As we ventured into the seemingly untouched expanses of the upper Peninsula something seemed a miss. We strolled the beach in Mackinac city, in the shadow of the great mackinac bridge, something seemed off. As we went to sand dune beach and then strolled the shores in Naubinway, I couldn’t help but notice that things were very different. The water was as clear in spots as the Caribbean Sea. Crystal clear and beautiful, you could see to the bottom for many many yards out.
Also changed were the expanse of beaches. Where beaches once sloped 50 yards out from the brush covered dunes, now in places, there was no beach at all. The water had climbed higher than I had ever seen. Much of the southern Peninsula’s shores were almost a 2 foot catwalk of sand. The waves cutting into the dunes leaving a sheer sand cliff and only a few feet of beach. There were many places where the small seashore fur trees were submerged in water.
Seeking some answers
It wouldn’t take long before my inquisitive mind couldn’t help but research the changes I had noticed. On our first day in this pristine land we took a trip down to the local fish market and harbor. We were in search of some local fish. In the process I was hoping to maybe find some clues to the mystery of water level and clarity. The market is magical, an old tin building on the water with old rusty boats bobbing around at the shore line.
Naubinway, though only with a caution light and a few year round businesses, is a major fishing port for the region. The market at the docks sells to the public and we purchased a 5 pound, beautiful, caught this morning, lake trout. As there were no middle men the fish was $8. It’s the kind of place with no set hours it opens as the boats begin to come in and closes as the last of the fish is sold or processed for the day.
Double take
The only person left this afternoon was a young man of 15 who looked like something out of a Mark Twain novel, buttoned up long sleeve shirt, sleeves rolled up, big rubber boots, waders up to his neck and a wide brimmed straw hat with bright red hair piling out from underneath. He was methodical and friendly, though relaxed and absent of urgency. He spoke in a long drawl unlike anything from the south, saying things like, well eh, and yooo betchaaa. We exchanged pleasantries took our beautiful fish and headed to the harbor.
The harbor was surprisingly empty and the only person in sight was the harbor master. He was spraying off the vast leavings of the local geese as we walked towards the piers. I asked if we could look around and he said “of course” he said. “tell your friends, as you can see we don’t get many visitors these days.” There was only one sailboat moored at the harbor and it looked rather depressing.
An invasion of epic proportion
Don’t get me wrong, it was a very beautiful place and had a 60’s summer feel to it, it was just empty. I walked up to the dock and said to no one in particular, “wow the water is amazingly clear”. “Zebra mussels” the harbor master called from a few docks down. “Mussels” I asked. “You can see all the way to the bottom for a mile out” he said ” but do you notice what you don’t see” not quite sure what he was getting at and I think he sensed my confusion so he simply said “fish”.
There has been a terrible thing going on for the last 20 years in both Lake’s Huron and Michigan. I, for one, was completely unaware. It had been 15 years since I last came to these beautiful shores. I was the beginning of an event that has all but destroyed the fisheries of these two Great Lakes. Back then the waters were rich in nutrients, dark and impenetrable. As one would think of a fresh water lake, but now there was nothing. Mussels are rapidly destroying the local habitat at a rate that is astronomical.
Zebra Mussels at work
The Zebra mussel is indigenous to the lakes of southern Russia and was first introduced in the late 90’s in the ballast tanks of transoceanic liners transporting goods from the newly opened up Russian republic. They are so prolific and with few natural predators their populations in Lake Michigan alone has reached into the trillions in a matter of 25 years.
A single mussel can filter all the zooplankton and phytoplankton in a liter of water a day. Current estimates have the entire body of Lake Michigan filtered every 4 to 7 days. Though the water is becoming clear and the beaches are becoming as pristine as tropical areas. This is decimating feeder fish populations and causing federal and state wildlife commissions to reduce stock pulls from the lakes in an effort to replenish populations.
A domino effect
The breakdown of the lower chains in the food web have already seen the king salmon fisheries of Lake Huron collapse to what some fear may be unrecoverable levels. Most of the Great Lake states are working frantically to gain control of the problem. Introducing changes to the fish they stock in these massive waterways to other, less picky eaters. Including different breeds of salmon and rainbow trout. Unfortunately the days of the massive runs of king salmon here may already be a thing of the past.
The other problems are water levels and algae production. As the waters become more and more clear light is able to penetrate much deeper than it once could. The massive beds of mussel fecal matter are causing massive blooms of harmful algae called cladophora. Deathly toxic to birds and other animals, it can also cause illness in humans. It becomes dislodged in giant carpet like mats and washes up on already eroded beaches causing major problems to coastal sea life and further choking out already endangered fish populations.
Efforts Continue
This combined with unprecedented rain amounts of recent years has seen the coasts of these beautiful lakes become endangered themselves. Caused by runaway erosion and contaminated soil. Just a few weeks ago in July Lake’s Michigan and Huron breached their records. Water levels never recorded since Europeans first settled the land some 400 years ago. Major hits to a struggling fishing industry of $7 billion dollars and losses in tourism from disappearing beaches and coastal parks.
The Great Lakes are struggling right now, but there is hope. Major efforts are underway to turn the tied. Michigan State University is working on a zebra mussel eradication project that has seen vast improvements in the last year. The Army Corps of Engineers has recently signed off on a $778 million dollar invasive species prevention program that is currently awaiting congressional approval and areas all over the coast from Detroit to Chicago are working tirelessly to fortify and preserve the beautiful and delicate coastlines of these Great Lakes. I hope all of their efforts pay off, it would be a shame if we were to lose the beautiful and pristine qualities of these our Great Lakes.
