11–20 of 44 posts
As someone who grew up near Lake Michigan, it is truly bizarre to see the lake this clear. These pictures look like they came out of the Gulf of Mexico!
Many smaller, connected lakes are clear too due to invasive zebra mussels.
Fun fact, single colonies of zebra mussels may contain over 70,000 mussels per square meter!
I went kayaking in Little Traverse Bay (an inlet of Lake Michigan) a few years back, and it is usually always that clear. It was pretty amazing to be swimming and boating in water as clear as the Caribbean in Michigan. Someone told me it is so clear because of all the springs that empty into the Bay.
I went kayaking in Little Traverse Bay (an inlet of Lake Michigan) a few years back, and it is usually always that clear. It was pretty amazing to be swimming and boating in water as clear as the Caribbean in Michigan. Someone told me it is so clear because of all the springs that empty into the Bay.
I don't know how true this is, but my mom used to live on Lake Michigan when she was ~7 and used to tell me how gross the lakes were before the Clean Water Act, and how amazing the turn-around. If so, it's a nice example for the jaded that government can do some things right.
Another comment mentions Zebra mussels, which have made the lakes quite a bit clearer in recent years (but not necessarily to good effect).
This is incredible! I've done some diving in Lake Huron just north of Port Huron, MI (just past where the 'thumb' connects to Canada for those unfamiliar with the area) and was pretty amazed with the number of wrecks + the clarity at depth (granted we didn't go much deeper than 90ft if I recall correctly). If anyone does any diving I would highly recommend them coming to great lakes (including the Canadian side as we…
The fresh water of the great lakes is great to preserve wrecks.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't know how true this is, but my mom used to live on Lake Michigan when she was ~7 and used to tell me how gross the lakes were before the Clean Water Act, and how amazing the turn-around. If so, it's a nice example for the jaded that government can do some things right.
Lake Michigan was fine in the 1980s (when I grew up swimming in it). Even during weather that would really churn things up the water was still fine. Another comment mentions Zebra mussels, which have made the lakes quite a bit clearer in recent years (but not necessarily to good effect).
I don't know about Lake Michigan, but I wouldn't really have advocated swimming in the parts of Lake Ontario I was around in the '80s.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Lake Michigan was fine in the 1980s (when I grew up swimming in it). Even during weather that would really churn things up the water was still fine. Another comment mentions Zebra mussels, which have made the lakes quite a bit clearer in recent years (but not necessarily to good effect).
With the size of the Great Lakes, it wouldn't be that surprising that some bays or inlets would be clean while others were disgusting. I don't know about Lake Michigan, but I wouldn't really have advocated swimming in the parts of Lake Ontario I was around in the '80s.
And anyway this is a seasonal effect brought on by a larger than usual ice content this past winter. If I read the article correctly this won't last long and run off from surrounding farms and industry will have the lake algae ridden and opaque before too long...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
With the size of the Great Lakes, it wouldn't be that surprising that some bays or inlets would be clean while others were disgusting. I don't know about Lake Michigan, but I wouldn't really have advocated swimming in the parts of Lake Ontario I was around in the '80s.
I was living in Toronto in the 1990's and I wouldn't swim in Lake Ontario if you paid me. And anyway this is a seasonal effect brought on by a larger than usual ice content this past winter. If I read the article correctly this won't last long and run off from surrounding farms and industry will have the lake algae ridden and opaque before too long...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I was living in Toronto in the 1990's and I wouldn't swim in Lake Ontario if you paid me. And anyway this is a seasonal effect brought on by a larger than usual ice content this past winter. If I read the article correctly this won't last long and run off from surrounding farms and industry will have the lake algae ridden and opaque before too long...
I wouldn't be so quick to blaim run off without evidence that this is the main cause. Diving in the ocean in northern Europe you experience the same thing: you have a choice between 4 degrees C and clear water or 15 degrees C and murky green. Runoff isn't a significant cause of plankton blooming in the North Atlantic. Temperature is.