What's New EDITORIAL: Clean and healthy The Cornwall Standard Freeholder (7/7) Friends of the St. Clair held a press conference last week to talk about protecting the lakes. At that event, it was said the price tag to clean up the lakes could hit $26 billion. But the return on that investment could be a staggering $75 billion.
Canada, U.S. increasingly at odds over pollution issues The Detroit News (6/27) DTE Energy's power plants along the St. Clair River are generating more than just electricity these days. The twin plants, which sit within sight of the Canadian shore about 20 miles south of Port Huron, are churning up legal heat over mercury emissions, too.
Overview Located between lakes Huron and Erie, Lake St. Clair is the smallest lake in the Great Lakes system. Heart-shaped and shallow (averaging only 10 feet/3 meters deep), the lake requires periodic dredging to ensure bottom clearance for large ships. The northeastern portion of Lake St. Clair is an extensive delta system, the largest within the Great Lakes. The Michigan portion of the delta has been urbanized, while Ontario has set aside much of the wetlands as the Walpole Indian Reservation. Wetland loss from urban and recreational encroachment continues to be a problem on the U.S. side; and in Ontario, many of the wetland areas have been wiped out by agricultural drainage.
Great Lakes Surface Environmental Analysis NOAA, Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) A map using NOAA satellite data to show recent water temperatures of the Great Lakes.
Historical Data - Lake St. Clair U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Detroit District The Army Corps provides current and historic data on the Great Lakes, including yearly water levels from 1918, monthly storm probability, outflows and precipitation.
Lake St. Clair: Its Current State and Future Prospects (pdf) Great Lakes Commission and U.S. EPA, GLNPO This conference report (pdf, large file) includes an environmental overview of Lake St. Clair; background on the conference; findings and recommendations from the conference discussions; and detailed abstracts of the conference presentations.
Lake St. Clair: Watershed Profile U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Surf Your Watershed Includes watershed indicators, places that share the watershed, maps, and current and historical water data.
Programs Lake St. Clair / St. Clair River Comprehensive Management Plan U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District and the Great Lakes Commission This Congressionally-authorized plan will evaluate the causes of environmental stress to Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River; review existing management activities, determine management goals; and develop recommendations for restoration and protection measures.
Activities of the Central Great Lakes Bi-National Lake Sturgeon Group U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Lake sturgeon are the only sturgeon species endemic to the Great Lakes basin and are the largest freshwater fish in the basin. Although populations are estimated to be about 1 percent of their former abundance, some level of self-sustainability remains in the St. Clair waterway.
Flow Modeling Study of the St. Clair - Detroit River Waterway U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Michigan District This study will identify likely sources of water to public supply intakes and provide a basis for planning emergency responses to contaminant spills. See also: Fact sheet (pdf).
Lake Erie Committee Great Lakes Fishery Commission The committee considers fishery issues of common concern, develops joint programs and research projects and serves as a forum for management agencies. Includes Lake St. Clair, and the St. Clair and Detroit rivers.
St. Clair River Remedial Action Plan Environment Canada Primarily polluted by the shipping industry, the St. Clair River forms the uppermost portion of the corridor between lakes Huron and Erie, serving as a connecting channel from Lake Huron to Lake St.Clair.
Visualization of Drifting Buoy Deployments on St. Clair River USGS Surface-water quality and flow Modeling Interest Group In October 2000, drifting buoys were deployed to help investigate flow characteristics near public water intakes in 10 reaches of the St. Clair River, a connecting channel of the Great Lakes between Lake Huron and Lake St. Clair.
Tourism The Great Lakes Circle Tour Ride along on the 6,500-mile Great Lakes Circle Tour: a scenic, international road system connecting the five Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River! For new visitors to the region, this online travel guide offers informational maps, road routes and estimated mileages, and links to major cities, camping and recreation areas, and natural attractions.
The Lake St. Clair Network This site is a one-stop, information hub for the lake community around Lake St. Clair and its adjoining waterways. You'll find navigational charts for the surrounding waterways, marine forecasts, boating services information, and several boating related forums.