{"Bibliographic":{"Title":"Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory","Authors":"","Publication date":"1985","Publisher":""},"Administrative":{"Date created":"08-17-2023","Language":"English","Rights":"CC 0","Size":"0000025907"},"Pages":["GB\n1627\nGLERL\n.G8\nG74\n1985\nGREAT LAKES\nENVIRONMENTAL\nRESEARCH LABORATORY\nC If I\nOF\nSTATES of\nU.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE\nNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration\nOffice of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research\nEnvironmental Research Laboratories\nGreat Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory\nAnn Arbor, Michigan\nA Program Focused On The Great Lakes\nBut With Wide General Applications To Lake And Estuarine:\nnatural hazards forecasting\nmanagement of water supply and water quality\ndevelopment of ecosystem management strategies\nfisheries management\nwater transportation","G13\n1627\nG8\n74\n\"The Great Lakes constitute an intricate freshwater ecosystem\n1985\nunparalleled in this world. They are of enormous geographical, spatial\nand temporal dimensions considering the extent of their drainage basins,\nwater volumes and hydraulic retention times. The largest of these lakes\nis Superior with a basin and lake area of 209,789 square kilometers\n(81,000 square miles) and a hydraulic retention time of 183 years. The\nsmallest is Lake Erie with a basin and lake area of 84,149 square\nkilometers (32,490 square miles) and a hydraulic retention time of 2.8\nyears. Approximately 30 percent of Canada's population and 20 percent\nof the United States' live in the Great Lakes basin and utilize its\nresources. Urbanization, industrialization and deforestation in the\nbasin have caused environmental problems, particularly in the lower\nlakes, Erie and Ontario. These lakes have become polluted by a wide\nvariety of industrial, municipal and agricultural wastes. The pollution\nhas adversely affected water quality and aquatic resources.\nThe complexity of these issues warrants a large amount of research\nspecific to the Great Lakes. If research is not adequate, it will be\ndifficult to identify problems, understand the cause-effect\nrelationships, predict ecosystem responses or behaviour, and ultimately\nimprove the management of the Great Lakes. It is important to detect as\nearly as possible subtle changes in water quality. Once problems have\nbecome obvious, solutions and recovery may take decades. If the problem\nis irreversible, recovery may never occur.\" \"\n1982 Annual Report\nGreat Lakes Research Review\nGreat Lakes Science Advisory Board\nReport to the International Joint Commission\nNovember, 1982\nWindsor, Ontario\nLIBRAR","30,000 chemicals produced or used here (over 900\n33% of nation's hazardous wastes generated here\nsubstances transported in U.S. move in region\n825 ma for municipal or industrial dischargers\nHeavy sedimentation (47 million metric tons\nCirculation suspends and mixes inputs\nGREAT LAKES BASIN DRAINAGE BOUNDARIES\nDDT's effect on Great Lakes wildlife\nPCB contamination first found here\nSynthetic Industrial Pesticides\nidentified in lake environment)\n25% (1 billion tons) of hazardous\nSame water retained a long time\nOrganic compounds\nof shoreline sediment /year)\nLarge lakefront populations\nIndustrial concentrations\nHeavy metals Phosphorus\n40 60 80 100\ninitiated national ban\nSTATUTE MILES\nPENNSYLVANIA\nLAKE ONTARIO\nNEW YORK\nSediment\n20\nSOURCE: GAO\no\n20\nLEGEND\nPOLLUTION SIGNAL FOR NATION\nESPECIALLY VULNERABLE\nPOLLUTION POTENTIAL\nMAJOR POLLUTANTS\nTO POLLUTION\nGEORGIAN\nBAY\nST. CLAIR\nONTARIO\nLAKE\\HURON\nRIVER\nOHIO\nST. MARYS\nRIVER\nMICHIGAN\nINDIANA\nMICHIGAN\nLAKE SUPERIOR\nILLINOIS\nWISCONSIN\nThe Great Lakes Basin\nwithdrawn by residents and industry\n2.5 million acres of water usable for\n1,270 mile-long water transportation\n491,000 acres of shoals and wetlands\n95% of the nation's fresh water\n45 billion gallons of water/day\n20% of the world's fresh water\nroute for 200,000,000 tons\n50 species of commercial fish\nDrinking water for 70% of the\nMINNESOTA\nimportant to wildlife\n3,470 miles of shoreline\n50% U.S. heavy industry\nregion's population\n5500 acres of beaches\n15% U.S. population\nof goods/year\nTHE GREAT LAKES\nrecreation\nProvide\nHave","GREAT LAKES ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LABORATORY (GLERL)\nGLERL, established by NOAA in 1974 in Ann Arbor, MI, conducts research on the\nphysics, chemistry, and biology of the Great Lakes and their connecting channels\nto improve understanding of environmental processes, to develop more precise sci-\nentific information and prediction, and to assist in solving problems in lake\nresource management, water-related activities, and environmental services. It is\na multidisciplinary Federal research laboratory with a productive track record.\nGLERL has close working relationships and cooperative research projects with both\nUnited States and Canadian agencies and universities.\nRESEARCH FOCUS\no\n- Water Quality - Toxic chemicals and nutrient overenrichment impacting water\nquality, including: drinking water, the $160 million commercial and $1 billion\nsport fisheries of the Great Lakes, and water-contact recreation.\n- Water use and Management - Lake hydrology, specifically lake and river ice\nforecasting, is of major importance to shipping. Also, lake level forecasting,\nof great concern to shoreline property owners, shipping, engineering and\nhydropower interests, addresses consumptive use issue.\n- Physical Limnology and Hazards - Natural hazards such as waves, storm surges,\nflooding, ice, and chemical spills.\nFUNDING\n- FY 1985 budget is $3.8 million, 68 FTE employees.\n- Eliminated in Administration's budgets in FY '83, '84, '85, and '86; restored\nby Congress in FY '83, '84, and '85.\n- GLERL will close at end of FY '85 unless Congress restores FY '86 funding.\nUSERS OF GLERL RESEARCH include NOAA, EPA, Fish and Wildlife Service, Corps of\nEngineers, Coast Guard, St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, Great Lakes\nCommission, International Joint Commission, State agencies, local governments,\nindustry, universities, and the general public.\nIMPORTANCE OF GLERL TO REGION AND TO CANADIAN-UNITED STATES RELATIONS\n- GLERL constitutes largest, by far, Federal research presence on the Great Lakes.\n- GLERL provides very active advisory service of economic and scientific infor-\nmation to private sector groups and individuals.\n- The eight Great Lakes State governments do not have the financial resources or\nmanagement and coordination mechanisms to replace the GLERL research and\nadvisory programs.\n- GLERL is the only remaining United States research entity on the Great Lakes\nwith a Federal focus to complement the large Canadian Great Lakes research\neffort.\n- The Canadian Government has formally registered its concern through diplomatic\nnotes in 1983 and 1984 that the Administration's proposed budget reductions\naffecting Great Lakes research, including the elimination of GLERL vitiates the\n1978 Canada-United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.\n- The 1000-mile international border that Lakes Superior, Huron, Erie, and\nOntario constitute has historically been a prime concern of the International\nJoint Commission (IJC), formed to carry out the 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty.\nThe IJC has responsibility for coordinating implementation of the 1978 Water\nQuality Agreement. The Water Quality Board and other boards of the IJC depend\non GLERL as the remaining U.S. research presence in the region.","GLERL Activities\nExperimental and Theoretical Research\n6LERL LARGE BASIN RUNOFF MODEL\nAPPLIED TO LAKE SUPERIOR\n5.0\n4.5\nACTUAL = OPEN / MODEL = SOLID\n4.0\n3.5\n3.0\n2.5\n20\n15\n10\n0.6\n00\n1972\n1973\n1974\n1975\n1976\n1977\n1978\nYear\nWater Quality (Toxic Contaminants and Nutrient Overenrichment)\n- movement, behavior, and fate of contaminants\nnatural VS. anthropogenic pollutant inputs: nutrient overenrichment\n-\nparticulate matter fluxes and early sediment diagenesis\n-\n- effects of pollutants: ecosystem dynamics; bioaccumulation; and trophic\ntransfer\n- food chain interactions and biological energy transformations\ndevelopment of management strategies using optimization, risk assessment, and\n-\nuncertainty analysis techniques\nWater Quantity\n- hydrologic cycle and river flow\n- lake and river levels - responses to natural and anthropogenic perturbations\n- impact of consumptive use VS. diversion\nHazards\n- wind waves, basin runoff, and flooding\n- ice formation and movement\n- currents and sedimentation patterns\n- spill models: prediction of dispersion and transport","RORA\nGreat Lakes Ice-Atlas\nDissemination of Scientific and Technical Products and Information\n- FY '84: 4200 scientific, technical, and information products in response to\n2000 specific requests\nAssist Resource Managers with Applications of GLERL Products\nGLERL Computer-Based Models\naccessible to outside users by direct communications with GLERL computer\n-\navailable for transfer to outside users for implementation on their computer\n-","Waste Disposal\nPower generation, industry, and waste disposal are among the users dependent on\nwater supply and are thus found concentrated in coastal areas. Although dependent\non water supply, these activities also may affect water quality by discharging\npollutants such as toxic organics and excess nitrogen and phosphorous. Since the\nGreat Lakes contain over 800 ma jor municipal or industrial dischargers and receive\nover 20 billion gallons of waste per day, the potential for contamination of the\nGreat Lakes is especially great. Water quality and sediment studies conducted by\nGLERL provide information required for the management of activities affecting the\nquality of the Great Lakes and other water resources of the U.S.","Toxic Trophics: The Vicious Circle\nHumans\nSynthetic Organics\nSalmon\nAlewife\nAlgae\nZooplankton\nOver 30,000 chemicals are produced in the Great Lakes basin, and the use of toxic\nsynthetic organic chemicals for pest and weed control increased substantially there\nduring the 1970's. As of early 1985, over 900 of these chemicals have been found in\nthe Great Lakes. Chemical contaminants such as PCB's are deposited in lakes and\nrivers, where they adhere to suspended particles such as biological debris.\nIngestion of contaminant-laden particles by tiny aquatic organisms can then result\nin accumulation of the contaminant within these organisms and passage up the food\nchain to fish and humans. Research at GLERL includes identifying and modeling the\nsources, sinks, and pathways of synthetic organics within the aquatic environment\nand determining the degree of transfer up the food chain. This type of information\nis critical nationwide for the management of important commercial and recreational\nfisheries, as well as for public health considerations.","Fate and Recycling of Toxics\n(PCB's, DDT,...)\nAtmospheric Deposition\nCurrents\nResuspension\nSedimentation\nBottom\nCirculation\nLake Michigan PCB Budget\n(MT or MT/yr)\nBioturbation\nTributary\nAtmosphere Tributary\n0.3\n1\n0.1\nDissolved\nParticulate\n15\nNet\nResuspension-\n0.1\n0.6\nSummer\nSince toxic chemicals may attach to particles which settle to the bottom,\nsedimentation might appear to cleanse aquatic systems of pollutants. However,\nbottom sediments may be only a temporary repository. Bottom currents redistribute\nor resuspend sediments, allowing more time for contaminants to re-enter the water\ncolumn. Bottom-dwelling (benthic) organisms disaggregate the sediment while feeding\nand burrowing, making it more susceptible to resuspension. Some burrowing organisms\neven act like verticle conveyor belts and transfer deeper sediments to the\nsurface. In this way pollutants may accumulate in the benthic organisms and re-\nenter the food chain. GLERL scientists are conducting experiments to measure and\nmodel such processes. For example, GLERL has developed models of PCB distribution\nin Lake Michigan and found that resuspension is a ma jor source of PCB's to the water\ncolumn in winter.","Water Quality\nThe Great Lakes support a $160 million/year commercial fishery as well as a $1\nbillion /year sport fishery. There are fifty commercial species of fish, such as\nlake trout, chub, alewife, and yellow perch, while recreational fisheries include\nprimarily coho salmon, chinook salmon, and lake trout. The success and management\nof the fisheries in the Great Lakes and other aquatic systems is dependent on water\nquality information. The Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory studies the\neffects of water quality and other factors on living resources in order to predict\nthe effects of man-induced changes on aquatic ecosystems.","Water Quality and Ecosystem Management\nLake Trout and\nSalmon Increase\nAlewife\nDecline\nZooplankton\nIncrease\nAlgae/Particle\nDecrease\nP\nP\nP\nP\nP\nP\nP\nP\nP\nP\nP\nP\nP\nP\nP\nP\nP\nP\nP\nNutrients\nNutrients\nWater\nClarity\nIncreases\nNutrients such as phosphorus, silicon, and nitrogen are crucial to the growth of the\ntiny plants (phytoplankton) and animals (zooplankton) in aquatic ecosystems. These\norganisms form the base of the food web and thus represent the building blocks which\nsupport commercial and recreational fisheries. However, too much nutrients can\naffect water quality by causing excess growth of algae, which decreases water\nclarity. A common management approach is to improve water clarity by controlling\nnutrients in order to limit the growth of algae. Scientists at GLERL have suggested\nthat there may also be a connection between water clarity and stocking the lakes\nwith large fish for recreational fishing. By increasing the salmon and lake trout,\nthe number of smaller fish such as alewives decreases due to predation by large\nfish. The decrease in smaller fish, which prey on zooplankton, permits the number\nof zooplankton to increase. Finally, since zooplankton then graze on algae and\nparticles, there would be fewer algae and particles, and hence, clearer water.\nThese results demonstrate the kind of critically important ecosystem studies and\nmanagement information which GLERL provides.","Food Chain and Energy Studies\nClassical\nFood\nPyramid\nMan\nFish\nZooplankton\n50% Primary Production\nAlgae\nDue to\nIN\nBacteria-Sized Algae\nBacteria-sized phytoplankton (cyanobacteria) were found to constitute a major, but\npreviously unrecognized, component of the aquatic food chain. During a 1983 field\nexperiment, GLERL scientists found that bacteria-sized phytoplankton were not only\nabundant, but were growing at a rate of two to four cell divisions per day and were\nresponsible for approximately 50% of the total primary production in Lake\nSuperior. In turn, these cyanobacteria appeared to be the primary food for very\nsmall zooplankton (microzooplankton). Studies such as this help fill gaps in our\nunderstanding of aquatic food web relationships and provide the basis for predicting\nfisheries productivity.","Hazards\nThe Great Lakes are bordered by a heavily developed shoreline, including Chicago and\nDetroit. The Great Lakes basin also includes 15% of the U.S. population and 50% of\nthe heavy industry. Communities and industry locate along the coast to take\nadvantage of the water supply and navigable waterway. However, they are in turn\nsusceptible to hazards, such as changes in the lake levels, the effects of winds and\nwaves, and the effects of ice formation and movement. Navigation may be impeded by\nice formation and sediment deposition, particularly in the narrow channels between\nthe lakes. Research at GLERL investigates the physical variables which describe the\nenvironments. GLERL also develops models to provide improved capabilities for\nlake\npredicting lake characteristics important to coastal communities for waste disposal,\npower generation, fisheries management, water supply planning, navigation, and\nhazards mitigation.","Lake Circulation\nWind\nGyre\nSill\nIn the Great Lakes, which receive over 40 million metric tons of new sediment per\nyear from shoreline erosion, information on the fate of sediments is most important\nfor planning dredging activity and navigation. Knowled ge of physical phenomena such\nas water circulation, in turn, is necessary for predicting the transport of\nsediments and sediment-bound pollutants. Information on circulation is also needed\nfor predicting oil spill dispersion and planning search and rescue operations, where\naccurate information on surface currents may make the difference between life and\ndeath. Improved models of lake circulations are being developed and tested at\nGLERL. For example, an oil-spill model for Lake Erie has been developed by GLERL\nand is available to outside users via telephone links to the GLERL computer\nsystem. This model is currently being used by the Coast Guard to predict spill\ntrajectories and to aid in search and rescue activities.","Wave Modelling/Prediction\n86°\n20:00\n1.5\n25:20\n20 Nov 1977\n1.5\n3.0\n2.5\n3.0\n2.0\nLAKE MICHIGAN\n20 Nov. 1977\n2.5\n2.5\n2.5\nKILOMETERS\n20 40 80 80 100\n2\n2.0\n2.0\n1:20\n43\n1.5\n1.5\n1.5\n1.0\n+\nGLERL WIND WAVE MODEL\nRecreational boating and fishing are ma jor uses of inland lakes and waterways. In\nthe Great Lakes, with over 5500 acres of beaches and over 2.5 million acres of water\nuseable for recreation, tourism and recreation together represent a $1 billion per\nyear industry. The safety of the public pursuing these activities is dependent on\nreliable weather forecasts, particularly of winds and waves. Wave activity is\ndependent on the complex interaction of wind speed, direction and duration, and\nfriction between water and land. GLERL has developed a Wind-Wave Model to forecast\nwind-generated waves in the Great Lakes. As shown above, model predictions agreed\nquite well with actual wind and wave data obtained from Lake Michigan. It is\nalready in use by the National Weather Service and has been used over 150 times this\nyear by United States and Canadian weather forecasters, scientists, and university\nstaff, who access it directly on the GLERL computer.","Lake Levels and Basin Runoff\nCoastline structures may be damaged or destroyed by high lake levels, such as these\ntennis courts north of Chicago. Thus predictions of water supplies, lake levels and\nbasin runoff are necessary for shoreline development as well as management of water\nresources, waste disposal, power generation, transportation and recreation. The\nGreat Lakes region is particularly dependent on accurate water supply information,\nsince the Great Lakes contain 95% of the nation's surface fresh water supply, and\nprovide some 45 billion gallons of water per day for both municipal and industrial\nuse. (In comparison, New York City's daily requirement is about 1.4 billion gallons\nper day. ) The Large Basin Runoff Model, developed at GLERL, uses physical data to\npredict weekly to monthly basin runoff volumes. The rainfall and runoff data in\nturn are incorporated into the GLERL Hydrologic Response Model, which is used to\ncalculate the water balance and flow for the entire Great Lakes system. These\nmodels may also be applied to other water basins and lakes, such as the Great Salt\nLake, which during 1984-1985 reached a 100-year record high lake level, with an\nestimated economic loss already reaching some $500 million as of March 1985.","Ice Formation\nThe safety and efficiency of commercial shipping rely not only on accurate depth,\nwind and wave information, but also on forecasts of ice conditions. More accurate\nice forecasting would allow better planning for the length of the shipping season,\nand potentially increased profits for industry. This is especially important for\nthe Great Lakes, which provides a 1270-mile waterway for the transport of about 175\nmillion tons of bulk commodities per year. In addition, knowledge of ice properties\nand conditions is valuable for the design and siting of coastal structures,\nshoreline erosion management, and power generation. GLERL conducts ice studies to\nprovide improved information on ice formation, movement, extent, and break-up. For\ninstance, the Ice Atlas produced by GLERL in 1984 shows seasonal changes in ice\ncover of the Great Lakes and is already a standard reference on the subject.","Connecting Channels\nCHART DATUM 5717 1174\n0\nLAKE ST. CLAIR\nWATER LEVEL\nTHE ST. CLAIR RIVER, WINTER 1984\nWater supply in the Great Lakes is affected by ice formation, particularly in the\nnarrow connecting channels between the lakes. GLERL's continued development of the\nHydrologic Response Model for the Great Lakes includes improving the representation\nof the effects of winter conditions and ice cover on water supply. In 1984, a\nrecord ice jam on the St. Clair River blocked shipping and produced a severe drop in\nthe water level in Lake St. Clair, due to the damming effect. The GLERL Hydrologic\nResponse Model was used to predict the impact this ice jam might have on lake levels\nand flows. The Army Corps of Engineers also made significant use of GLERL Ice\nForecasting Techniques for the St. Mary's River.","National Applicability\nThe processes that determine water quality are similar in the oceans\nand in fresh water bodies. Thus, while management of toxic\ncontamination and other water quality issues clearly vary from site to\nsite, studies by GLERL on these processes may be applied to national\nwater quality problems.\nThe management of all fisheries resources relies on knowledge of both\nthe natural and man-made factors which affect the food chain. Thus\ninformation provided by GLERL on the variables affecting Great Lakes\norganisms can help predict the effects of human activities on fisheries\nin other lakes and waterways.\nThe increasing demand for fresh water continues to expand beyond state\nand even national borders. Models of water supply and lake level such\nas those developed by GLERL are considered for use on other lakes and\ndrainage basins, such as the Great Salt Lake.\nGLERL conducts studies on physical hazards such as winds, waves, and\nice conditions. Those hazards exist nationwide and GLERL results can\nbe useful to other coastal developments that experience these\nconditions.","International\nThe Great Lakes are shared by both the United States and Canada, so\nthat much of the data on the Great Lakes is used internationally. The\nactivities at GLERL support international research planning and\nmanagement programs. For instance:\nThe International Joint Commission (IJC), a six-member commission of\nUnited States and Canadian representatives, was established in response\nto the 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty. GLERL staff are very active in a\nwide variety of IJC committees and boards, such as the Levels and Flows\nAdvisory Board, the Surveillance Subcommittee, and the Task Force on\nModeling.\nThe implementation of the 1978 Water Quality Agreement between the\nUnited States and Canada is coordinated by the IJC. Under the 1978 Water\nQuality Agreement, research is to be oriented toward water quality\nresearch priorities identified by the Science Advisory Board. Research\nconducted at GLERL in the areas of toxic organics, nutrient and ecosystem\ndynamics, and water supply modeling provides support toward fulfillment\nof the Water Quality Agreement. GLERL also provides the principal U.S.\nresearch presence in the Great Lakes.\nUnder the 1978 Water Quality Agreement, GLERL staff participate in a\nnumber of United States-Canadian cooperative studies. For instance,\nGLERL has recently become involved in the interagency and international\nstudy on water quality in the upper Great Lakes connecting channels.\nGLERL scientists also participate actively in the International\nAssociation for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR).\nThe Great Lakes Charter was established among the United States states\nand Canadian provinces bordering the Great Lakes in response to concern\nabout consumptive uses and diversions of water from the Great Lakes.\nGLERL would be expected to provide information on the effects of such\nactivities on the Great Lakes.","Information Services\nSediment Trap Design, Deployment, and Recovery Techniques.\nUsers: Coastal Studies Institute, Louisiana State University;\nUniversity of Michigan; Argonne National Laboratory; National Water\nResearch Institute; Inland Waters Directorate; and Canada Centre for\nInland Waters\nDynamic Mixing Model for Sediment Tracer Distribution.\nUsers: Case Western Reserve University and Pacific Marine\nEnvironmental Laboratory, NOAA\nSedimentation Estimation Methods.\nUsers: University of Michigan, University of Indiana, University of\nMinnesota, Electric Power Research Institute, and Canada Centre for\nInland Waters\nWater Column Sediment Monitoring Procedures.\nUser: IJC\nLarge Basin Runoff Models.\nUsers: IJC, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and consulting engineers\nClimatic Water Balance Models.\nUser: Atmospheric Environment Service-Canada\nWater Supply Forecasting Procedure.\nUsers: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and IJC\nLow-Level Radiometric Measurements for Sedimentation Studies.\nUser: Pacific Marine Instrumentation Laboratories\nAutoradiographic Measurements.\nUser: University of Michigan\nLipid Analysis in Small Samples.\nUser: University of Michigan\nLake Ontario Phytoplankton Model.\nUser: University of Minnesota\nNutrient Measurement.\nUsers: University of Michigan, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and\nU.S. EPA\nImproved Wind Direction Measuring Instruments for Shipboard Applications.\nUser: R.M. Young Co.\nWave Forecast Model.\nUsers: NWS, Canada Centre for Inland Waters, U.S. Army Corps of\nEngineers, and University of Michigan\nImproved Hazardous Spill Model.\nUsers: U.S. Coast Guard, NWS, and University of Michigan\nCommercial Fishing Zone Area Calculations.\nUser: NOAA Sea Grant"]}