The case of the disappearing Great Lake (Superior)

[donsu]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2007-06-13-lake-superior_N.htm


-snip-

Lake Superior, the world's largest freshwater lake, has dropped to its lowest level in 81 years. The water is 20 inches below average and a foot lower than just a year ago.

-snip-

The dropping levels have had serious environmental and economic consequences. Wetlands have dried up. Power plants run at half capacity. Cargo ships carry partial loads. Boaters struggle to find a place to dock.

The changes can be seen all along the 2,800-mile shore of Lake Superior, the coldest and deepest of the Great Lakes. The water has receded, sometimes 50 feet or more, from its normal shoreline.

Lake Huron and Lake Michigan are at low levels, as well, although not quite as extreme.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota and elsewhere study whether Lake Superior's low water levels are a result of global warming. The average water temperature of Lake Superior has risen 4.5 degrees Fahrenheit since 1979.

-snip-

Superior isn't the only prominent North American lake or reservoir at a severely low level. Lake Mead near Las Vegas and Lake Powell on the Utah-Arizona border are about half full. Florida's Lake Okeechobee recently set a record low.

Many people living near Lake Superior don't buy drought or warm weather as the reasons for dropping water levels — a conspiracy theory is more popular. They say Lake Superior was drained through the St. Mary's River to raise the levels of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan.

-snip-

It seemed normal last October," Shalifor says. "Then it dropped and never came back."
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drought yes - thief absolutely

[MADem]

1. It won't be the world's largest freshwater lake if this shit keeps up.... nt

[EstimatedProphet]

5. Well, it might still be

Because all the lakes are drying up. It would really be a shame if the world's largest lake only was 3 feet deep and 100 feet across.

[Canuckistanian]

8. Superior isn't the largest freshwater lake

That would be Lake Baikal, in Russia.

http://imgred.com/

[donsu]

2. an aside: 30+ yrs. ago when I was on the shore of Superior

with an Outward Bound group, we could only go to get water from the lake in twos. as the water was so cold, that if you fell in your body would go numb in seconds and you could drown.

now it's 5 degrees warmer.

[Ellen Forradalom]

6. The joke goes, "Men don't drown in Lake Superior...

..They choke on ascending gonads."

[donsu]

7. lol

nt

[susanna]

9. No kidding.

I live in Michigan and we go up there quite a lot. That lake is COOOOOOOOOOOOOLD.

[Deep13]

3. I'm sure after the Rapture, we won't need to worry about it.

:hide:

[greenman3610]

4. Superior is the clear blue soul of the upper midwest

I grieve when I read this.