GLIN==> Low water levels and deteriorating Great Lakes infrastructure top priorities of Great Lakes Commission

For immediate release: March 6, 2013

Contact: Tim Eder, 734-971-9135, teder at glc.org



Low water levels and deteriorating Great Lakes infrastructure top
priorities of Great Lakes Commission
http://www.glc.org/announce/13/02meeting.html



Washington, D.C. – 100-year-old water resources infrastructure, built
before World War I, is trying to serve 20th century needs in the Great
Lakes region. Delegates to the Great Lakes Commission’s Semiannual
Meeting, which concluded today in Washington, D.C, will now be descending
on Capitol Hill to impress upon lawmakers the importance of investments in
infrastructure, ecosystem protection and restoration.



The January 2013 monthly mean for lakes Michigan and Huron was the lowest
that has ever been recorded, dating back to the early 1900s.
Michigan-Huron levels rose slightly in February 2013 but, according to
Keith Kompoltowicz, hydrology chief for the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers-Detroit District, long-range forecasts illustrate that the lakes
will remain near or below their long-term averages over the next six
months.



As water levels decline, piers and docks are exposed to the elements,
further deteriorating this core infrastructure. Midwest Energy Resources
Company President Fred Shusterich, representing the Great Lakes Maritime
Task Force, noted that lower budgets, no earmarks, failing infrastructure,
more sedimentation and lower water levels are leading to a crisis for the
Great Lakes maritime industry.



Ken Alvey, president of the Lake Erie Marine Trades Association, echoed
the concerns: Record low water levels and no significant dredging since
2010 is having severe economic costs on the region’s harbors.



The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) also released its 2013 federal
legislative priorities today, just as the effects of sequestration are
beginning to impact U.S. federal budgets and agencies.



Priorities for the GLC and its member states include:

*	Sustaining progress under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
(GLRI)
*	Passing comprehensive legislation to strengthen Great Lakes
conservation efforts
*	Strengthening protections against Asian carp and other aquatic
invasive species
*	Addressing the crisis facing commercial navigation and
recreational harbors in the Great Lakes
*	Helping communities upgrade aging water infrastructure
*	Reauthorizing the Farm Bill with strong conservation provisions



GLC Commissioners noted the recent successful delisting of the Presque
Isle Area of Concern in Erie, Pa. but voiced grave concerns about dredging
needs due to declining water levels and harmful algal blooms, which have
been prevalent in recent years in western Lake Erie.



“Good things are happening in the Great Lakes but many challenges remain,”
said GLC Chairman Kenneth G. Johnson, water division administrator at the
Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources.  “I’m personally excited about the
fine work done recently at the Sheboygan River and delisting this Area of
Concern in the near future,” Johnson said. “Partnerships and local
involvement will continue to be important to realize Great Lakes
restoration goals.”



The GLC unveiled a new website “Great Lakes Restoration At Work” that maps
more than 1,000 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) projects that
are underway in the region. The site, available at
www.glc.org/restore/glrimap, includes additional map overlays of
congressional districts and state and county boundaries.



In addition to endorsing its legislative priorities, the GLC passed
resolutions supporting cooperative and flexible nonpoint source
conservation programs for the Great Lakes, phase II of the GLRI, and new
comprehensive Great Lakes legislation to formally authorize the GLRI, the
Great Lakes Legacy Act and related programs.





###

The Great Lakes Commission, chaired by Kenneth G. Johnson, water division
administrator at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, is an
interstate compact agency established under state and U.S. federal law and
dedicated to promoting a strong economy, healthy environment and high
quality of life for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region and its residents.
The Commission consists of governors' appointees, state legislators, and
agency officials from its eight member states. Associate membership for
Ontario and Québec was established through the signing of a "Declaration
of Partnership." The Commission maintains a formal Observer program
involving U.S. and Canadian federal agencies, tribal authorities,
binational agencies and other regional interests. The Commission offices
are located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Learn more at www.glc.org.



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