WhadayaKnow? How can we improve water quality in the Great Lakes?
By Marty Deskovich and Marites Woodbury
Every Monday Great Lakes Echo runs video clips of random people answering questions that experts believe environmentally literate citizens should understand. In the last clip an expert explains the correct answers.
This week’s question is “How can we improve water quality in the Great Lakes?”
This week’s expert is Jon Bartholic, director of the Institute of Water Research at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich.
He is also a professor in the departments of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies and Crop and Soil Sciences at MSU.
- Elect public officials who publicly state, and have a demostrated record of supporting existing laws protecting the Lakes
- Grass roots campaigning with local, state and federal officials to assure existing regulations are enforced and strenghthened and tirelessly bring issues you see to their attention
- Push for the elimination of plastic non-biodegradable shopping bags at all retail locations, leverage opportunities to partially subsidize re-useable bags
- Push local beach park officials to keep trach receptacles in place, and serviced throughout the off-season months
- In season, hand out bio-degradable trash bags at parking entry points at all beaches. Encourage all beachgoers to bag up their waste and other waste thaey may encounter. Where fees are in place discount or partially refund parking fees to those that bag and remove trash from the beach,lawn and dune areas and deposit in a central location
- Promote Clean Regatta practices (see http://www.sailorsfor thesea.org) at all marinas and yacht clubs on the Lakes
- Volunteer with the Alliance for the Great Lakes or Ocean Conservancy sponsored beach cleanups
Like or Dislike:
1 
0
What impact would rain barrels and rain-gardens have on Great Lakes water quality? One should be able to mathematically model the water quality improvement.
For example, assume that one out of ten home owners in SE Michigan collected rain water by using rain barrels located at each downspout and if these same home owners planted a rain garden to intercept storm water from going down the storm drain. With assumptions based on average annual rain fall and the size of the roof and of the property, one should be able to calculate the water and contaminants diverted from the storm water system. The rain garden would serve as a natural barrier – a biological remedation system.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
The best way to restore water quality in Lake Erie is by starting up the natural ice conveyor. Until the ice boom is outlawed and the ice gets going once again, like it did the first 12,000 years, every other attempt is a waste of time. The Lake needs to function as nature intended. Read “Ice Boom Theory” at http://www.bantheboom.com and help me spread the truth. N.Y.P.A. lies! Thanks, Joe Barrett
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Leave your response!
Interact
Special Reports
Recent Comments
“Here is another one for Gary. The Muskegon Lake AOC is another classic example of GLRI...”
Restoring the Great Lakes 2.0: Keep it simple
“Gary Wilson is correct. Ironically not all advisory boards follow their own missions....”
Restoring the Great Lakes 2.0: Keep it simple
“I would ask all of you to read the Great Lakes Restoration initiative update posted...”
Restoring the Great Lakes 2.0: Keep it simple
“This commentary (link below) from March illustrates the themes I refer to in...”
Restoring the Great Lakes 2.0: Keep it simple
“Very good article Gary, I agree simple is best. I believe pretty much all of these...”
Restoring the Great Lakes 2.0: Keep it simple
GLIN News archive
Submit a story
Great Lakes Tweets
Other Resources
Most Commented
Who We Are
Great Lakes Echo is a project of the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism at Michigan State University.
Additional content provided by MSU's Capital News Service.
Technical assistance by MSU's Department of Telecommunications, Information Studies and Media with support from the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station.