I was raised to understand that when you have a problem you must look at what behavior or circumstances led to that problem (debt, lack of resources etc.) Legally? These kinds of proposals come up during high-water periods. But in the end his ask, as I understand it after talking with him at length, is for the region to take a critical look at water management to see if a market approach has benefits. If you dont see a commenting section below, please disable your adblocker. The myth is perpetuated today in the blogosphere and sometimes includes the detail that bladder tanks are being used to transport the water in the holds of ships bound for China. Half Lie #5 The Great Lakes are Diverted Out West, Lie #6 The Waukesha & Foxconn Flip Flop, How Many Gallons of Water is In the Great Lakes? Many jobs have been lost due to this one-sided trading. "On average, Lake Superior loses 29 billion gallons of water PER DAY through evaporation," he told me. the choice is yours. Nestl is currently the leading supplier of the . China has taken more of an active stance in regional water dialogues, however. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Italy faces new drought alert as Venice canals run dry, South American drought in 2022 partly driven by triple-dip La Nia, This is why we can't dismiss water scarcity in the US, Here are 3 ways tech can improve access to freshwater, Water security is a national security issue: What's needed now. Enter by 4/16, We can show you any listing in Wilkes County including HUD forclosures. It is being projected that repairing and expanding our decaying drinking water infrastructure will cost more than one trillion dollars over the next 25 years, and as a result our water bills will likely approximately triple over that time period. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Third Rail Proposal: Selling Great Lakes water proposed to lower lake levels. For much more on this, please see this article. We all hear about Arizona, we hear about Texas, we hear about California where everyone talks about the fact that they want our Great Lakes water., Well this opens up just a small crack in the door, and theyll be able to get that crowbar into that crack and start wedging that crack further and further open.. And when water levels drop and financial issues still abound, continue to sell this resource to pay the bills? I am skeptical of this proposal. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. As of September 2015 Michigan is, indeed, the only such state, despite the best efforts of Wisconsins republican governor, Scott Walker. Here is the Truth. Canadian provinces Ontario and Quebec have a separate agreement that matches the compact. 0,00000005sfr? As the lakes begin their seasonal decline, a little myth-busting is in order. Lack of resources? We cant, we dont have the power to say no arbitrarily. He also mentioned vast swaths of western states in the midst of drought. Record rainfall in the midwest over the last decade or two shows no signs of letting up. Lynn Broaddus, President of Broadview Collaborative, Inc. , Photo by broadviewcollaborative.com. As explained in a previous post, the lack of ice cover in 2011-12 and record-breaking warm temperatures created ideal conditions for high rates of evaporation on Lakes Superior, Huron, and Michigan. Siling Lake. Whats worse is that none of these blog authors are checking the facts. Copyright 2023 Thumbwind Publications LLC, 6 Lies and Half Truths about Great Lakes Water Use, Lie #1 Obama Allowed Great Lakes Water to Be Sold To China as Half the U.S. Faces Extreme Water Crisis, Half-Lie #2 Companies are pumping millions of gallons of water out of the Great Lakes and selling it to China. Chinese and US investors each own 1.9 per cent followed by the UK owning 1.1 per cent. A conservationist first and foremost, I believe extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. For more information about the crunchnestle alliance, contact Andy Conn (530) 906-8077 camphgr55 (at) gmail.com or Bob Saunders (916) 370-8251. China is the biggest consumer of Nestle, which sells several brands of bottled water and the plant is based in northern Michigan. The Michigan EGLE received an unprecedented number of public comments on Nestles pompous request. is affecting economies, industries and global issues, with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale. Even more worrisome, the draining of the High Plains water account has picked up speed. Whether a cruise, a guided tour to unforgettable destinations, In 2004, China signed a multimillion-dollar fishing license agreement with North Korea that led to a drastic increase in the number of Chinese boats in North Korean waters. We cant just say no for reasons that arent attached to the law, said Matt Gamble, the Department of Environmental Quality supervisor whos coordinating the response effort.