Pamela ScharfeHuron County Health Unit

Pamela ScharfeHuron County Health Unit

Lake HuronLake Huron

VolumeVolume 850 cu. mi.850 cu. mi.3,540 cu. km.3,540 cu. km.

Water AreaWater Area 23,000 sq. mi.23,000 sq. mi.59,600 sq. km.59,600 sq. km.

Land Drainage AreaLand Drainage Area 51,700 sq. mi.51,700 sq. mi.134,100 sq. km.134,100 sq. km.

Shoreline LengthShoreline Length 3,827 mi.3,827 mi.6,157 km.6,157 km.

PopulationPopulationUS (2000); Can (2001)US (2000); Can (2001)

4,525,3444,525,344

Retention TimeRetention Time 22 years22 years

Average DepthAverage Depth 195 feet 195 feet 59 meters59 meters

Maximum DepthMaximum Depth 750 feet750 feet229 meters229 meters

Lake HuronLake Huron

Source:Source: State of the Great Lakes 2005; NOAA, GLERLState of the Great Lakes 2005; NOAA, GLERL

Lake Huron IssuesLake Huron IssuesOverview:Overview:•• Restoration, but mostly protection, stewardshipRestoration, but mostly protection, stewardship•• Contaminants in fish and wildlifeContaminants in fish and wildlife•• Aquatic communities Aquatic communities –– major changes to food webmajor changes to food web•• Aquatic and terrestrial habitat Aquatic and terrestrial habitat –– high quality, high quality,

protection, binational biodiversity strategyprotection, binational biodiversity strategy•• AOCsAOCs•• Other issues: water levels, botulism, VHSOther issues: water levels, botulism, VHS•• Beaches Beaches –– bacteria, algal foulingbacteria, algal fouling•• Nearshore focus: bacterial contamination at Nearshore focus: bacterial contamination at

beachesbeaches•• SummarySummary

Fish Consumption Fish Consumption Advisories in Lake HuronAdvisories in Lake Huron

Mercury6%

Dioxin, f uran, & dioxin- like PCBs

94%

PCB Levels in Great Lakes PCB Levels in Great Lakes Herring Gull Eggs, 2003Herring Gull Eggs, 2003--0707

Mea

n Su

m P

CB

Con

cent

ratio

nM

ean

Sum

PC

B C

once

ntra

tion

(( µµg/

gg/

g , w

et w

eigh

t), w

et w

eigh

t)

Niagara

Niagara

Chantr

y I.

Chantr

y I.

Granite

I.

Granite

I.

Chann

el

Chann

el--She

lter I.

Shelte

r I.Dou

ble I.

Double

I.

Gull I.

Gull I.

Pt Colb

orne

Pt Colb

orne

Big Sist

er I.

Big Sist

er I.

Agawa

Agawa I.I.

Fightin

g I.

Fightin

g I.

Middle

I.

Middle

I.

Snake

I.

Snake

I.Stra

chan

I.

Strach

an I.

Toronto

Toronto

HrbrHrbr

..

Hamilto

n

Hamilto

n HrbrHrbr

..00

55

1010

1515

2020

2525

3030

LakeLakeSuperiorSuperior

Lake MichiganMichigan

Lake HuronHuron

DetroitDetroitRiverRiver

LakeErie

LakeLakeOntario

NiagaraNiagaraRiver

St. LawrenceLawrenceRiver

MonitoringMonitoring SiteSite

PCB Levels in Herring Gull Eggs from PCB Levels in Herring Gull Eggs from Three Lake Huron Monitoring Sites, Three Lake Huron Monitoring Sites,

19741974--20072007

YearYear

00

11

22

33

44

55

19741974 19781978 19821982 19861986 19901990 19941994 19981998 20022002 20062006LnPC

B 1

:1 C

once

ntra

tion

(µg/

g, w

etw

etw

eigh

t)

Double IslandChantry Island

Channel-Shelter Island

ZooplanktonZooplankton Benthic InvertebratesBenthic Invertebrates InvadersInvaders

QuaggaQuagga musselmussel

Zebra musselZebra mussel

Trawl BiomassTrawl Biomass

Data courtesy of Dr. Edward Data courtesy of Dr. Edward RosemanRoseman

00

5050

100100

150150

200200

250250

300300

350350

1992

1992

1993

1993

1994

1994

1995

1995

1996

1996

1997

1997

1998

1998

1999

1999

2000

2000

2001

2001

2002

2002

2003

2003

2004

2004

2005

2005

2006

2006

2007

2007

Bio

mas

s (

Bio

mas

s ( k

iloto

nnes

kilo

tonn

es))

Round GobyRound GobyTrout PerchTrout PerchSticklebackSticklebackSculpinSculpinBloaterBloaterRainbow SmeltRainbow SmeltAlewifeAlewife

Declines in Prey FishDeclines in Prey Fish

Chinook SalmonChinook Salmon

Chinook SalmonChinook Salmon

Yellow Perch & WalleyeYellow Perch & Walleye

Cisco & BloaterCisco & Bloater

Emerald ShinerEmerald Shiner

Lake TroutLake Trout

Proportion of Total HarvestProportion of Total Harvest

0.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1.0

1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

Year

Prop

ortio

n of

Tot

al H

arve

st

SuckersL. HerringCatfishN. PikeY. PerchWalleyeBloaterL. TroutL. Whitefish

Questions about the aquatic Questions about the aquatic ecosystemecosystem

•• Why are declines occurring in lower trophic Why are declines occurring in lower trophic levels?levels?

•• Will lack of Will lack of mysismysis and and diporeiadiporeia for food result in for food result in continued high predation on zooplankton?continued high predation on zooplankton?

•• Will alewife recover?Will alewife recover?

•• Will native species continue to recover?Will native species continue to recover?

•• What impact will more recently introduced What impact will more recently introduced species have? (e.g. round goby)species have? (e.g. round goby)

Aquatic and Terrestrial EcosystemsAquatic and Terrestrial Ecosystems

•• High in biological and landscape diversityHigh in biological and landscape diversity

•• Many rare and threatened speciesMany rare and threatened species

•• Coastal wetlands in the north rank among the Coastal wetlands in the north rank among the best in all Great Lakesbest in all Great Lakes

•• Biodiversity under stress Biodiversity under stress -- opportunities for opportunities for protection should be pursuedprotection should be pursued

•• Define threats to biodiversity featuresDefine threats to biodiversity features

•• Strategies to abate these threats Strategies to abate these threats

•• International action plan International action plan

•• Priority sites for strategy implementationPriority sites for strategy implementation

•• Indicators to measure health and Indicators to measure health and integrity of conservation targetsintegrity of conservation targets

Biodiversity Biodiversity Conservation StrategyConservation Strategy

IslandsIslands

NearshoreNearshoreCoastal wetlandsCoastal wetlands

TributariesTributaries

Coastal terrestrialCoastal terrestrial

Native fishesNative fishes Open lake systemOpen lake system

Areas of ConcernAreas of Concern•• Canada:Canada:

Collingwood Harbor: Delisted 1994Collingwood Harbor: Delisted 1994Severn Sound: Delisted 2003Severn Sound: Delisted 2003Spanish Harbor: Area in Recovery 1999Spanish Harbor: Area in Recovery 1999

•• U.S.A.:U.S.A.:Saginaw BaySaginaw Bay

•• BinationalBinational: : St. St. MarysMarys RiverRiver

Other Lake Huron IssuesOther Lake Huron Issues

Algae BloomsAlgae Blooms VHSVHSBotulismBotulismLakes Michigan-Huron / Lac Michigan-Huron

-0.6-0.4-0.20.00.20.40.60.81.01.21.41.6

1918

1920

1922

1924

1926

1928

1930

1932

1934

1936

1938

1940

1942

1944

1946

1948

1950

1952

1954

1956

1958

1960

1962

1964

1966

1968

1970

1972

1974

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

Hei

ght a

bove

Cha

rt D

atum

Hau

teur

au-

dess

us d

u zé

ro d

es

cart

es

175.4175.6175.8176.0176.2176.4176.6176.8177.0177.2177.4177.6

Elev

atio

n ab

ove

IGLD

(198

5)El

évat

ion

au-d

essu

s du

SR

IGL

(198

5)

20 08

Water LevelsWater Levels

Nearshore Focus: Bacterial Nearshore Focus: Bacterial Contamination at BeachesContamination at Beaches

•• Bacterial Contamination at Michigan BeachesBacterial Contamination at Michigan Beaches

•• Bacterial Contamination at Ontario BeachesBacterial Contamination at Ontario Beaches

•• Multiple Pollution SourcesMultiple Pollution Sources

•• Predictive ModelingPredictive Modeling

•• Communicating to the PublicCommunicating to the Public

•• Impact of Climate ChangeImpact of Climate Change

Lake HuronLake Huron’’s Beachess Beaches

Algal Fouling = Algal Fouling = ““MuckMuck””

Photo: Dan Photo: Dan StaudacherStaudacher, Bay City Times , Bay City Times

““Beach closings in Michigan Beach closings in Michigan on the rise,on the rise,””

Jeff Kart, Jeff Kart, The Bay City Times,The Bay City Times,August 06, 2008August 06, 2008

Bacterial Contamination at Bacterial Contamination at Ontario BeachesOntario Beaches

Algal Fouling Algal Fouling Beach Postings Beach Postings

Main pollutants:Main pollutants:•• PathogensPathogens•• Nitrogen and Phosphorus Nitrogen and Phosphorus

Water Protection Steering Water Protection Steering CommitteeCommittee

Ashfield Colborne

Lakefront Association

Friends of the Bayfield River

Beach Water Sample ResultsBeach Water Sample Results ““Old NewsOld News””

If you swam yesterday, youIf you swam yesterday, you’’re OK. re OK. The water was fine! The water was fine! Today might be okay too, but we wonToday might be okay too, but we won’’t t know because we wonknow because we won’’t be sampling t be sampling again until next Monday.again until next Monday.

Predictive ModelingPredictive Modeling

Multiple Pollution SourcesMultiple Pollution Sources

Heavy Rainfall EventsHeavy Rainfall Events

Communicating Beach Results Communicating Beach Results and Health Riskand Health Risk

•• What do we do What do we do with all that data?with all that data?

•• When do we When do we post/close post/close beaches?beaches?

•• How do we notify How do we notify the public?the public?

TALK TO THE PUBLICTALK TO THE PUBLIC

Climate ChangeClimate Change Impact on Beach Water Quality?Impact on Beach Water Quality?

TemperaturesTemperatures

PrecipitationPrecipitation

Seasonal ChangesSeasonal Changes

Water LevelsWater Levels

Beach Water QualityBeach Water QualityNeed to seek out partners to strengthen ourNeed to seek out partners to strengthen ourbeach water monitoring programs and water beach water monitoring programs and water quality standards:quality standards:

•• Predictive modeling to determine and report Predictive modeling to determine and report accurate and timely beach water qualityaccurate and timely beach water quality

•• Inform the public in a clear and timely wayInform the public in a clear and timely way•• Conduct research as to what are the pollution Conduct research as to what are the pollution

sources & their impactsources & their impact•• Identify and implement remediation strategiesIdentify and implement remediation strategies

SummarySummary•• How we are dealing with the issues: How we are dealing with the issues:

direction direction –– remediation remediation –– protection?protection?

•• Stewardship and working with local Stewardship and working with local communitiescommunities

•• Principles of Framework Principles of Framework –– awareness, awareness, support community projects, take action, support community projects, take action, monitor and adaptmonitor and adapt

•• How we need to adapt to changing How we need to adapt to changing ecosystems?ecosystems?

Acknowledgments Acknowledgments

Janette Anderson, Environment CanadaJanette Anderson, Environment Canada

James James SchardtSchardt, EPA, Great Lakes National Program Office, EPA, Great Lakes National Program Office

Jim Jim BredinBredin, State of Michigan, State of Michigan

Jeff Schaeffer, USGSJeff Schaeffer, USGS

Ted Briggs, Ontario Ministry of EnvironmentTed Briggs, Ontario Ministry of Environment

David Reid, Ontario Ministry of Natural ResourcesDavid Reid, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources

Danielle Sass, ORISE Research FellowDanielle Sass, ORISE Research Fellow

Chip Chip WeselohWeseloh, Environment Canada, Environment Canada

Dave MooreDave Moore, Environment Canada, Environment Canada

Greg Greg MayneMayne, Environment Canada, Environment Canada