Dry and Thirsty? No Great Lakes Water for You!
A Great Lakes compact that would prevent the region’s water from being siphoned off into the thirsty Southwest and other dry parts of the country is a little closer to taking effect, now that lawmakers in Michigan have OK’d the deal.
The Great Lakes Water Resources Compact aims to protect the water rights of the eight states bordering the lakes: Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Michigan’s approval of the agreement brings the number of states signed on so far to five: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and New York.
Why the need to protect Great Lakes water from leaving the Great Lakes? After all, combined, the lakes hold about 22 percent of the world’s fresh surface water. Should be enough to go around, right?
Wrong. With perpetual drought in the American Southwest and recent severe dry spells in the South and Southeast, the Great Lakes has a way of making other parts of the country drool. As the compact discussions move forward, though, it looks like those other regions will have to find other ways to quench their thirst and conserve what little water they might have. (Hint: Lake Mead soon won’t be an option.)
Not that piping Great Lakes water outside the region is all that viable anyway: one expert recently interviewed by National Public Radio estimated it would take $19 billion in infrastructure alone to get Great Lakes water as far South Dakota. Bringing it over the Rockies? Forget it.
Under the compact, water in containers larger than 20 liters, or 5 gallons, wouldn’t be allowed to leave the region, as that would be considered a bulk transfer outside the Great Lakes basin. Interestingly, the same limits would be placed on any other beverages made with Great Lakes water … beer, for example.
Oddly, as I write this, my parched neck of Northwest Florida just saw its first serious rainfall in weeks (months?), and I’m thinking of investing in a rain barrel. As a former resident of Chicago, I remember Lake Michigan water tasting pretty good, but I don’t think I’ll be getting another taste any time soon.
