Over the past 14 years, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron have experienced an unprecedented drop in water levels, and many fear they won't be coming back. In a multi-part series the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel explores the causes and implications.
While many coastal communities fret over rising sea levels, cities along the shores of the Great Lakes are experiencing the exact opposite. "Lakes Michigan and Huron have now gone a record 14 years without reaching their long-term average level, and they set a new record low in January," reports Dan Egan.
"The water level has since rebounded a bit with the exceptionally wet spring, but it remains about a foot and a half below its average for this time of year. The situation has created havoc for everything from coal boat captains to marina operators to shoreline property owners from Milwaukee's northern suburbs all the way to Georgian Bay at the top of Lake Huron."
In several articles, the Journal Sentinel explores the many causes - manmade and 'natural' - that have led to the record lows, and discuss what can be done to reverse the drop.
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