(Welcome back Senator Anderson! - promoted by wizardkitten)
(Today, October 15th, bloggers around the web will unite to speak to one single important issue. That issue is the environment. Every blogger will post about the environment in their own way, relating it to their own individual causes. The purpose of this day is to focus on one topic with everyone participating in ideas on building a better future.)
 Michigan made national headlines this past week when presidential candidate, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson to the alarm of Michiganders, suggested a national water policy that included the Great Lakes States "sharing" water with drier states. Like all states, Michigan's economy and quality of life depend on those natural resources. Water is a fundamental part of our most important industries--agriculture, tourism, utilities, and manufacturing--shipping that water away would be short sighted, economically and environmentally.
In Michigan, we are blessed by an abundance of lakes, rivers and groundwater, and we take our responsibility to manage our water seriously. While we are literally surrounded by water, we cannot take it for granted. The Great Lakes hold 95 % of the nation's freshwater supply, and 20% of the world's freshwater supply. If we don't take steps to manage our water, then other thirsty states, and even other countries, will manage it for us. As population growth continues in the West and the South, their political clout will only increase, as will their demand for water.
Water has always been thought of as a renewable resource. We have always operated from the idea that for every gallon we took, another gallon would be there to replace it. However, the magnitude of water that the drier parts of the country would take from us is not replaceable. This would result in huge economic losses and environmental catastrophe. But that is not what Richardson and others are proposing.
In 2001, Michigan signed the Great Lakes Charter and the 2001 Annex, which is an agreement between Michigan and the other Great Lakes states and provinces to create water withdrawal legislation. The charter contains an agreement on registration requirements for use of more than 100,000 gallons per day and permitting requirements for withdrawals greater than two million gallons per day. This would be a crucial first step toward better water resource management. |
| This is not just a matter of principle. We need other states' cooperation to protect the Great Lakes, otherwise we will suffer. If we expect other states to do their part to help protect our water resources, then we have to live up to our word and fulfill the commitments we have made. Many insist that more research is necessary before it would be wise to make decisions about that water, but with southwestern states chomping at the bit to take our water, we need to have a policy in place.
Governor Richardson's comments this past week simply underscored the need for us to ratify a pending compact that would outlaw most diversions of water from the region.
At first, the most immediate threats to our water supply came from communities in neighboring states that are near the Great Lakes but are outside the Great Lakes Basin. Pleasant Prairie and Waukesha, Wisconsin, Akron, Ohio and Lowell, Indiana have all applied for permits to withdraw water from the Great Lakes. These projects would permanently divert water out of the lakes. And now, water withdrawal has entered the presidential race.
Across the Great Lakes there are signs of problems. Water levels have fallen across the upper Great Lakes since the late 1990s. Lake Superior's level in September was the lowest on record for that month. We are already experiencing economic losses due to lost capacity for shipping and less recreation boating. Mining operations in Monroe County pumped out massive amounts of groundwater and disrupted the water supplies of nearby residents.
Home wells have run dry because groundwater in certain areas has been overused, yet some officials are waiting for more research? This is simply a delay tactic on the part of a few who are choosing to represent the narrow interests of the water bottling and other industries. It would be decades before research could produce an exact picture of the state's groundwater. We have a good picture now. It is clear that a problem exists, and it is the state's job to help correct that problem.
If we want to grow and prosper in the 21st century, we must secure our water resources. Careful management of our water supply is crucial to economic growth. Our water is a fundamental part of our most important industries: agriculture, tourism, utilities, and manufacturing. We need consistent, fair rules for water withdrawals that will guarantee a dependable water supply for these industries. Management of natural resources does not impair economic growth. In fact, sustained prosperity requires sound management of our resources. If we take action, we can secure a stable water supply for the future.
UPDATE: Today Gov. Richardson retracted his original statement about Great Lakes water withdrawals. This is certainly welcome news, but there is clearly still a need to protect our state's precious natural resources. |
