How has/does human activity affect the Great Lakes

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How has/does human activity affect the Great Lakes

Man-Made alterations

Dredging

Dredging is the removal of material from a water environment. Dredging can remove habitats for different creatures in the ocean. It can also cause different chemicals to pollute the water from the machines.

Diversions

Diversions are transfers of water through man-made pipelines or canals. This can cause pollution through the water transfer.

Water withdrawals

Humans are taking water from the Great Lakes and using it for people. Though this is important for the survival of humans, it is still affecting the great lakes.

Pollution

Pesticides

Runoffs from farm chemicals are the big pesticides that are affecting the Great Lakes. Waste from cities also affect the lakes. Discharges from construction areas are affecting wildlife as well.

Heavy Metals

Some heavy metals that affecting the Great Lakes copper, iron, lead, mercury, nickel and zinc. These are all polluting the lakes and killing wildlife.

Chemicals

Chemicals like fire retardants and PBDE affect the lakes. They are a real threat because they never break down and they are both very toxic to humans and ocean life.

Climate change

Water levels changing

This is due to heavy precipitation, snow melt runoff, and people withdrawing water from the lakes.

Invasive species

Purple Loosestrife

It affects lakes by taking over large areas of oceans and beaches/land.

Round Goby

Round Goby are affecting other fish by competing for the same food source. They are affecting the fishing industry by eating there own and other fishes eggs.

Alewife

Alewife are competing with other fish over food sources that are needed for important fish like Salmon.

Asian Carp

They can consume almost half there body weight in food each day. Killing other fish and affecting the fishing industry.

Zebra Mussels

Zebra Mussels are doing many things to affect the Great Lakes. They are dirtying beaches and they are filtering out important algae that animals use as food.