Lake Huron Basin Update - U.S. Side
Same Song, Different Verse for
Lake Huron U.S. Lake Advisor
Chris Grubb takes new position at NWF,will continue as GLAHNF Lake Advisor
In lieu of an issue-specific column for
this issue of GLAHNews, I am instead
announcing that I have accepted a
position with the National Wildlife
Federation’s (NWF) Great Lakes
Natural Resource Center. I am joining
NWF as a Water Resources Coordinator focusing on the Great
Lakes Charter Annex (“Annex 2001”), and on a campaign to
restore the Great Lakes. While I will certainly miss the
wonderful and talented staff at Tip of the Mitt Watershed
Council – not to mention the beachcombing, snowshoeing,
and fly fishing opportunities abundantly found near Petoskey
– I am very excited about my new position at NWF, and look
forward to continuing to work with grassroots groups as a
GLAHNF Lake Advisor.
During my tenure as a policy associate at Tip of the Mitt
Watershed Council, I was fortunate to gain experience working
on issues at a variety of geographic scales: from providing
testimony on development proposals before local planning
commissions to coordinating a statewide network of wetland
advocates to writing a book of ecosystem restoration success
stories across the Great Lakes. I am confident that these multiple
scales of reference will serve me well as I make the transition
to NWF and focus more specifically on basin-wide policy
and advocacy.
I look forward to continuing to work with grassroots activists
as GLAHNF Lake Advisor for the U.S. basin of Lake Huron. The
watersheds of Michigan’s often overlooked “sunrise side” –
from the 29 county Saginaw Bay watershed to the globally
significant Cheboygan River watershed – are truly worth
fighting to protect. I see great opportunity to redouble our
efforts in this region, and encourage readers to contact me
with project and proposal ideas.
Have we pulled the plug in Lake Huron?
According to a study released recently by W.F. Baird &
Associates Coastal Engineers of Toronto, and commissioned
by the Georgian Bay Association, Lakes Michigan and Huron
have permanently lost a foot of water from erosion in the St.
Clair River caused by dredging and other man-made causes.
The Baird study puts the permanent loss of Lake Huron water
at 845 million gallons per day.
Rob Nairn, a principal with Baird has said,“It’s like a drain hole
at the bottom of a bathtub. The drain hole is getting bigger,
and the water is going out faster. It's something very
alarming that no one has talked about or reported until
now.” The U.S. and Canadian governments have taken notice.
The International Joint Commission recently indicated in a
press release that it would investigate the issue in an
upcoming study of the Upper Great Lakes that could begin as
soon as this Fall. Representative Candice Miller is also
seeking funding through the reauthorization of the Water
Resources Development Act for a follow up study. Visit
http://www.georgianbay.ca/index.html to learn more.
Advocacy opportunities for historic Great Lakes policy
developments
This summer presents at least two important opportunities
for Lake Huron advocates to have their voices heard. The
Great Lakes Regional Collaboration – the interagency
and multi-stakeholder group developing a comprehensive
plan to protect and restore the Great Lakes – is expected to
release its first draft document in early July. The draft release
will be followed by a 45 day comment period as well as
several as yet unannounced public hearings. Please visit
www.restorethelakes.org to stay up to date on the Regional
Collaboration and the Great Lakes restoration initiative.
Also this summer, the Great Lakes Governors and Premiers are
expected to release for public comment a second draft of the
Great Lakes Charter Annex 2001 – an interstate compact and
bi-national agreement that addresses water diversions in the
Great Lakes. After receiving over 10,000 comments following
last summer’s release, there will likely be significant changes
to the Annex. It will be equally important for grassroots advocates
to weigh in on this second draft to ensure that control
of Great Lakes water stays within the Great Lakes.
Lake Huron - US Side Advisor
Chris Grubb,Water Resources Coordinator
National Wildlife Federation
Great Lakes Natural Resource Center
214 W. Liberty Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
734-769-3351
734-769-1449 (fax)
Email: grubbc@nwf.org
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Disclaimer:
The interpretations and conclusions presented in this newsletter represent the opinions of the individual authors. They in no way represent the views of the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, the C.S. Mott Foundation, subscribers, donors, or any organization mentioned in this publication.
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