Protection of the waters of Georgian Bay is something that resonates with all who live, work and play on the Bay and all living beings that depend on these waters for their very existence. The following video contains a powerful message in this regard from a young member of the Wiikwemkoong First Nation.
On Saturday October 24, Georgian Bay Association (GBA) and Georgian Bay Forever (GBF) jointly hosted our Water Levels Symposium. Over 700 people registered for our inaugural online event. Attendees were treated to excellent presentations from leading scientists, engineers, academics, and policy makers with a thorough understanding of the intricacies of Great Lakes water levels issues. Many thanks to all involved, particularly our speakers, and the volunteers from both GBA and GBF for all their hard work and organization. If you missed it, the slide presentations are available here. GBA and GBF are currently working to answer all the questions that couldn’t be answered during the symposium and a synopsis of the event, which we will share with you soon. View the slide presentatio
Water levels continue to be well above average and near or above record high levels, but all the lakes are continuing their seasonal declines. Lake Michigan-Huron continues to be below the level it was at this time last year – see first graph below. From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are down 1, 3, 5, 4 & 3 inches respectively. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, & Ontario, are lower by 6, 2, & 12 inches, respectively, and Lakes St. Clair & Erie are higher by 1 inch, than they were at this time last year. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are 9, 30, 28, 24 & 3 inches, respectively, above their long term October average. All the lakes are now well below thei
Water levels continue to be well above average and near or above record high levels, but all the lakes are continuing their seasonal declines. For the first time in 2020, Lake Michigan-Huron is below the level it was at this time last year – see first graph below. From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are down 2, 4, 6, 6 & 6 inches respectively. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, Erie & Ontario, are lower by 6, 1, 0, 0 & 12 inches, respectively, than they were at this time last year. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are 9, 31, 29, 24 & 4 inches, respectively, above their long term October average. All the lakes are now well below their October reco
Support the Georgian Bay Land Trust's work to protect Georgian Bay's wilderness through the Bayscapes annual fundraiser. This year's online format provides an opportunity for people everywhere to participate. Bid online on a fantastic array of Georgian Bay themed art, photographs, items, and experiences, with all proceeds supporting nature conservation. Bidding closes at 7:30 pm on October 24th with a live virtual celebration,featuring musical entertainment from the shores of Georgian Bay and updates from the Land Trust from 6-6:30 pm. Visit gblt.org/bayscapes for more information and to participate. Bayscapes Online Auction: Friday October 16th, 10 am – Saturday October 24th, 7:30 pm Virtual Celebration: Saturday October 24th, 6-6:30pm
The use of ballast tanks is a well-established practice, but about 30% of invasive species found in the Great Lakes have been introduced through ballast water. The impact of ballast water exchange is a fairly new area of study, and the Lake Superior Research Institute is commencing a five-year research plan hoping to reduce the number of organisms being discharged within the Great Lakes. Researchers are particularly interested in developing a system for treating ballast water that is effective enough to exterminate invasive microorganisms like eggs, zooplankton, phytoplankton, bacteria and viruses. GBA will continue to monitor and report on ballast water issues and the development of technological solutions. Read more here. -
Water levels continue to be well above average and near or above record high levels, but all the lakes are continuing their seasonal declines. For the first time in 2020, Lake Michigan-Huron is below the level it was at this time last year – see first graph below. From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are down 2, 4, 9, 6 & 7 inches respectively. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, Erie & Ontario, are lower by 4, 1, 4, 3 & 13 inches, respectively, than they were at this time last year. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are 9, 32, 28, 25 & 4 inches, respectively, above their long term October average. All the lakes are below their October record high. -
Drownings in Lake Michigan reached a new record high in 2020. According to Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, a nonprofit that tracks drowning statistics, there have been 97 drownings in the Great Lakes so far in 2020. 53 of these occurred in Lake Michigan, 9 in Lake Huron, 2 in Lake Superior, 15 in Lake Erie and 18 in Lake Ontario. The previous record for drowning fatalities in Lake Michigan was 49 back in 2019. There is speculation that this uptick may have been caused by closures during the pandemic. Read more here.
Water levels continue to be well above average and near or above record high levels, but all the lakes are continuing their seasonal declines. - From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are down 2, 4, 7, 6 & 8 inches respectively. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, Erie & Ontario, are lower by 4, 0, 4, 4 & 14 inches, respectively, than they were at this time last year. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are 10, 33, 29, 26 & 6 inches, respectively, above their long term October average. All the lakes are below their October record high. - In a month’s time, the levels of Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are expected to d
A collaboration between the Council of the Great Lakes Region, Pollution Probe, Boating Ontario, and the University of Toronto is rolling out a new initiative to clean up the Great Lakes using trash-trapping technology. By the end of October, 23 marinas in Ontario are deploying Seabins, a floating garbage can invented in Australia, and Litta Traps, a catch trap installed inside storm drains, to scoop up garbage after a pilot project in Toronto Harbour last year proved successful. - This project is the largest deployment of Seabins and Litta Traps in a freshwater environment and is an excellent example of positive action to address plastic waste in the water. Many marinas in Georgian Bay are already in the program, and we should all encourage others to follow suit. Read more here.
In 2009 GBA successfully opposed offshore wind for Georgian Bay. We are pleased to see that the moratorium, established by the liberal government at that time, has effectively been renewed by the current Ontario government. The attached letter from Energy Minister Greg Rickford clarifies the government's decision not to proceed with any proposed offshore wind projects. Read the letter here. - -
Water levels continue to be well above average and near or above record high levels. From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are down 1, 4, 4, 4 & 9 inches respectively. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, Erie & Ontario, are lower by 4, 0, 0, 2 & 15 inches, respectively, than they were at this time last year. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are 9, 30, 28, 23 & 1 inches, respectively, above their long term September average. All the lakes are at or below their September record high. - In a month’s time, the level of Lake Superior is expected to be 1 inch lower, and Lakes Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are expected to be 3 or more i
