(ON) The Toronto Star – Erosion of the St. Clair River has caused the water level in Lake Huron to drop by 12 centimetres over the past half-century, but nothing should be done about it, a much-anticipated binational Great Lakes Water study concludes.
That’s because — contrary to claims by a group of cottagers — the river’s erosion was caused naturally by one treacherous ice jam in 1984, not by dredging. And since then, the river’s flow has returned to normal.
“Given the fact (the erosion) is not ongoing, it’s definitely stabilized and it’s not human-driven, there isn’t any real compelling case to go to remediation at this time,” said Ted Yuzyk, co-chair of the study on the St. Clair River commissioned by the International Joint Commission, which advises the Canadian and U.S. governments on Great Lakes issues.
Environmentalists and cottagers on Lake Huron’s Georgian Bay were stunned. Facing drying wetlands and beached docks, they have lobbied government for years to stem the rush of water flowing down the St. Clair River, which they blame for plummeting water levels. More