The Great Lakes: An Environmental History Jeffrey S. Schaeffer Great Lakes Science Center 1451 Green Rd. Ann Arbor, MI 48105 Great Lakes Science Center
The Great Lakes
A Primeval landscape 1800 1810 1823 1830 1850 Vast wetlands, fisheries The Welland Canal The logging era Loss of Marshlands First Commercial Fishing The Great Black Swamp
The great abundance of fish is a daily manna, which never fails... Moreover, better fish can not be eaten, and they are bathed and nourished in the purest water you could see anywhere. Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac (1658-1730)
There were a lot of fish No quantitative estimates Many anecdotal accounts High catches using primitive methods
Wetlands
Agricultural dikes
The Great Black Swamp
Wetland Drainage
Saginaw Bay, early 1800 s Data from Mackay,Lake Huron GIS project Wetland Forest Wet Prairie
Saginaw Bay, 1983 Data from Mackay,Lake Huron GIS project Wetland Forest Wet Prairie
Ship Canals
Welland Canal: 1829
Dams
Whitewater, Ausable River Circa 1910 Photo Courtesy of Troy Zorn, Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources
Dam Impacts- whitewater 700 Elevation (feet) 650 600 550 500 450 0 10 20 30 40 50 Miles from River Mouth
Dam Impacts: migration Then Map courtesy of Troy Zorn, Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources Now
Watershed impacts: logging
Primeval Forests
Old Growth White Pine
Efficiency Rules
Log Drive at Grand Rapids
Michigan Grayling
A barren landscape
Fire!
The Great Peshtigo Fire October 8, 1871
Peshtigo October 8, 1871 3,780,000 acres burned Worst natural disaster in U.S. history in terms of loss of life (1500?) Until Titanic, worst U.S. disaster from any cause Why have you never heard about this?
The Great Chicago Fire October 8, 1871
First problems apparent 1871 1880 1885 1900 1912 The Great Peshtigo Fire Spencer Baird s Big Mistake The Big Smelt Escape Swedes Discover Lake Sturgeon Commercial Fishing becomes Industrialized
Lake Sturgeon
Lake Sturgeon landings 700 600 Landings 500 400 300 200 100 0 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 Year
Spencer Baird s Big Mistake The Common Carp
Sport fishing
Commercial Fishing
Commercial Fishing
The big smelt escape of 1912
A wave of invaders 1921 1925 1932 1940 1949 Sea lamprey in Lake Erie Sea lamprey In Lake Huron Alewives proliferate Lake Herring collapse First fish kill from Pollution Sea Lampreys everywhere
Sea Lamprey
Lake trout landings 3500 3000 Landings 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 Year
Alewife invades
Exploitation followed a pattern High value Low value
A decade of change 1953 1955 1960 1962 1963 Hexagenia Extirpated Nylon nets Alewife, Rainbow smelt proliferate Lake trout collapse Blue Pike Extinct Alewife Dominate L. Michigan Notice anything?
Hexagenia extirpated
Nylon Nets
An Environmental Catastrophe! 1966 1967 1969 1970 1972 Massive Alewife Die-off Lake Erie Declared Dead Clean Water Act Overfishing Cuyahoga River burns DDT Lamprey Control
Alewife die-off
1960 s Pollution!
Lamprey control
Recovery! 1972 1974 1976 1977 1979 almon surprise EPA created Walleyes return Salmon Control Alewives Lake trout return Still More walleyes Sport Fishing Industry created
Great Fishing
Salmon Surprise!
Invasions: round 2 1980 1985 1988 1989 1990 White perch Zebra mussels Non-Point Sources European Water flea Ruffe gobies
Ballast water introductions
Zebra mussels
Yet more invaders Round Goby Ruffe Bythotrephes
Habitat Loss Wetland loss Dams Watershed changes
Overfishing Industrialization, technology advances Lack of regulation (sturgeon) Specific Exploitation pattern
Exotics Introduced deliberately Invaded through ship canals ballast water introductions
Water quality Point sources Nutrients, industrial wastes Greatly reduced Non-point sources Nutrients, toxics May be worse than ever
Consequences Loss of Native Species Replacement by exotics Instability, fluctuating populations
Human Solutions Reaction Money Technology Throw money at the problem
Human Challenges Prevention Restoration Money Technology
Help! We are being eaten by a giant Muskellunge!