New Water Use Study Looks at Climate Impacts
For the first time, the Great Lakes Compact Council and Regional Body’s Cumulative Impact Assessment of regional water use includes climate models and projected trends. This new assessment, released on June 15 examines the impact of human water uses for the Great Lakes St. Lawrence River Basin and each lake watershed. Dr. Drew Gronewold, associate professor at the University of Michigan and the principal investigator of the assessment said, “Our findings suggest that over the next several decades, we may see greater fluctuation levels in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence, but the overall water level is projected to remain on par with historical averages. We do find that both precipitation and evaporation are likely to increase over the coming decades, leading to a wetter and hotter climate in the region.”
Separately, the Regional Body/Compact Council Science Team met on June 13-14 in Milwaukee to hear presentations on issues of scientific interest and share updates on program activities within each of the States and Provinces. Speakers included:
- Kurt McCoy, Chief--Water Budget Branch, US Geological Survey
- Esteban Chiriboga--Environmental Specialist, Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission
- Matthew Child--Physical Scientist, International Joint Commission
Recordings of these presentations and other meeting materials are available on the Regional Body and Compact Council websites.
