The Greatest Great Lake

May 2024

It’s early April in Michigan. We are waiting for spring to arrive, as it’s still cold and grey. Not a lot of April showers though. In fact, we have had several winters in a row without much snow and several dry springs as well. All the lakes are beginning to show signs of being quite low. At least in my opinion.

Muskegon Lake, which is near my summer home, seems exceedingly low.  All of this, for some reason, has made me think about our water situation in Michigan. Today it has made me ponder our amazing Great Lake.  Of course, I am referring to Lake Michigan.

Lake Michigan is the most outstanding feature in my part of Michigan, water or otherwise.  For me it has always been like a good friend. And I have often been concerned about her health, given the magnitude of her impact on our lives.

She moderates our climate, provides our drinking water, lets us play on her sandy beaches, her surface and under her waves.  She adds beauty to our lives in so many ways. None more so than when she cooperates with the sun and supplies us with a sunset machine.  She also provides us with the ability to enjoy both catching and feeding on her bountiful supply of fish.

Honestly, given her size and depth, Lake Michigan is home to only a modest variety of fish species. Originally, Sturgeon, Whitefish, Lake Trout, Yellow perch, Bass, Catfish, and a variety of different Pike and panfish species graced its waters.  Truly a limited number of fish varieties, within what was once a splendidly isolated ecosystem. Some of these original inhabitants are dwindling and now protected.

Take, for example, the Lake Sturgeon. The true monster of the Great Lakes.  As of 2020 it was estimated to be at less than 1% of its peak population.  This species can live 50-100 years and weigh well over 100 pounds. The problem is that it breeds infrequently, and its habitat is almost gone.  For decades it was over-fished, and it is now a protected species.  I hope we are not too late.

The opening of the Welland Canal in 1829, bypassing Niagara Falls, provided the last piece of the St Lawrence Seaway. Creating an all-water route from the farthest reaches of the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.  This also opened a corridor for the invasion of non-native aquatic species.

By 1932 the final rendition of this canal allowed massive sea going freighters to enter the Great Lakes.  With them came a variety of intensely invasive species.  Both through the canal itself as well as from their ballast tanks.

Lamprey eels and the Alewife came first.  And these in my lifetime.  Creating havoc in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Later, the round goby and zebra mussels arrived, and they continue to cause major changes to Lake Michigan's ecosystem.  Significantly impacting water clarity and altering the bottom of the lake’s food chain.  Threatening the vitality of native fish populations. 

Other invasive species are of our own doing.  In 1912, rainbow smelt were stocked in Crystal Lake, Michigan, and from there they made their way to Lake Michigan. Proliferating significantly in just a few decades. For years “Smelt Dipping” was considered a rite of passage for Michigan youth, including me.  During their spawning period in April, people typically use dip-nets to capture them from lakes and streams. Often trapping enough to fill a garbage can. Or more!  I can attest to this.

Smelt populations in the Great Lakes are no longer as large as they once were and smelt dipping has suffered accordingly. Again, as an invasive species, these fish changed the dynamic of the lake.  One of their major sources of food was the larvae of the Whitefish. Which was, and is, a delicacy and source of income for commercial fisheries around the lake.  The Whitefish population has now dwindled significantly.  Due both to invasive smelt, as well as other factors.  Including overfishing.

Lately. The biggest fear has been of an incursion of Asian carp, as they lie right on our doorstep and seem a certainty to become an issue. So, water levels are not the only concern. Obviously, this is a fragile ecosystem.  And we are only talking about fish!  So many other species of waterfowl and animal life have been impacted.  Human beings are not always welcome visitors. That’s why I worry!

Over time, new fish species have been introduced to help solve issues with invasive newcomers, including Brown Trout, Steelhead and Salmon. Almost synonymous with Lake Michigan now, most do not realize that these species are not native to the region.  We added them to deal with the issues created by other non-native species.

These predators did help, but also changed the balance of power in the lake, reducing both invasive and native species. On a positive note, it resulted in the creation of a large sport fishery for these highly desirable fish varieties.  The lake is now stocked annually with these fish, which have also begun their own natural reproduction in some Lake Michigan tributaries.

But today, with the constant barrage of information about global climate change and my own observations, I was worrying about the water level itself.  Something that I needed to do a little more research on to familiarize myself with this concern.  And to see if it was even a valid worry at all.  Like the fish species investigation, this yielded some surprising findings that I now share. 

As I stated, my concern started with Muskegon Lake.  As you would surmise, this lake’s water level is linked to that of Lake Michigan. Muskegon Lake being essentially a widening of the Muskegon River, which inevitably flows into Lake Michigan.

The entirety of this system has water levels that fluctuate on an annual cycle.  The waters rise in the spring and early summer, due to snowmelt runoff, spring rains and low evaporation rates. By mid-summer the levels begin to fall due to high evaporation rates and much less added flow from the tributaries.  It is essentially Michigan’s dry season. 

As far as records go, the long-term lows on Lake Michigan were set in the mid-1960s, with multiple years of exceptionally low water levels.  In 1966, the lowest level in recorded history was measured at nearly 4 feet below normal levels. 

The record highs on Lake Michigan were set in the mid to late 1980s. In 1986, the level was well over 3 feet higher than its normal level.  It neared that same point again in 2020. Right now, in 2024, it is only slightly below its average level.  My observations were a bit faulty. But I still worry!

I have learned that significant water level fluctuations in Lake Michigan are increasingly frequent.  Particularly, from 2013 to 2020, where Lake Michigan experienced an extraordinary water level rise of nearly 7 feet. This massive swing resulted in widespread coastal changes. Complete shoreline transformations, wildlife habitat alterations and the erosion of bluffs and dunes.  Much of this caused significant property destruction.

It is predicted that Lake Michigan will continue to experience more frequent water level extremes in the decades to come. So, we must assume that rising water levels and similar shoreline impacts are likely to recur. Again, I have justification for my concerns!

Climate change is most certainly part of the problem.  There are more extremes in our weather. These changes impact the fundamental mechanisms in the lakes' water supply.  Such as, precipitation that occurs over the lake, seasonal evaporation from it, and tributary runoff. We are also taking more water away from the lake, and there is significant concern about this.

Massive studies are underway both in the public and private sector to try to understand if anything can be done about this. Given that Lake Michigan is a significant portion of the world's largest unfrozen surface freshwater system, this is very important stuff.

Lake Michigan is more than just a good friend; she is a working-class hero.  As I said, she has a major impact on all forms of life in the region.  Not just human life.  Understanding how we can help her maintain ecological balance is a super critical mission. For her and for us.  But after all, what are friends for?

She is certain to outlive us all.  Yet, I’m going to worry no matter what.  I guess that it’s just my age.  But I hope others are worrying too.  I guess we should do a little more than worry.  Like maybe try to do things that positively affect this wonderful resource.  Afterall, I might think of her as my lake, but I’m glad to share her with you occasionally.