Great Lakes travel guide - Wikitravel Do[ edit ][ add listing ] Many boaters use the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway and their connection points as a travel route. There are many marinas and public boat ramps available for this purpose. Also, the Great Lakes Cruising Company [1] and the American Canadian Caribbean Line [2] provide cruises on the Great Lakes. Zebra mussels Swimmers have the invasive species of zebra mussels from the Caspian Sea to thank for the clear waters—each one of the billions, the size of a fingernail, filters nearly a liter per day. They have been enormously disruptive to local ecosystems, and their sharp shells are a terrible hassle for anyone trying to clean the hull of their boat, but they have had a couple pleasant side effects. In addition to making the waters such a lovely clear crystal blue, their filtering efforts have increased population and size of smallmouth bass in Lake Erie and yellow perch in Lake St. Clair. Great Lakes Beaches are something most of the world has overlooked. While yes, for most of the year, it's too cold to swim, the southern coasts actually boast some fantastic beaches in the summer months.

The lakes are big enough to make you feel like you are at the ocean, with waves to boot, but without the annoying salt and jellyfish. And throughout much of the water system, the water is actually clean enough to drink (not recommended) and certainly clear enough where you can freely open your eyes underwater. Some of the most famous beaches include the Great Lakes' longest at Wasaga Beach in Central Ontario , the beach volleyball hub of the Midwest at Lincoln Park Beach in Chicago , the beautiful beaches along the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore , and the affluent beach communities along Chicago's version of the Hamptons in Harbor Country , Michigan . And even when it's too cold for swimming, several beaches throughout the region are actually known for surfing. Buy[ edit ][ add listing ] There isn't any one sort of souvenir or good associated with the Great Lakes (aside, perhaps, from American automobiles), but there are plenty of great places to go shopping. Chicago 's Magnificent Mile is renowned as one of the world's truly great retail strips. Yorkville serves much the same purpose in Toronto . A smaller retail location is in Detroit 's Renaissance Center, which is probably worth a visit regardless of whether you want to shop at its many stores and souvenir shops.

Tower City Center in Cleveland is another major shopping complex, with retail running the gamut from high end boutiques to low-end national franchises and back again. Eat[ edit ][ add listing ] Rugged coast line at Cave Point County Park, Wisconsin . What could possibly unite the disparate culinary regions of the Great Lakes? Oh right, fish. Lake trout, wild salmon, chubs, smelt, perch, walleye, and whitefish are all very popular both among recreational and commercial fishers throughout the region. Smoked fish and shrimp is especially popular in small "shacks," particularly along the industrial shores of southwestern Lake Michigan, and you should jump at the chance to try some. Similarities end at fish, however. The Chicagoland area is a culinary delight, from high end contemporary American in Chicago , to low end regional fast food like Chicago-style pizza, hot dogs, etc., and cuisines brought their via the tides of immigration from the American South , Greece , Middle East , Mexico , Vietnam , etc. Toronto rivals Chicago for international cuisine, both high and low end, with enormous immigrant populations from all over Asia especially. Drink[ edit ][ add listing ] There is one city in this region synonymous with drinking, and that is Milwaukee .

Brew City was for a long time the world's leading beer producer, and remains firmly associated with the drink both in the popular culture ideal and the reality of the city's great nightlife. While none can rival that of Milwaukee, the cities and towns lining the Great Lakes largely share its affection for the drink, particularly in can form, accompanied with cheap shots of liquor. High end nightlife in the Great Lakes congregates in both Chicago and Toronto . Live music, however, is much more widespread, with vibrant independent music scenes throughout all the major cities, especially in Chicago and Detroit . Get out[ edit ] Where next? Perhaps the obvious choice would be to head deeper into the American Midwest perhaps down the Mississippi River towards St. Louis , Memphis , and New Orleans or down through the cornfields to Indianapolis . Following the waterways east takes you along the St. Lawrence River towards Montreal , Quebec City , and on to Canada 's Atlantic Provinces . Or you could turn south from the St. Lawrence towards Lake Champlain to get to Lake George and the Adirondacks . Keep following I-90 west to get deep into the American Interior.

It will eventually take you into the Black Hills and Badlands region of South Dakota , home to Mount Rushmore (and a lot of bison), and on to Wyoming . Alternatively one might find great intrigue in the pristine Muskoka by driving roughly 2.5 hours North from Toronto, where a unique culture of multiple small-medium sized towns ( Bracebridge , Gravenhurst ) are situated amongst a landscape of many thousands of small lakes and interconnecting roads. It's a great place to see the stars and listen to wildlife without the constant roar of a highway in the distance and also while not forfeiting any convenience. This is a usable article. It gives a good overview of the region, its sights, and how to get in, as well as links to the main destinations, whose articles are similarly well developed. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow ! United States: A Road Trip to the Great Lakes - TripAdvisor Want the lowest hotel prices? You're in the right place. We check 200+ sites for you.

United States: A Road Trip to the Great Lakes Review a place you’ve visited JOIN United States: A Road Trip to the Great Lakes Save Article Read more about United States Topics include Dining Scene, For Foreign Visitors & more! Comments (0) North America's Great Lakes region offers some of the continent's top attractions, such as Niagara Falls and Chicago, but also some lesser known road trip possibilities. The five majestic Great Lakes (Ontario, Erie, Huron, Michigan and Superior) hold over one-fifth of the world's fresh surface water. From east to west, these lakes are split between the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota and Province of Ontario in Canada. Attractions include natural wonders such as Niagara Falls, great beaches (where water temperatures can reach as high as 80 degrees F. in late summer), wildlife areas, exciting islands, famed arboretums, charming small town harbors, towering sand dunes, and picturesque lakeshores such as Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Isle Royale National Park, Wisconsin's Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and Indiana's Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

Great cities grace the shores of these lakes, from Toronto, Canada's largest city, to Chicago, America's "Second City" and home of the continent's tallest skyscrapers. In Chicago and Cleveland, the region is home to two of the world's best orchestras, and the region is dotted with great museums. A cultural tour of the region from late October through May during the non-peak vacation off-season can be economical and very memorable, despite the region's sometimes harsh winter weather, now greatly muted by global warming. All along the lakeshores are very good wineries, especially noted for some of the world's best ice wine. Cuisine is varied but often heavily influenced by the region's waves of ethnic immigrations and in recent decades by an emergence of locavore restaurants featuring the region's agricultural bounty. Magnificent stadiums and arenas host the continent's major professional baseball, basketball, football and ice hockey leagues. The historic venues of the Big Ten university athletic league grace the region, turning the fall football season especially into a spirited spectacle of athletic competition. The Big Ten features 3 of the 4 largest stadiums in the world, including the " Big House " in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the home stadium of the Univ.

of Michigan, with a capacity of over 107,000, the largest in the Western Hemisphere. Some of the continent's best zoos and botanical gardens are located in the region. Great engineering attractions include the Welland Canal north of Niagara Falls, the Mackinac Bridge and the Soo Locks in northern Michigan. Other cultural attractions include Ohio Amish country, the largest Amish community in the world; Cedar Point, the roller coaster capital of the world; and The Henry Ford, south of Detroit, one of the world's great history and auto travel museums and factory tours. One of the world's great historical attractions is in Dayton, Ohio. At Huffman Prairie Flying Field in 1905, after almost two years of life-risking test flights and engineering advancements, following their short flights at Kitty Hawk in 1903, the Wright brothers finally perfected a powered aircraft capable of sustained and reliable flight. That plane, the Wright Flyer III, is housed in the Wright Brothers Aviation Center at Dayton's Carillon Historical Park. Both of these attractions are part of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park. Dayton also is the home of the U.S.

Air Force National Museum, the oldest and largest military aviation museum in the world. Another historical attraction is in Kirtland, Ohio. Historical Kirtland recreates the village where the Mormon church was first organized, and the Kirtland Temple, the first Mormon temple, is open to the public. Here is a state-by-state summary of attractions (listed from East to West): NEW YORK When one thinks of New York, " The Big Apple " comes to mind, or the Hudson River , or even the Catskills ..... But, did you know New York is one of the 8 Great Lakes states? The entire south and east shore of Lake Ontario , and the eastern portion of the south shore of Lake Erie borders the state of New York, adding up to about 370 miles of shoreline. Only Michigan and Wisconsin have more Great Lakes shoreline... Plus, New York is blessed with the USA side of Niagara Falls and the gorgeous Thousand Islands region of the Saint Lawrence River near Watertown .... PENNSYLVANIA Pennsylvania's Great Lakes shoreline runs about 50 miles along the southern shore of Lake Erie... Places of interest include the city of Erie and Presque Isle State Park , a long sand spit extending northeast into Lake Erie....

There, you can bike ride around the park, swim in the warm clear waters of Lake Erie or just hang out at the beach.... Erie, PA is the home of the Niagara , a reconstruction of the famous War of 1812 warship.... The city of Pittsburgh is about 2 hours south of Erie and the Allegheny Mountain s region lies to the south and east.... OHIO Road trippers along the south shore of Lake Erie often stop in Cleveland to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. The city also is one of the nation's cultural centers, featuring University Circle, the home of the world-renown Cleveland Orchestra and the Cleveland Museum of Art, one of the nation's best. The Cleveland Orchestra performs in Severance Hall, often considered America's most beautiful concert hall. Cleveland's compact downtown features three major league sports venues and two entertainment/dining districts and one of the nation's regional culinary traditions, noted for its locavore and traditional Mod ethnic cuisines. The city's Market District centers around the West Side Market, one of the continent's great public indoor markets.

Southern Ohio features Columbus, home of one of the nation's great zoos and The Ohio State University, one of the very largest in the U.S. Cincinnati is the Queen City, one of the nation's great river cities. Dayton arguably is the world's aviation history mecca. The Wilds in Zanesville, east of Columbus, is one of the largest and most innovative animal preserves in the U.S. with almost 10,000 acres. MICHIGAN When you think of a Great Lakes state, the State of Michigan comes to mind: it touches four of the five Great Lakes and possesses the longest fresh water coastline in the world at about 3,288 miles. In fact, it is second only to Alaska in total shoreline!

From Southwest Michigan's "Harbor Country" north to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, one can find world class beaches and sand dunes (some topping out at 450 feet!), state parks, wineries, quaint harbor towns, country cottages and inns, ORV dune riding, bicycle and snowmobile trails (known as "Rail Trails")....then further north, are the scenic coastal towns of Traverse City, Charlevoix, Petoskey, Harbor Springs and finally the Straits of Mackinaw... Here's a great thread, especially post 14, describing the SleepingBear Dunes region. Along this entire route, you can take side trips (or short cuts, as the case may be), via ferry, to Wisconsin, North and South Manitou Islands, Beaver Island and Mackinac Island, one of the Crown Jewels of the Great Lakes/Midwest Region. This entire route could be driven in as little as one or two days, but to do it right, and enjoy what the west coast of Michigan has to offer, at least 4 or 5 days is in order.

North of the Straits, is the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, or the "U.P." for short, or sometimes it's affectionately called the "Yoop". From Lower Michigan (sometimes known as "The Mitten"), access to the UP, via road is driving across the awe-inspiring Mackinac Bridge. Even if you don't plan to visit the UP, it's still worth driving across the Bridge to experience the panoramic view of the Straits. Mackinac Island , where personal cars have been banned for over a century, is an iconic Michigan destination. The UP is a destination in its own right: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Porcupine Mountains State Park, the Keewauna Peninsula (don't miss Brockway Mountain Drive!), countless waterfalls and crystal clear rivers, whitewater rivers, shipwrecks, Seney Wildlife Refuge, the SOO Locks, Hiawatha National Forest, Grand Island National Recreation Area and the list goes on. A road trip here can easily take a week especially if you plan to hike, paddle or whatever, and if a trip to Isle Royale National Park is in your itinerary, plan to spend another 2-3 days....

During Wintertime, the UP is blessed with Lake Effect Snow . Many parts of the UP routinely get over 200 inches of snow, thus it's a major snowmobiling destination... And, due to it's hilly topography (actually, they're ancient mountains formed about a billion years ago, so they've had a lot of time to wear down), there are several ski resorts, located mainly in the western part, the Keewauna Peninsula, Marquette and Iron Mountain.... Ice fishing is also popular. From a Road Tripper's perspective, both parts of Michigan are relatively easy to get to from major Midwestern cities. If you're flying in from another part of the USA or overseas, logical portal cities to base your road trip would be Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland (the major airlines fly into each of these cities). Secondary (aka-more regional cities) would be Milwaukee, Marquette (centrally located in the UP), Traverse City, Grand Rapids, Duluth, and perhaps Toledo.

From Chicago, the UP (Pictured Rocks) is about a 6-7 hour drive, traffic and weather permitting; and to the west coast of Michigan, it's about 1.5 hours to "Harbor Country", 3 hours to Grand Haven, 6.5 hours to Sleeping Bear Dunes and about 8 hours to Mackinaw City. Of course these times are weather and traffic permitting and driving straight through and not stopping to see anything. =============================== INDIANA Indiana's Lake Michigan coastline stretches about 50 miles from the Southeast side of Chicago to Harbor Country in Southwest Michigan. The western 3rd of this stretch is very industrialized, but as you travel east, the industry gives way to farmland (along the I-80-94 corridors) and scenic dune country along the Dunes Highway (US-12). Driving along the Dunes Highway, you'll find Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore ; Indiana Dunes State Park ; forests, old timey stores, restaurants and motels; wide open beaches and sand dunes; and some high-end vacation homes. The Dunes Highway becomes the Red Arrow Highway when it crosses over into Michigan.

It's worth mentioning, this stretch is also highly susceptible to heavy Lake Effect Snow Storms , so if you plan to drive this stretch during winter, plan accordingly. There are numerous interesting destinations within several hours drive south and east of the Indiana coastal route such as the City of Indianapolis , Turkey Run State Park , Brown County State Park , Hoosier National Forest , the East Race Waterway Whitewater Park in South Bend to name a few. ILLINOIS Chicago, located on the southwest shore of Lake Michigan, is a logical base for a road trip around Lake Michigan. While Illinois' Lake Michigan shoreline is only about 60 miles, there's plenty to see within easy driving distance (traffic permitting, of course)... As mentioned in the MICHIGAN section, many Michigan destinations are within a half day's drive from Chicago. To the immediate north, many Wisconsin tourist/traveler destinations are within a few hours' drive. Chicago is a popular destination city, so in the context of a Road Trips article, it will be mentioned only as a portal city for Illinois-based road trips....

However, listed below are several links for more info on Chicago, especially if you plan to spend time in the city as part of your Road Trip: In addition, here is a link to the Chicago Forum page. Read the "Top questions about CHICAGO" box in the upper right part of the page. It gives useful info regarding parking, event calendars, pizza, beaches etc...... ========================= From Chicago, you could do a variety of Road Trips, from a week long Lake Michigan Circle Tour , to an overnighter to a Beachtown or whitewater rafting river , to a multiple week extravaganza around the Upper Great Lakes.... One can experience camping, hiking, backpacking, dune climbing, kayaking/canoeing, rafting, tubing (river and snow), xc skiing, downhill skiing (yes, downhill skiing in the Midwest!), luging, B&B'ing, music festivaling, beachcombing, waterfalling, spelunking, rappelling/rock climbing/ bouldering, SCUBA/snorkeling, ice fishing, snowmobiling, ATV riding and dune buggying---ALL within a day's drive of Chicago....

Day trips (drives under 2.5 hours each way) could include Starved Rock State Park, Mathiessen State Park, I ndiana Dunes State Park , Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore , Warren Dunes State Park, Harbor Country, Illinois State Beach , Volo Bog , Chain o Lakes, Castle Rock State Park, the Illinois Railway Museum , Lake Geneva , South Kettle Moraine and Milwaukee. One could even spend several hours driving through the Northshore along Lake Michigan via Sheridan Road up to, and beyond the Wisconsin border..... Overnighter and [long] weekend Road Trips (say, up to 4-6 hours driving) could include the above destinations, plus Door County, WI, the Wisconsin Dells, Devil's Lake State Park, WI, Northeastern Wisconsin whitewater rivers and waterfalls, Galena , Mississippi River sights, west coast of Michigan, Turkey Run State Park and Brown County, Indiana, and Southern Illinois ....

Weeklong Road Trips could include The Lake Michigan Circle Tour (it can be cut in half by taking a carferry across the Lake), Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and surrounding areas, Isle Royale National Park, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Mackinac Island and surounding areas, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and the Great River Road along the Mississippi River... Longer trips could include the Lake Superior Circle Tour and the Lake Huron and/or Georgian Bay Circle Tours..... ========================= For the sites/sights in other states, see the MICHIGAN, WISCONSIN, MINNESOTA, INDIANA and ONTARIO sections of this article.... WISCONSIN Wisconsin is known for its water: Countless inland lakes and rivers , numerous waterfalls , and of course, its Great Lakes shoreline.... Wisconsin's Great Lakes shoreline is about 800 miles...It's entire eastern shore is along Lake Michigan, and the northwest corner lies along Lake Superior. Also of note, most of the western border of the state runs along the Mississippi and St Croix Rivers ....

Another great river worth mentioning, the Wisconsin River , flows north to south through the middle of the state, then empties into the Mississippi near Prairie Du Chien... For this article, we'll mainly focus on Wisconsin's Great Lakes sights (and short side trips) starting with Lake Michigan .... From its southern border with Illinois near Kenosha, to its largest city Milwaukee , to its rural coasline dotted with port cities, to beautiful Door County and finally ending north of of the city of Green Bay at the Michigan Border at Marinette .... Then onto its Lake Superior shoreline..... The entire east coast of Wisconsin could be done in 4 or 5 hours if you stick to the interstates and see nothing, but you could easily spend several days in Milwaukee or Door County alone... At its southern border near Lake Michigan, Sheridan Road (runs along Chicago's "Northshore") turns into WI State Route 32 , which in turn runs north to Milwaukee. Along the way, it goes through the shoreline cities of Kenosha and Racine , then brushes by Wind Point Lighthouse... It then enters the great City of Milwaukee ...

The city is home to many well known attractions and festivals such as the Harley Davidson museum and factory, the Milwaukee Zoo, Mitchell conservatory, Summerfest and the Milwaukee Art Museum and the list goes on..... It is also worth mentioning, a high speed ferry can be taken across the lake from Milwaukee to Muskegon, MI. Further north , along the coast is Port Washington , Sheboygan , Manitowoc , Point Beach State Forest , Kewaunee , Algoma and on up to beautiful Door County , one of the premier tourist destinations in the Midwest. At this point, you could break away from the shoreline and head northwest to the City of Green Bay , one of the gateways to Wisconsin's Northwoods ..... If you're short on time, I-94 and I-43 (and US-41) run parallel to this route.... North of Green Bay, you could continue to hug Green Bay itself up to the Michigan border, or you could continue north via US-141 to the Menomenee River and Iron Mountain, MI..... It's worth mentioning, another ferry crosses the Lake Michigan and sails from Manitowoc to Ludington, MI....

Along this general route, there are interesting inland destinations and events: Starting from south to north, the resort area of Lake Geneva , Kettle Moraine State Forest , the City of Madison (the state capital), Horicon National Wildlife Refuge, the town of Kohler , Green Lake , Lake Winnebago , the EAA Air Venture and Museum at Oshkosh, the Nicolet National Forest , whitewater rivers , and Pier's Gorge along the Menomenee River..... Also, there are many scenic waterfalls and county parks, many of them located in northeastern Wisconsin ..... The northwest corner of the state is along the western end of Lake Superior , sandwiched between Upper Michigan and Minnesota... In this scenic area is the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (a sea kayaking mecca), Madeline Island , Brule River State Forest (canoeing and kayaking), and the quaint and scenic town of Bayfield .... You can enjoy the music at the ongoing music festival of Big Top Chautauqua .... In a nutshell: The Northshore , The Boundary Waters and Voyageurs National Park ....

Minnesota's Lake Superior sights and/or inland areas could be a destination(s) on its/their own, or it could be part of a grand Lake Superior Circle Tour.... Minnesota's Lake Superior coastline stretches almost 150 miles, but packed within that 150 miles is some of the most scenic coastline in the entire USA....spectacular vistas over the crystal clear water of Lake Superior, ancient lava flows, the Canadian Shield, waterfalls , ancient mountain ranges, surfing spots and ski resorts... Just inland (and comprising most of the northeastern part of the state) are countless inland lakes, water trails, snowmobile and xc ski trails , national forests and more ancient mountain ranges.... Here are attractions in the Canadian Province of Ontario. Trip Planning Here is TA member lelici49's plan for her 5th Road Trip in the USA. Her group is two adults, traveling in September for 4 weeks. The focus is cities with a bit of nature. THREAD Should Wisconsin city get OK to tap Lake Michigan water? FacebookEmail Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest Should Wisconsin city get OK to tap Lake Michigan water?

Waukesha, Wis., lies just outside the Great Lakes watershed, and some worry a water diversion to help them could bring others with empty buckets Post to Facebook Should Wisconsin city get OK to tap Lake Michigan water? Waukesha, Wis., lies just outside the Great Lakes watershed, and some worry a water diversion to help them could bring others with empty buckets Check out this story on Freep.com: CancelSend A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. 141 To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs Should Wisconsin city get OK to tap Lake Michigan water? Keith Matheny , Detroit Free Press Published 12:02 a.m. ET Dec. 28, 2015 | Updated 12:29 a.m. ET Dec. 28, 2015 This photo taken Sept. 12, 2013, shows the Fox River where it flows through downtown Waukesha, Wis. The city of Waukesha is seeking permission to draw its drinking water from nearby Lake Michigan. Local officials say the river canâ€™t meet the cityâ€™s needs.

The aquifer that has provided most of Waukeshaâ€™s drinking water for the last century has dropped so far that whatâ€™s left has unhealthy levels of radium and salt. The city would like to draw from the Great Lakes, but the states with rights to it have always guarded them jealously and arenâ€™t in a generous mood after more than a decade of abnormally low levels. Their permission is required to tap in from outside the watershed, and approval for Waukesha _ which lies barely on the wrong side of the line _ is far from certain. (AP Photo/John Flesher) (Photo: AP) Some worry a Wisconsin city's plan to divert Lake Michigan water for its use could set a precedent allowing others from far outside the Great Lakes region to come seeking water. The plan for Waukesha, Wis., a city of about 70,000 residents, is now being forwarded to Great Lakes states for a regional review process. It seems unremarkable at first glance; hundreds of communities around the Great Lakes source their water from the lakes.

The deep aquifer from which Waukesha typically takes water is severely depleted, compounding a naturally occurring problem of high levels of radium, a carcinogen, in the water. "The families of Waukesha need a sustainable and healthy water supply," Mayor Shawn Reilly said. What's causing concern is that Waukesha lies just outside the Great Lakes Basin, 17 miles west of Lake Michigan. It's the first test case for the Great Lakes Compact, a 2008 agreement between the eight U.S. states around the lakes that, among other things, seeks to prohibit large-scale diversions of Great Lakes water outside of the basin. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on Dec. 9 announced it will forward Waukesha's request to states under the Great Lakes Compact within 30 to 60 days. The city's proposal requires the unanimous approval of the eight Great Lakes compact states: Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and New York. It will also be provided to Canada's provinces on the Great Lakes, Ontario and Quebec, for review.

Waukesha's plan calls for withdrawal of no more than 10.1 million gallons of Lake Michigan water per day via pipeline. The Wisconsin DNR has reviewed the city’s diversion application since it was submitted to the department in May 2010 and updated and revised in October 2013. The DNR found in a draft environmental impact statement that Waukesha's diversion "will not alter the flows or levels of the Great Lakes," as the city intends to return a like amount of treated wastewater to the Lake Michigan basin via pipeline; that the city "does not have a reasonable water supply alternative" to Lake Michigan, and that other potential supplies "are likely to have greater adverse environmental impacts due to projected impacts on wetlands and lakes." But some are skeptical that the city doesn't have other options. Members of the Compact Implementation Coalition, a consortium of environmental nonprofit groups, say the city can meet its water needs through conservation, added treatment technologies to its groundwater wells and other measures. "The City of Waukesha's application does not meet the high bar the compact sets for Great Lakes diversions," said Cheryl Nenn of Milwaukee Riverkeeper, a habitat preservation and advocacy nonprofit.

"For that reason, we continue to believe the City of Waukesha's application is not in the best interest of the Great Lakes region and the protection of one of our most vital natural resources." Waukesha's request will not set a precedent for water to go to places such as water-starved California, Reilly said. "The compact strictly forbids water from being pumped beyond counties that straddle the Great Lakes basin divide," he said. "It also requires that the water we borrow be returned, ensuring no harm to the lakes. This is not a question of choosing between protection of the Great Lakes and safe drinking water for Waukesha. The compact provides for both." Contact Keith Matheny: 313-222-5021 or kmatheny@freepress.com 442 CONNECT TWEET LINKEDIN 141 COMMENTEMAILMORE Read or Share this story: Wisconsin city allowed unprecedented access to Lake Michigan for drinking water - Chicago Tribune Wisconsin city allowed unprecedented access to Lake Michigan for drinking water Panel approves Waukesha request to draw water from Lake Michigan Waukesha needed approval from the governor of every state and Canadian province within the basin.

June 21, 2016. (WTMJ Milwaukee) Waukesha needed approval from the governor of every state and Canadian province within the basin. June 21, 2016. (WTMJ Milwaukee) Michael Hawthorne Contact Reporter Chicago Tribune Governors from the eight Great Lakes states agreed Tuesday to allow a Wisconsin city to start pumping millions of gallons a day from Lake Michigan, marking the largest diversion of water from the lakes since Chicago reversed the flow of the Chicago River in 1900. The unanimous decision favoring Waukesha, a Milwaukee suburb of 70,000 about 17 miles west of the lake, is the first test of a 2008 legal compact intended to prevent thirsty communities or countries outside the Great Lakes region from dipping into the world's largest source of fresh surface water. Like parts of Chicago, Waukesha is just outside the subcontinental divide separating areas of the Midwest that drain into the Great Lakes from those where water flows toward the Mississippi River.

Waukesha's request challenged politicians, scientists and advocates who feared it would set a precedent that cleared the way for potentially bigger diversions, such as pipelines connecting the lakes to Las Vegas or other arid, fast-growing cities. Great Lakes Water John Flesher / AP In this Sept. 12, 2013 file photo, the Fox River flows through downtown Waukesha, Wis. A push for expanded access to water from the Great Lakes is at a key point for the city of Waukesha. In this Sept. 12, 2013 file photo, the Fox River flows through downtown Waukesha, Wis. A push for expanded access to water from the Great Lakes is at a key point for the city of Waukesha. (John Flesher / AP) What the Wisconsin city ended up getting is considerably more limited. Several officials and observers involved in the long-running debate think the deal could discourage others from attempting a bid for access to water that the Great Lakes region zealously guards as its own. Before the eight states approved the new pact, Waukesha agreed to recycle all of the water it draws from Lake Michigan and return it to a river that flows into the lake.

Another provision limits the amount pumped to the city to an average of 8 million gallons a day, down from the original request of 10 million. Perhaps even more important is the area served by the new source of water is restricted to Waukesha's current borders, meaning the city can't use it to advance suburban sprawl. "They've set a very high bar," said Peter Annin, co-director of a Northland College water center and author of "The Great Lakes Water Wars." "If you are a water manager in another suburb or rural community, this just doesn't seem like an attractive or inexpensive option." Waukesha sought access to Lake Michigan water because some of its community wells are contaminated with naturally occurring radium — a problem also faced by several Chicago suburbs. Great Lakes governors were swayed in part by research showing some of the groundwater now being drawn by Waukesha would flow toward Lake Michigan if it no longer is used by the city. Another argument in Waukesha's favor was that access to Lake Michigan water would free the city of having to treat water from its radium-contaminated wells, which creates radioactive sludge.

"The vote today means the City can now move forward in providing a reliable, sustainable, and safe supply of drinking water for its residents," Waukesha Mayor Shawn Reilly said in a statement. More than a decade in the making, the Waukesha diversion was authorized under a limited exception to the water protection agreement between the eight states and two Canadian provinces on the Great Lakes: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, Ontario and Quebec. Regional officials brokered their compact after an Ontario firm unveiled a plan in 1998 to ship 158 million gallons a year from Lake Superior to Asia, intending to create a global market for fresh water. Given the rapid growth of many drought-plagued states and countries, some planners and financial analysts say water will be become more valuable than oil during the coming century. Unlike what Waukesha is planning to do, Chicago doesn't return water to the Great Lakes. The city fended off challenges to its 1900 diversion from Lake Michigan and under a 1967 Supreme Court decree draws up to 2.1 billion gallons a day while discharging treated sewage into waterways that drain toward the Mississippi.

Lawsuits could still delay the Waukesha diversion. Officials in Racine, for instance, have vehemently opposed the proposal because Waukesha's treated wastewater would flow through their community before reaching Lake Michigan. Waukesha estimates its project will cost $334 million and add hundreds of dollars a year to residential water bills. The city had no reasonable alternative, Reilly said. Environmental groups that opposed the deal were still studying the final agreement but applauded restrictions on the amount of water to be drawn by Waukesha and the area served by the diversion. "In the end you've got a city that's going to pay a lot of money for clean water," said Molly Flanagan, vice president for policy at the nonprofit Alliance for the Great Lakes. "What kind of victory is that?" Wisconsin Wisconsin Going natural: Fixing a man-made mess one stream at a time Pine Journal (10/8) In recent years, "going natural" has been the "in" thing with everything from what we eat and drink, to how we look and dress, to where and how we live. Going natural is also now the "in" thing when working with natural resources.

Crews to remove concrete from Underwood Creek Wauwatosa Now (10/4) Thanks to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Underwood Creek in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin is scheduled to have 4,400 linear feet of concrete removed in an attempt to further the restoration of the natural habitat surrounding the creek. Ashland's Soo Line Ore Dock celebrates its centennial KBJR-TV ï¿½ Superior, WI (10/1) In Ashland, Wisconsin, the historic Sin Choo Ore dock celebrated its 100 year anniversary, and is in the midst of a multi-year redevelopment project to bring new life to the once vital piece of infrastructure. DNR announces open house for chinook run Door County Pulse (9/30) Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources fisheries staff will be on hand in Door County, Wisconsin, to collect salmon eggs and milt needed for the next generation of fish for Lake Michigan stocking. Best fall hikes near the big lake Duluth News Tribune (9/28) Duluth News Tribune outdoors reporter Sam Cook stops by the podcast studio again, this time to talk about the best hikes in the Duluth, Minnesota, area to enjoy the fall colors.

Northland College tackles Great Lakes restoration future Duluth News Tribune (9/27) Northland College's Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation in Ashland, Wisconsin, is hosting a Water Summit Friday and Saturday to discuss the future of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Search GLIN for more news items about Indian Country Wisconsin - Great Lakes History: A General View Black Hawk Tens-qua-ta-wa The Great Lakes is a chain of inland lakes -- Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, and Lake Superior -- stretching from New York to Minnesota. Because they comprise such a large waterway, they have played a vital role in the lives and histories of Indian peoples who have resided along their shores for millennia. Most Indian groups living in the Great Lakes region for the last five centuries are of the Algonkian language family. This includes such present-day Wisconsin tribes as the Menominee, Ojibwe, and Potawatomi. Some tribes--such as the Stockbridge-Munsee and the Brothertown--are also Algonkian-speaking tribes who relocated from the eastern seaboard to the Great Lakes region in the nineteenth century.

The Oneida who live near Green Bay belong to the Iroquois language group and the Ho-chunk of Wisconsin are one of the few Great Lakes tribes to speak a Siouan language. Although there have been many differences in language and customs between different Indian tribes, Great Lakes Indian communities have had many things in common. They comprise a general culture called "Woodland" after its adaptation to North America's northeastern and southeastern woodlands. Woodland Indian societies have depended to a large degree on forest products for their survival, and Great Lakes Indians hunted, fished, gathered wild foods, and practiced agriculture for their subsistence. In many parts of the Great Lakes -- particularly northern Wisconsin -- Indians depended on wild rice as a dietary staple, while Indians in areas without wild rice generally cultivated corn. Where sugar maples grow, Great Lakes Indians established sugar-making camps in early spring and made sugar from tree sap. Establishing Trade The exact date of initial European contact with the Great Lakes Indians is unknown. During the early 1500s, European ships and fishing crews off the coast of northeastern Canada often traded with Indians there.

The first recorded contact between Europeans and the Great Lakes Indians occurred between 1534 and 1542 when Jacques Cartier of France explored the St. Lawrence River. His failure to find gold or silver reduced French interest in North America but, despite this, Samuel de Champlain established the city of Quebec and along with it the colony of New France in 1608. The French quickly developed a military and economic alliance with neighboring Algonkian tribes and the Iroquoian-speaking Huron near Lake Huron. Soon, the Dutch of New Netherland established a rival colony in present-day New York, and developed similar trade networks with the five Iroquois nations (the League of the Iroquois) in upstate New York. Later, when the English conquered New Netherland in 1664 and renamed it New York, the Iroquois transferred their loyalties to the English.

In the 1640s, the Iroquois began a series of wars in the Great Lakes region mainly motivated by the rich fur-bearing lands of other Indian groups, completely wiping out some tribes, including the Erie, and scattering others such as the Huron from their original homelands. The wars between the Iroquois League and the French-allied tribes persisted until 1701, although there were long periods of relative peace during that time. These wars radically changed the human landscape of the Great Lakes region. Tribes in Michigan's southern peninsula -- the Potawatomi, Ojibwe, Sauk, Fox, and Ottawa -- were pushed farther west into Wisconsin during the 1600s. Some tribes that moved into Wisconsin because of the Iroquois wars, including the Huron, Miami, Sauk, Fox, Mascouten, and Kickapoo, left Wisconsin during the 1700s for new lands west of the Mississippi or other parts of the Midwest. Some refugees of the Iroquois wars, namely the Potawatomi and Ojibwe, stayed in Wisconsin.

Introduction of Disease Indian people of the Great Lakes also suffered from European diseases, which often devastated their communities. Unlike Europeans, Indians did not have natural immunities to diseases such as smallpox, measles, or mumps because these diseases did not exist in North America before whites came. After Europeans arrived, these diseases often wiped out whole Indian villages. The Ho-chunk, for example, were said to have had between four thousand and five thousand people when Nicolet first arrived among them in 1634. When French traders came back twenty years later, the Ho-chunk had been reduced to only six hundred or seven hundred members. While wars with the Iroquois and other refugee Indian groups played a part in this rapid decline, European diseases were probably the main cause for the dramatic number of deaths. Some the first Europeans to come to the Great Lakes region were Christian missionaries. One of the most active groups was the Society of Jesus, or the Jesuits, a Roman Catholic religious order that first started to preach among the Iroquoian-speaking Hurons of Lake Huron in 1625.

By 1665, they had established missions at Chequamegon Bay in Lake Superior and at Green Bay in 1669. While the Jesuits enjoyed some successes, they required rigid standards for potential converts and thus did not convert large numbers of Indians to Christianity. Whatever progress they made was lost after 1728 when they abandoned their mission stations in Wisconsin because of the Fox Wars, during which the Fox Indians rose up against French authority. The Fox Wars ended in the 1730s, but the French were unable to send new missionaries to Wisconsin afterward. The next Christian missionaries did not arrive until the 1820s, and they represented both the Catholic Church and various Protestant denominations. Intermarriage and Economic Change Another important aspect of contact between Europeans and Great Lakes Indians was intermarriage. Many young English, Scottish, and especially French men went west in the 1600s and 1700s to gather furs from the Indians, but because very few European women accompanied them, many traders took Indian women as their wives.

Unlike Europeans, Indians did not use race as the basis for exclusion or inclusion into their societies, and the children of these unions were welcomed into the tribal societies. These intermarriages are one reason that so many Indians in Wisconsin and the Great Lakes have European, and especially French last names today. Not all children of Indian-white marriages joined their mothers' tribes. Some Indian women raised their children in fur-trading towns such as Green Bay, Prairie du Chien, and Mackinac Island. While these children were of Indian heritage and usually knew the languages and customs of their mothers' tribes, they did not consider themselves to be Indians. They thought of themselves as m�tis, which was a French word meaning "mixed blood." There were m�tis communities throughout the Great Lakes region during the 1700s and early 1800s. All tribes in Wisconsin during the 1600s and 1700s were anxious to trade furs for European goods. The French, Dutch, and English were especially interested in beaver pelts, which were sent to Europe to make hats. In turn, the Indians received European manufactured goods such as guns, cloth, knives, and metal cooking utensils.

Besides the impact of these material goods, there were other major changes as well. Rather than living in large villages, Indian people began to spread out over wider areas and live in smaller, more mobile settlements. In spring and summer, these villages were generally located along waterways where the soils were good for raising corn, squash, and beans and where people could also concentrate on fishing. In winter, the Indians abandoned these villages and dispersed to create small, family-sized hunting camps and focus on hunting and acquiring furs for trade. Although linked to other villages of the same tribe, villages were generally autonomous and independent of other Indian villages. As time went on, Indian people became more dependent on European trade goods and were drawn into European economic systems. At the same time, they were also drawn into the political and military schemes of their European trade partners and allies. Pontiac's Rebellion Between 1689 and 1763, the French and British fought a series of four wars for control of North America. The final conflict, the French and Indian War (also called the Seven Years' War), lasted from 1754 to 1763.

During this war, the League of the Iroquois sided with the British, while the Menominee, Ho-chunk, Ojibwe, and Potawatomi allied with the French. When the war ended, the British had won control of all former French possessions in Canada and the Midwest. The British treated the former Indian allies of the French like conquered peoples, which prompted the Ottawa chief Pontiac from the Detroit area to lead a rebellion of a number of tribes against the British. During Pontiac's Rebellion, Indian forces captured and laid siege to many British forts, including those at the Straits of Mackinac and Detroit. By 1765 the British managed to regain control of the region and end Pontiac's Rebellion. Pontiac's Rebellion taught the British that colonial power in the Great Lakes depended on developing better relations with the Indians. This strategy paid off, for when the American Revolution began, almost all Great Lakes Indians sided with the British against the Americans. However, the Potawatomi at Milwaukee and around the southern shore of Lake Michigan sided with the Americans during the Revolution.

America gained sovereignty over the southern Great Lakes region when the British surrendered its control over lands west of the Appalachian mountains in the 1783 peace treaty. Despite this, many Indians in the Great Lakes region continued their strong attachments to the British because they feared the United States would take away their lands. The Indians of the Ohio River valley fought against American expansion in the early 1790s and defeated two American armies sent to conquer them. Finally, the United States defeated the Ohio Indians at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794. Great Britain and Tecumseh The final battle between Britain and the United States for control over the Great Lakes came during the War of 1812. Many British officials believed that the United States wanted to take Canada from Great Britain. The British continued to cultivate good relations with the Indians and even promised to establish an independent Indian state in the Great Lakes region to act as a buffer between the United States and Canada.

Prior to the War of 1812, two Shawnee Indians from Ohio--Tecumseh and his brother Tenskwatawa (also called the Shawnee Prophet), created a formidable pan-Indian alliance to prevent further American expansion west of the Appalachians and allied with the British against America. Although the British and their Indian allies enjoyed great success in Wisconsin and the upper Great Lakes region, the British once again lost this area to the Americans when peace was made in 1814. Removal Following Indian land sales, the United States pursued a policy called Indian removal whereby Great Lakes tribes were to be removed west across the Mississippi. Other Great Lakes tribes in southern Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois were forced to leave their homes in the Midwest for new lands in Kansas and Oklahoma. In Wisconsin, however, the United States failed to completely remove any of the tribes. Most of the Potawatomi, Ojibwe, and Ottawa who lived in southern Wisconsin were removed to Kansas in the 1830s, but some Potawatomi refused to go and instead moved to northern Wisconsin. About half of the Ho-chunk removed to Iowa, and were later moved to Minnesota, South Dakota, and finally Nebraska.

The other half of the tribe refused to move out of Wisconsin. The federal government attempted to remove the remaining Wisconsin Ho-chunk to Nebraska in 1873 and 1874, but most returned to Wisconsin within a year. The Menominee and the Ojibwe also refused to leave, and in 1854 they received reservation lands so they could stay in Wisconsin. Assimilation From about 1850 to 1930, the United States developed an assimilation policy through which Indian people were encouraged or forced to give up their languages, customs, religions, and ways of life. They were forced to live like whites so they could be "civilized" and eventually assimilate or fit into mainstream American society. Many whites did not understand that Indian people already had their own civilizations and cultures that they did not want to give up. The two primary institutions the United States used to implement its assimilation policy were boarding schools and land allotments. Boarding schools were run by the government or by religious groups and focused on teaching Indian boys agriculture and manual trades, while Indian girls were taught domestic skills.

The largest and most well-known boarding school was the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania established in 1879. The superintendent of Carlisle and other boarding schools believed it was necessary to separate children from their tribes and families so they could be purged of their "savage" lifestyles. The other tool that white reformers used to assimilate Indians were land allotments, which were mandated by the 1887 Dawes Act. Rather than letting tribes hold their reservation lands communally, lands were divided up and allotted to individuals so they could farm. However, most Indians did not want to farm and often sold their lands, often to non-Indians. By 1920, over 90% of the land on some reservations, such as the Oneida reservation in northeastern Wisconsin, was owned by whites. U.S. assimilationist policies ended in the 1930s largely because Indians did not want to give up their culture and wanted to remain Indians. The federal government attempted a similar program in the 1950s called Termination in which tribes would no longer be recognized as sovereign political bodies by the federal government.

The Menominee were terminated as a tribe in 1961, but their experience with this new program was so negative that no other tribe agreed to be terminated. The Menominee fought to regain their status as a federally recognized tribe, accomplishing this in 1973. Moreover, the Wisconsin Ho-chunk managed to gain federal recognition in 1963 over a century after they had sold their lands in Wisconsin. In the last twenty-five years, Great Lakes Indian tribes have endeavored to restore their political sovereignty. In 1983, the Ojibwe won an important court case: Wisconsin Ojibwe bands asserted that Wisconsin wrongly curtailed their rights to spearfish on lands they had ceded in earlier treaties. The Ojibwe rightly argued that they never gave up the right to hunt and fish off their reservations, as their treaties clearly state. The Great Lakes tribes have also become more prosperous through casino gambling, which is allowed on resevation lands because of the political sovereignty tribes have retained. Great Lakes An open front door to invaders in Great Lakes Mark Hoffman Passengers on a tour boat watch the gates to the Poe Lock close Friday at the Soo Locks in Sault Ste.

Marie, Mich. A system of locks throughout the Great Lakes has made international shipping, and the introduction of invasive species, possible. Oct. 3, 2010 – Politicians are demanding that federal agencies help keep Asian carp from colonizing Lake Michigan by slamming shut the back door to the Great Lakes. But what about the front door? It is still business-as-usual on the St. Lawrence Seaway. »Read Full Article (274) David Devine A ship travels the Welland Canal in Ontario.The St. Lawrence Seaway is marking 50 years. June 26, 2009 – Opening the Great Lakes to the rest of the world brought more than dollars. The invasive species that arrived with the foreign cargo have wrought ecological and economic chaos. »Read Full Article Decisions on the horizon for the aged St. Lawrence Seaway Tom Lynn The Pilica pulls into Lock No. 3 of the Welland Canal in Ontario. The canal locks are more than 70 years old and eventually will have to be refurbished or rebuilt to keep functioning, Seaway officials say. Nov. 1, 2005 – The aged St. Lawrence Seaway is beginning to crumble.

One option: Make it bigger, which could attract more overseas traffic - and more ecological havoc. A more likely option: Refurbish it. And then there is a third option. »Read Full Article Loophole in ballast law lets invasive species in Tom Lynn The oceangoing freighter Pilica passes Lock No. 3 of the Welland Canal near St. Catharines, Ontario, at sunset. The Pilica was bound for Lake Ontario. Oct. 31, 2005 – Deep inside many oceangoing vessels is a sloshing stew of water and muck, teeming with alien life forms. When these little creatures jump ship, the result can be big trouble. »Read Full Article Seaway hasn’t lived up to fanfare of the ’50s Tom Lynn The Canadian bulk carrier Pineglen eases into the Eisenhower Lock at Massena, N.Y. Opened to traffic in 1959, the St. Lawrence Seaway is still used heavily as a regional shipping corridor for bulk materials, but it is too small for much of the world’s oceangoing fleet.

Its locks, in fact, are smaller than those of the Panama Canal - which opened in 1914. Oct. 30, 2005 – Almost a half-century after the St. Lawrence Seaway opened the Great Lakes to the world, overseas shipments are scarce, ecological chaos is raging, and the vision of Midwest cities as bustling international ports remains a mirage. »Read Full Article 15,000 reasons to worry about state's lakes Dan Egan A mussel-encrusted rock plucked from the shoreline of Waukesha County's Lake Keesus, where zebra mussels were discovered in 2005. Nov. 2, 2009 – A day at the beach in Wisconsin's North Woods didn't used to involve stinging cuts from the razor-sharp shells of zebra mussels. The invasive species first turned up in the Great Lakes in 1988, and now this ecological mess is spreading inland. »Read Full Article Great Lakes scourge infects West Dan Egan Marina worker John Koeller holds a single quagga mussel. The tiny mussels are big trouble at Hoover Dam. Feb.

21, 2009 – It took some of America's best engineers, thousands of laborers and two years of around-the-clock concrete pouring to build the 726-foot-high Hoover Dam back in the 1930s. It took less time than that for the tiny, brainless quagga mussel to bring operators of this modern wonder of the world to their knees. »Read Full Article Ecological problem, economic distress Photo/Tom Lynn The docks are desolate at this marina in Harbor Beach, Mich., where there used to be a two-year wait list for slips. A big reason is the salmon have all but disappeared from Lake Huron, and so have the anglers who spent tens of millions of dollars annually chasing them. June 30, 2008 – Lake Huron's salmon, an exotic species planted annually to feed the sport fishing industry, have all but disappeared in just four years. Signs are surfacing that Lake Michigan could be headed in a similar direction. »Read Full Article Intruders at the gate Rick Wood Asian carp leap from the Illinois River after an electric shock during a fish survey near Havana, Ill.

The carp have taken over sections of the river, which is connected to Lake Michigan via the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. The fish are believed to be within 50 miles of the lake. Dec. 26, 2004 – Politicians talk about shutting the door to Great Lakes invasive species. But so far, it's mostly that - talk. »Read Full Article Invasive species wreak havoc Rick Wood A slurry of foul-smelling algae washes up on the shore at McKinley Beach in Milwaukee. Invasive zebra mussels increase water clarity, leading to an explosion of sunlight-dependent cladophora algae. The algae eventually die, decompose and wash ashore. Dec. 19, 2004 – A mounting number of invasive species is wreaking ecological havoc that scientists have a hard time understanding - let alone stopping. »Read Full Article Lake showing signs of vulnerability Rick Wood Lou Beck (center) of Slinger joins his wife, Lynn (seated), aboard the Foxy Lady near Port Washington. The fishing charter is captained by Dan Fox (right). Lake Michigan's sport fishing industry is made possible by stocking millions of fish each year in what one biologist calls a "put, grow and take" fishery.

Dec. 12, 2004 – Lake Michigan is one of the world's wildest bodies of freshwater, but its fish population is constantly manipulated, and it may well be in jeopardy. »Read Full Article Restoring continental divide in Chicago would be costly, complex Paul Beaty/For the Journal Sentinel Irwin Polls, a former employee of Chicago’s Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, stands on a bridge over the North Shore Channel at the Wilmette Pumping Station. Polls worked on a study that details how the Chicago River and its canal system could be reversed to stop invasive species. Dec. 17, 2012 – It is possible to create a man-made continental divide in the heart of Chicagoland to separate the Great Lakes and Mississippi basins, like they once were more than a century ago. The permanent solution to species invasions would be costly and complex - but many believe less expensive than doing nothing. »Read Full Article (19) Polluted Chicago River is full of trouble for Great Lakes Mark Hoffman A recreational boater glides along the Chicago River in late June.

In 1900, Chicago reversed the flow of the river so its sewage would no longer flow into Lake Michigan and contaminate its main source of drinking water. July 6, 2010 – Chicago likes to think of the filth flowing in its namesake river as nobody's business but its own, and for most of the last century that might have been true. But today that dirty water has become a problem for all the Great Lakes. »Read Full Article (79) A Chicago solution: Think big Mark Hoffman A tugboat cruises the South Branch of the Chicago River in Chicago. In 1900, the city reversed the flow of the river so its sewage would no longer flow into Lake Michigan and contaminate its drinking water. July 6, 2010 – A surgical project to redirect the Chicago River back to Lake Michigan could not only protect the Great Lakes from unwanted invasive species. It could secure for Chicago a boundless supply of freshwater for centuries to come.

»Read Full Article (20) Chicago’s electric carp barrier hits a snag Photo/Tom Lynn An electric barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal in Romeoville, Ill., is in place to keep Asian carp from swimming into Lake Michigan. The barrier was finished nearly 2 1/2 years ago, but officials won't permanently activate the barrier until they are convinced the electrified water is safe. Oct. 5, 2008 – It's supposed to be the last chance to keep the Great Lakes from turning into the Great Asian Carp Ponds, but the federal government's new electric fish barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal is not doing the job. »Read Full Article Fish barrier vs. carp DNA: What to believe? Gary Porter A towboat pushes barges upriver in July past the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' electric fish barrier on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal in Romeoville, Ill. The effectiveness of the barrier in stopping Asian carp is a key point of controversy between Illinois and its neighboring states. Aug.

25, 2012 – The government says its electric fish barrier on the Chicago canal has prevented an Asian carp invasion of Lake Michigan, but the genetic evidence that has emerged from DNA sampling may tell a different story. »Read Full Article (17) In hunt for Asian carp, scientists find DNA - and controversy Gary Porter University of Notre Dame’s David Lodge (left) helped create a genetic-based technique to track elusive Asian carp. Here he watches as Joel Corush, a research technician, filters a sample of water for telltale traces of DNA. Aug. 21, 2012 – A Notre Dame team goes high-tech with genetic testing that reveals evidence of Asian carp on the doorsteps of Lake Michigan. »Read Full Article (7) High-tech carp hunt focuses on Chicago River Gary Porter The Chicago River has become a key battle point in the fight to halt the spread of the Asian carp. A canal built in the late 1800s to clean the river of human waste helped create a pathway to the Great Lakes for invasive species of fish. Aug.

18, 2012 – To help stop an invasive fish from finding its way to the Great Lakes, the government decided to take an extreme measure – poisoning a waterway. »Read Full Article (10) Lakes adrift: Invasions demand leadership, action Dan Egan Tasmanian fishery crews chase the last of the island’s last remaining carp population with every tool available, including backpacks that carry an electric jolt that zaps the invaders so they can be netted. Dec. 4, 2010 – There are a few things you can do when you have carp invading your biggest lakes. You can ignore it. You can fight about it. You can call for more studies. Or, like in Australia, go for the kill. »Read Full Article (55) Aging canal could be entry point Oct. 17, 2006 – The only thing standing between Asian carp and the Great Lakes is a failing electric barrier on a canal that connects the Mississippi River and Lake Michigan. A new barrier would help - if the government would turn it on. »Read Full Article Does Lake Michigan's record low mark beginning of new era for Great Lakes?

Mark Hoffman The Coast Guard Cutter Mobile Bay breaks ice in Lake Michigan’s Green Bay in March of this year near Washington Island in Door County. A lack of ice cover is a likely factor in low water levels. July 27, 2013 – Lake Michigan is no longer just a Great Lake; it is a great unknown. More ominous than the all-time low the lake touched this winter is the fact that it came after languishing for 14 years below its long-term average. »Read Full Article (77) Water flushes through a greatly widened drain below Great Lakes Michigan, Huron Mark Hoffman The nearly 635-foot bulk freighter Buffalo passes beneath the Blue Water Bridge on June 4 at the headwaters of the St. Clair River in Port Huron, Mich. Most all of the water in Lakes Michigan and Huron, two lobes of one water body , makes its way into Lake Erie via the St. Clair River. July 30, 2013 – Every time dredging widened and deepened the hole at the bottom of the lakes, the federal government was supposed to engineer a fix to maintain water levels — but it never did.

»Read Full Article (39) Some see giant wind farms on Great Lakes' horizon Heribert Proepper A service vessel steers between offshore windmills set up in the North Sea, miles off the coast of Denmark. Some predict that large wind projects will be developed on the Great Lakes as well. Dec. 7, 2008 – Energy experts say Great Lakes winds are primed to be harvested as renewable energy, but will the public trade pristine vistas for forests of spinning fiberglass blades? »Read Full Article City of Superior is at center of a great debate Tom Lynn A bird’s-eye view of the Murphy Oil refinery in Superior. Murphy Oil is considering a massive expansion of its operations there, pitting protectors of the Great Lakes against advocates of development. Dec. 6, 2008 – Oil refining in the Great Lakes region has become a particularly thorny issue, and the industry is bound to get bigger with the arrival of new pipelines carrying Canadian tar sands crude.

»Read Full Article Great Lakes region can learn from Atlanta March 23, 2008 – The Southeast is in the midst of a drought so severe some have been putting bowls under their air conditioners to capture the condensation dribble, and cities as big as Atlanta have stared down the prospect of literally running out of drinking water. »Read Full Article Water pressures divide a Great Lake state Tom Lynn Managing the waters of Lake Michigan, and all of the Great Lakes, is becoming one of the most critical challenges of the new century. Nov. 23, 2003 – Fresh water is in short supply in many Milwaukee-area communities. Tap into Lake Michigan, right? Wrong. An invisible line divides those who can use the Great Lakes from those who can't touch a drop. »Read Full Article Tale of 2 cities reveals water's impact Tom Lynn Downtown Lowell remains a quiet economic backwater, in part because the northwest Indiana city, located just outside the Great Lakes basin, has not been allowed to replace its tainted water with Lake Michigan water. Nov.

30, 2003 – Struggling with tainted water, the southeastern Wisconsin community of Pleasant Prairie and the northwestern Indiana town of Lowell both sought permission to tap Lake Michigan water. Pleasant Prairie got it; Lowell did not. »Read Full Article Waukesha fights for a share of Lake Michigan's water Waukesha fights for a share of Lake Michigan's water <iframe src="" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="240px"></iframe> Copy Close Waukesha, Wisconsin, wants to tap Lake Michigan for its water supply. - Jeffrey Phelps My hometown of Waukesha, Wisconsin, used to be famous for its refreshing, clear spring water. In the late 19th century, people flocked to Waukesha to drink water at mineral springs and hang out at fancy summer resorts and mud baths. But those good water days are past. The water from the city's deepest wells is tainted with radium and salts, so it is looking to ditch those underground wells and permanently get its drinking water from Lake Michigan, 15 miles to the east. That proposal is neither cheap, nor without controversy.

Waukesha’s deep well water exceeds federal limits for radium in drinking water. Radium occurs naturally, but lifetime exposure is a cancer risk. And the deeper you go in the sandstone aquifer underneath the region, the more radium. Waukesha is abiding by a consent order to fix the problem. It's taken temporary steps to address the issue, including using radium filters and blending water from deep wells with radium-free water from shallow wells. But the city says that's not a sustainable solution. It wants to build a pipeline to tap Lake Michigan. Some other radium-challenged communities, including Green Bay, have done just that. “Really, it’s a no-brainer of a decision,” says Dan Duchniak, general manager of the Waukesha Water Utility. “The Great Lakes is the best, most reliable and only reasonable alternative for the city of Waukesha.” Certainly it’s the simplest and most direct solution. But Waukesha would be the first city outside the Great Lakes basin to apply for Great Lakes water under a restrictive law called the Great Lakes Compact, signed in 2008.

The compact was enacted, in part, out of fears that drought-prone cities in the Southwest might someday make a bid for Great Lakes water. So the compact’s framers made it difficult for cities beyond the Great Lakes basin to use water from the lakes, even cities as nearby as Waukesha. “We have had some unbelievable policy and big programs designed to move water great distances, and now we’re starting to see there are problems with that,” says Peter McAvoy, counsel for the Great Lakes Compact Implementation Coalition, a watchdog group. Under the compact, Waukesha has to prove it can’t find a reasonable alternative to Lake Michigan closer to home. All eight Great Lakes states, from Minnesota to New York, have to sign off on Waukesha’s diversion request. Two Canadian provinces, Quebec and Ontario, are allowed to comment. Eric Ebersberger, chief of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ water-use section, says the burden of proof is heavy.“The administration here has been very clear that this should be very difficult,” Ebersberger says. “It should be difficult to prove up an application for a diversion.” The city has already imposed water conservation measures.

It would build a second pipeline to return the water to the lake after it's treated. The amount of water it's asking for is relatively trivial, but the state has asked the city for thousands of pages of documentation since Waukesha applied five years ago. Not surprisingly, politics has also delayed the process. At first Waukesha wanted to buy the water from Milwaukee, but the two cities couldn't strike a deal. Peter Annin, author of “The Great Lakes Water Wars,” says underlying tension between Milwaukee and Waukesha counties played a role. “The citizens of Milwaukee say, if you want to use Lake Michigan water, move to our great city and use it. We don’t want to see it leaving town and contributing to sprawl in the suburbs," Annin says. Waukesha has since struck a deal to buy Lake Michigan water from Oak Creek, a Milwaukee suburb. But the city’s plans have ignited debate about what it means for a city to keep its water consumption within set limits. There's a persistence suspicion that Waukesha is designing its water plan to support continued economic growth, because its application asks for more water than the city currently uses and anticipates the need to supply water to areas outside of current borders.

“Their own studies show that they’re talking about industrial and business growth,” says McAvoy of the watchdog group. “Is that reasonable? Will that come at the expense of other communities in the Great Lakes?” Waukesha officials say the compact isn't in place to limit growth. But it does require water applicants to account for future growth. And the city doesn't want to underestimate, its officials say, especially in the middle of an economic recovery. Waukesha Mayor Shawn Reilly says there isn't that much more land available for development anyway. "Development that happens in Waukesha is not a zero-sum game, where we take it away from Milwaukee," he says. Some environmental groups have urged the city to consider drilling more shallow wells, along with stricter water conservation and higher water rates. They have also urged the city to consider riverbank inducement wells or a wastewater recycling plant. The city has ruled out many alternatives as either too short-term, environmentally problematic or too expensive. They also point out that levels in the deep aquifer have rebounded modestly in the last decade, a change that probably won't solve the city's problem but may complicate its diversion request.

Doug Cherkauer, a hydrogeologist at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, says Waukesha's solution is "easy and direct" – so he understands why Waukesha chose it. “But the ultimate solution in the case of Waukesha and nationally is to treat our wastewater to the point that it’s not contaminated anymore," he says. "That’s technologically possible now. It’s not cheap.” However Waukesha ends up fixing its water problem won’t be cheap. Duchniak, the utility manager, expects water rates to double, if not triple, in the future. Paul Vrakas, 87, a former mayor, says city leaders in the 1970s and 1980s thought water was “a bottomless pit.” Now he thinks otherwise. “We’ve lived in our country with these important things that we need in our lives being very cheap,” Vrakas says. “Well, we’re going to have to spend more money on that important stuff than on an extra pair of jeans, do you know what I’m saying?” Follow Sarah Gardner at @RadioGardner . Sarah Gardner Sarah Gardner is a reporter with Marketplace's Sustainability Desk.

Her past projects include “We Used To Be China,” “Coal Play,” “Consumed,” “The Next American Dream,” “Jobs of the Future,” and “Climate Race,” among others. Sarah began her career at Marketplace as a...

Question: On which of the Great Lakes does the city of Milwaukee lie?
Answer: Michigan