On the face of earth, fresh water makes for about 0.01% of the entire world water, fostering millions of different species. The survival of such a unique biodiversity depends on the conservation and survival of fresh water lands. Human demand for fresh water is continuously increasing in contemporarily with human pollution. The situation is somewhat alarming considering that fresh waters are slowly witnessing a decline in biodiversity. From overexploitation to flow modification or the degradation of the habitat, the survival of many species is at risk. At the centre of North America, Lake Superior is the largest fresh water lake in the world by surface and the third one by volume. This lake’s governance is divided between the United States and one Canadian Province; these regions control the water levels, pollution, fishery activity and the tracking of water species. The natural ecosystem of the lake is endangered, fresh water lands need to be preserved at all costs if not our economy will suffer greatly.
The lake suffers from a low productivity and therefore cannot support a fish population as large as the other lakes. “Its small watershed relative to its size and depth, geological youth (only roughly 10, 000 years old since the last ice age), and lack of well-developed soils all contribute to its low productivity” (Source: http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/superior/overview). The ecosystem of the lake suffers from contaminants and abusive land uses. Contaminants like mercury or toxaphere are damaging and polluting the water of the lake. In addition, the cold temperature of the Lake is also partly responsible for the lack of nutrients found in the water, causing the natural food chain on this lake very fragile.
The Lake Superior Binational Forum
The Lake Superior Binational forum is composed of Canadians and Americans working in carious fields from tourism, to health or academics. The goal of this association is to serve as a platform forum for constructive debates, discussions and project creation all directed towards the safeguarding of Lake Superior. This forum is part of a larger program called the Lake Superior Binational Program to Restore and Protect the Lake Superior Basin in agreements with the Canadian and American government. “The program is focused on the entire ecosystem of Lake Superior, its air, land water, human life and wild life” (Source: http://www.superiorforum.org/). Environment Canada and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provide the funding for all these conservation activities.
Bacteria and Microbial Contaminants
At various occasion, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has had to post advisories at more than one occasion at the Lake Superior’s Minnesota beaches because of an alarming level of bacteria in the water. Thanks to funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the MPCA started monitoring the bacteria level of these beaches since 2003. “The vast majority of bacteria in streams and lakes are ‘good’ bacteria. The do no cause diseases and are necessary for healthy ecosystems to function properly”(Source: http://www.lakesuperiorstreams.org/understanding/impact_bacteria.html). Yet, some of the bacteria can cause serious disease or illness and when the amount of such problematic bacteria rises human beings should avoid all contact with the water of the lake. In most cases, the disease causing organism, or pathogens, are consequences of untreated human waste or feces. Two of the most famous bacteria are coliforms and E. coli, that live in the intestines of animals and humans. The American Environmental Protection Agency has established a comprehensive guide of standards in order to monitor beaches and to implement regular water testing.
Fresh waters all over the world are a golden mine heritage that needs to be preserved, “if trends in human demands for water remain unaltered and species losses continue at current rates, the opportunity to conserve much of the remaining biodiversity in fresh water will vanish before the decades end in 2015” (Source: http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=434899). Often those precious wetlands are highly disputed by various stakeholders with contrasting interests that often fail to remember that this precious fresh water is NOT unlimited and before they come up with business schemes to exploit natural resources, they should figure out a long-term conservation plan for lakes such as the Lake Superior.
