(REVISED JUNE 1968)
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
WAFER POLLUTION CONTROL ADMINISTRATION
GREAT LAKES RiGION
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FOi
JANUARY 1968
(Revised June 1968)
UNITED STATES OF THE
POLLUTION
Great Lakes Region Chicago, Illinois
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CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
TO EDITION........................... II
I INTRODUCTION......................................... i
II DESCRIPTION OF THE BASIN............................. 3
Population........................................ 3
1 ndustry........................................... 4
Commercial Shipping............................... 7
Wate r Resou rces................................... 7
Lake Currents..................................... 9
Water Uses,....................................... 12
III POLLUTION PROBLEMS............................. 2!
Eutroph!cation.................................... 22
Bacterial Pollution,.'.....,...........,,.......... 25
Chem i caI Po! I utIon................................ 27
Oxygen Dep I et i on................................... 28
Electric Power Plants.............................. 29
Wastes from Watercraft............................ 34
Oil Pollution..................................... 34
Disposal of Dredged Material ...................... 36
A1ew i ves.......................................... 43
IV FWPCA ACTIVITIES..................................... 47
Interstate Enforcement Actions..................... 47
Water Quality Standards........................... 47
Great'Lakes-1j I I nois River Basins Project......... 48
The Lake Michigan Diversion Case.................. 49
Construction Grants............................... 50
Program Grants.................................... 51
Research and Demonstration........................ 53
Federal Installations............................. 58
Techn i ca i Ass!stance.............................. 61
Public Information................................ 62
• OF .............................. 63
.......................................... 72
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TO
This document was first issued in January 1968, in advance of
the conference in the matter of pollution of the waters of Lake Michi-
gan and its tributary basin, as further identified In the Introduction
which follows.
To meet the continuing need for copies to provide information
for the many people interested In the subject, the report has been
reprinted in this revised edition.
Principal changes in this revised edition are as follows:
Chapter V, Conclusions and Chapter. VI, Recom-
mended Actions in the original have been deleted
and replaced by the SUMMARY OF CONFERENCE ....,
beginning on page 63 in this edition. This sum-
mary contains the conclusions and -recommendations
unanimously agreed upon by the conferees and
approved by the Secretary of the Interior.
Appendix A In the original edition, consisting
of a 20-page listing of waste treatment facilities
at Federal Installations, has been deleted. Copies
of the list or information about waste treatment at
Federal installations are available upon request to
the FWPCA Regional Office.
The I 1st of References at the end of the report
has been expanded to include three technical papers
presented by Federal Water Pollution Control Admin-
istration scientists at the enforcement conference
and one documentary report issued subsequent to the
conference. Copies of these are also available
upon request to the FWPCA Regional Office.
In the oral presentation of the original report at the con-
ference, attention was called to a water pollution problem not empha-
sized In the report; that is, problems associated with soil erosion
and land runoff resulting In siItation and other detrimental effects
to receiving waters.
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On the basis of a request from Governor Otto Keener of i Ilinois,
dated November 22, 1967, and on the basis of reports, surveys or studies,
and in accordance with Section 10 of the Federal Water Pollution Control
Act (33 USC 466 et seq.), Secretary of the Interior Stewart L. Uda I 1
called a conference in the matter of pollution of the waters of Lake
Michigan and its tributary basin (I I Iinois-lndiana-Michigan-WIsconsin).
The area covered by the conference is shown on Figure I.
The conference is to convene at Chicago, Illinois on January 31,
1968; conferees will be representatives of the Federal Government and
the four States involved.
This report and its supporting documents were prepared for the
information of the conferees and other interested parties, and for use
by the conferees in their consideration of actions needed to improve and
preserve the quality of waters in the conference area. The report is
based on studies and investigations by the Federal Water Pollution Control
Administration, paralleling investigations made through cooperative agree-
ments by other agencies of the Department of the Interior, and information
obtained from other Federal agencies, agencies of the four Lake Michigan
States, municipalities, universities, and others.
The contributions of all who provided assistance and information
are gratefully acknowledged.
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0 25
SCALE IN MILES
N
FIGURE
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POPULATION
Large concentrations of industry and people,, as well as consider-
able agricultural activity, characterize the Lake Michigan watershed. In
I960, approximately 5.5 million people lived within its boundaries. (I)*
Mi I I Ions more Iive in nearby areas, including almost seven mi I I Ion in the
Chicago Metropolitan Area. (2) The population of the watershed has dou-
bled- within the past fifty years and is likely to double again during the
next fifty. (3)
Nearly all the population within the watershed Is accounted for by
the States of Wisconsin,, Michigan, and Indiana, which had watershed popu-
lations of 2.2 million, 2.2 million and 970,000, respectively, in I960.
Although a large part of the seven million people in the Chicago Metro-
politan Area use Lake Michigan for water supply and other purposes, the
population within the watershed In Illinois was only 140,000.
The population around Lake Michigan has doubled
in the past fifty years. Here, bathers enjoy the
surf at a public beach at Grand Haven, Michigan.
^Numbers in parentheses refer to references IIsted at end of report.
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The major metropolitan areas lying entirely or substantially with-
in the watershed are: Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Gary-Hammond-East Chicago,
Indiana; and Lansing, Michigan, which had populations of approximately
1.2 mi i1 ion, 0.6 mi I I ion, and Q.3 mi I 1 ion, respecti vely, in I960. (See
Figure 2) Whereas the population of the watershed increased 22 percent
between 1950 and 1960, the population of the ten metropolitan areas in-
creased 27 percent during the same period. The Gary-Hammond-East Chicago
area had the most rapid rate of growth, increasing by 40 percent. Present
signs indicate that the metropolitan areas will continue to demonstrate
large increases in population, although some smaller areas have had and
are likely to continue to have rapid growth rates.
INDUSTRY
Industrial activity in the watershed is both substantial and di-
versified. Figure 3 shows the principal centers of industrial activity.
in 1963, value added by manufacturing activity totaled almost 10 billion
dollars; manufacturing employed 834,000 people. (4) The.Nation's indus-
trial activity is expected to increase almost sixfold by the year 2020.
For the most part, the Lake Michigan watershed will share in this increase
although different areas and industries will have varying growth rates.
The industrial distribution pattern varies, with Wisconsin' having its
largest concentration in the Milwaukee area, in addition to substantial
activity in the Racine and Kenosha areas. Michigan's industrial activity
is located primarily in the five metropolitan areas of Grand Rapids,
Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Jackson and Lansing. The Gary-Hammond-East Chicago
area accounts for the major part of Indiana's industrial activity in the
watershed, There are major steel and chemical industries in the Calumet
area in 111inois.
The Industrial mix also differs considerably from area to area.
Many of the industries are those requiring large quantities of water and
producing substantial wastes, such as food and beverages, chemicals, paper
products and primary metals. Growth of these industries is expected to be
substantial and to approximate national growth rates. Food and Kindred
Products and Primary Metal Industries are important in the Milwaukee area;
Primary 'Metal Industries, Chemical Products, Petroleum Refining, and
Fabricated Metal Products predominate in the Gary-Hammond-East Chicago
area, with the Primary Metals Industry accounting for about two-thirds of
the area's value added by manufactures. This industry has expanded greatly
in the area in recent years. New facilities provide modern production tech-
niques, in 1963, the Gary-Hammond-East Chicago area accounted for I I.5
percent of the Nation's total of steel rolling and finishing.
Pulp, paper and paperboard mills are numerous in the watershed,
primarily in Wisconsin. In 1963, Wisconsin counties wholly or partially
within the basin had 21 such plants employing over 100 persons in each.
Principal Wisconsin concentrations are along the Fox River and other tribu-
taries to Green Bay. In Michigan, the principal concentration is in
Kalamazoo County.
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KENOSHA
WISCONSIN
ILLINOIS
LEGEND (Population in Thousands) 2j<
~~ ~~
9 50-99
0 100-199
ra Over 700
CE
FIGURE Z
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RACINE\
KENOSHA
'WISCONSIN
ILLINOIS
MICHIGAN
INDIANA i
f
LEGEND
H|) Food and Kindred Products
Paper and Allied Products
Chemicals and Allied Products —
f»| PetroJeum and Coal Products
•Primary Metal Industries
FIGURE 3
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The value of farm products accounted for by counties of the Lake
Michigan watershed totaled over 900 million dollars in 1964. In that
year., there were approximately 2.4 million cattle and calves on water-
shed farms of which 1.4 million were in Wisconsin counties. The pro-
duction of crops, including fruits, is also substantial. In 1964, over
a half million tons or fertilizers were used in their production. 15)
SHIPPING.
The Great Lakes, with their connecting channels and the Wetland
Canal, form a deep-draft navigation chain with a controlling depth of
27 feet,, extending from the west end of Lake Superior to the south end
of Lake Michigan and to the east end of.Lake Ontario at the head of the
St. Lawrence River. There is a 9-foot barge canal connection between
the deep draft Calumet Harbor and River project at the southerly end of
Lake Michigan and the 9-foot Illinois Waterway, which connects with the
Mississippi River inland waterway system.
During the 10-year period (955-1964 annual commerce on the Great
Lakes averaged 190 mii!ion tons. During this period, traffic in four
major commodities, iron ore, coal, stone and grain, comprised about
85 percent of total United States commerce OR the Great Lakes. Commerce
at 27 Federal Harbors on Lake Michigan, excluding Internal, Intraport and
local traffic, totaled 70 million tons in 1964; Calumet Harbor (Illinois}
accounted for approximately 24 million tons, and Indiana Harbor, 18 million
tons. Commerce at 15 private Lake Michigan Harbors totaled 29 mil lion tons,
including 9 million tons at Gary.
A large percentage of total shipments of petroleum products on the
Great Lakes is from Indiana Harbor, Indiana - there are also substantial'
shipments from Muskegon, Michigan. ('6)
WATER
The total drainage area for the Lake Michigan basin Is 67,900 square
miles. Of this, 22,400 square miles are the lake proper. Sixty-four per-
cent of the remaining land area is in the State of Michigan,,, 31 percent Is
in Wisconsin, 5 percent Is in Indiana, and 0.2 percent Is In the State of
Illinois. (7) The Illinois portion does not include the area formerly in
the Lake Michigan watershed, whose drainage has been diverted to the
Illinois watershed for pollution control.
The topography and soils of the Lake Michigan basin have been formed
by several glaciations. The southern portion of the basin Is generally
rolling with glacial moraines being the only prominent hill areas-. The
northern portion exhibits more rugged terrain with frequent rock outcrops.
which cause higher gradients on the streams, and more inland lakes, typical
of ground moraine areas. There are over 8,iOO; lakes in the basin, with
combined surface area of 680,000 acres. (75
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Lake Michigan itself occupies a great valley in Paleozoic sedi-
mentary 'rocks at the edge of the preCambrian Canadian shield. This valley
originated in preglaclai times in rock subject to erosion. The lake
exerted a strong influence on glacial ice movements which were responsible
for the final shaping of the land area. The maximum depth of the lake,
923 feet, occurs in the northern portion; the average depth is 276 feet.
The volume is 1,170 cubic miles, or 3.9 billion acre feet. The average
outflow of the lake through the Straits of Mackinac is estimated to be
48,000 cubic feet per second. The straits are of sufficient size that
there is no measurable loss in elevation, so Lake Michigan and Lake Huron
are at the same elevation, which has varied from 583.7 feet to 577.1 feet.
(85 An additional 3,100 cubic feet per second are diverted from the lake
at Chicago for municipal water supply and pollution control. This total
outflow of 37,000,000 acre feet per year is about one percent of the
volume of water in the lake.
^2w:
Boat marinas dot the shores of Lake Michigan.
These ships are anchored at Michigan City9 Indiana,
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Most of the major streams (See Table I), start with relatively
steeper gradients at the headwaters and decrease as they approach Lake
Michigan. Harbors have been developed at the mouths of most of these
rivers. The 20 major streams drain 36,400 square miles or 80 percent
of the total land area. Of this, 3i,940 square miles or 70 percent of
the area is gaged. The discharge from this gaged area is 25,500 cfs.
These records are totaled without adjustment for nonconcurrent periods
and are summed only to show relative magnitude to the estimated outflow
of 51,000 cubic feet per second.
The average precipitation over the basin ranges from 26 to 34
inches, and 60 percent occurs during the growing season, May through
September. This supports the agricultural economy, and irrigation is
of minor significance.
The totaI shoreline of Lake Michigan is I,660 miles; about 1,300
miles of this is suitable for recreation. Only 80 miles have been de-
veloped as public recreation areas. (7) Unfortunately, the areas that
are closest to the large concentrations of population are also subject
to the highest pollution level.
The groundwater resources of Lake Michigan basin have not been
studied as intensively as the surface waters. This is due in part to
the general adequacy of the groundwater for domestic, municipal and
industrial water use. The northern portion of the basin, with rela-
tively little sedimentary rock, must rely on groundwater from the
glacial material. The southern portion of the basin can obtain sub-
stantial quantities of water from the sedimentary rocks. The quality
of this water is generally adequate for all purposes. However, in the
past few years, increased industrialization and urbanization has re-
sulted in scattered shortage areas. The city of Green Bay, Wisconsin,
is one example where the groundwater was not adequate, as evidenced by
rapidly declining watertables (local surface waters were unsatisfactory
in quality) so Lake Michigan was relied on for the municipal water
supply. The cities in the Grand River Basin are initiating studies to
determine feasibility of obtaining surface waters from Lake Michigan
to augment existing groundwater supply. Most of the large municipali-
ties which lie on the lake shore use Lake Michigan for municipal water
supply; the groundwater sources have not been thoroughly exploited.
LAKE CURRENTS
Knowledge of lake currents is fundamental to an understanding of
the fate of pollutants put into the lake and the effects, both local and
widespread, of these pollutants on water quality and associated water uses.
To fill the need for this information the Federal Water Pollution Control
Administration conducted a study of speed and direction of currents, and
water temperatures, throughout Lake Michigan. Field instrumentation and
observation were made during 1962-64; after analysis of the great mass of
data obtained from the study, a report of the findings was published re-
cently. (9)
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TABLE 1
MAJOR TRIBUTARIES TO LAKE MICHIGAN*
NAME OF RIVER
Mi 1waukee
Sheboygan
Man itowoc
Fox
Oconto
Peshtigo
Menominee
Ford
Escanaba
Whitefish
Man istique
Boardman
ManIstee
Pere Marquette
White
Muskegon
Grand
Kalamazoo
St. Joseph
Burns Ditch
Total
TOTAL
DRAINAGE
__AREA__
_sc[.m_L
845
440
442
6,443
933
1,155
4,150
468
920
315
1,450
347
2,010
772
480
GAGED
DRA ! NAGE
AREA
36,422
686
432
0
6,150
678
1,124
3,790
450
870
0
1,402**
223
1,980***
709
380
2,350
4,900
I ,600
4,056****
160
31,940
MEAN
DJSCHAJRGE
cf_s_
381
232
4,140
569
832
3,098
324
895
1,699
186
2,095
608
367
PERIOD OF RECORD
1914-65
1916-24, 50-65
1896-1965
1906-08, 13-65
1953-65
1907-08, 13-65
1954-65
1903-12, 50-65
1938-65
1952-65
1951-65
1939-65
1957-65
1909-14, 16-19, 30-65
1901-05, 06-18, 30-65
1929-36, 37-65
1930-65, 51-65
1943-50, 55-65
25,50!
* Clockwise from Milwaukee
** Total of Indian and Manistique Rivers above confluence
Total of Manistee and Little Manistee Rivers above confluence
Total of St. Joseph and Paw Paw Rivers above confluence
Data Source:
1965 Surface Water Records of
Wisconsin, U.S.G.S.
Indiana, Michigan and
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Although the outflow rate from Lake Michigan is comparable to the
flow in the Mississippi River at Rock Island, Illinois, the lake itself
is so large in comparison that this outpouring of water produces an
almost imperceptible movement of water within the lake. But the lake
water is not standing still; it is kept in constant motion principally
by the wind, which not only generates the visible surface waves but stirs
and mixes the water throughout the lake. In fact, a combination of wind
force and seasonal density changes brings about vertical exchange of waters
even, at times, extending to the bottom of the lake's deepest hole — some
920 feet.
Both water movements and rate of mixing are materially influenced
by the formation of thermocl ines, or zones of temperature transition be-
tween two layers of water which differ in temperature and density. Once
stabilized at depths which prevent storm turbulence interruption, the
thermocline effectively prevents mixing of waters in the epilimnion (upper
stratum) with those in the hypolimnion (lower stratum). This stratifica-
tion is especially characteristic of Lake Michigan in the summer. A weak
stratification, involving very small density differences, sometimes occurs
in winter. The summer thermocline begins to form in late spring at a depth
of a few feet, and progressively recedes to greater depths, probably reach-
ing a depth of about 200 feet by early fall. With the onset of winter,
the thermocline disappears, stratification breaks up, and water mixing
occurs throughout the full depth of the lake.
Thermal bars, phenomena resulting from a difference in temperature
between adjacent waters along a vertical plane, occur both in the spring
and in the fall in shaI low waters, parallel to the shoreline. Like the
thermocline, a thermal bar inhibits mixing between the shallow waters
along the shore and the deeper lake waters.
Because currents in the lake are motivated principally by the wind,
and winds are variable, horizontal movement of the lake water exhibits an
infinite variety and frequent changes in both direction and speed. Never-
theless, certain recurring patterns have been identified, resulting from
the fact that winds from one general direction predominate in certain
seasons of the year. For example, a typical summer pattern is created by
south-southwest winds which occur nearly 40 percent of the year. In this
pattern, the main body of water in the southern basin slowly revolves in
a counterclockwise direction, while the currents closer to shore on both
sides of the lake flow northward. In the northern basin, the dominant
flow is southward in the center of the lake; this flow splits north of
Milwaukee, one part moving east and north, the othermoving west and north,
along the two shores. At other times of the year and under other wind re-
gimes this whole pattern can be reversed. In addition, the generalized
circulation patterns are obscured and greatly modified by internal waves,
and frequently the water in the upper layer will be moving in one direction
while deeper water is flowing in the opposite direction.
If the complex patterns of motion in Lake Michigan water were to be
described in the shortest possible expression, it would be "restless waters."
There are, paradoxically, two extreme cases relevant to water pollution
I I
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which can and do exist. At the one extreme,, pol I ut ion-laden waters put
into the lake at a point can remain in the immediate vicinity in concen-
trated form for days on end, moving slowly and virtually erijnasje. On
the other hand, any persistent dissolved constituents put into the lake
are certain to become mixed with and to affect the quality of water
through the whole lake, in a time span of months or years.
WATER USES
The data on water use can be subdivided into several categories,
the first being municipal water use which includes all water processed
by municipalities even if utilized in industrial processes. Fifty muni-
cipalities treat an average of 1.47 billion gallons of Lake Michigan water
daily; of this, over one billion gallons per day are utilized by the City
of Chicago and suburbs. The cities in the State of Wisconsin use approxi-
mately 240 million gallons daily (mgd),Indiana and Michigan each use
80 mgd. (10) Utilization of water from surface sources other than Lake
Michigan is minimal, except for 18 mgd from Lake Winnebago used by four
cities in that vicinity. (II) The remaining cities in the basin rely
on ground water for their municipal supplies.
Industries use an estimated 4.25 billion gallons of
Lake Michigan water daily. The scene above shows
Bethlehem Steel Company expanding its new plant
facilities at Burns Harbor, Ind., into the lake.
12
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The demand for municipal waters from Lake Michigan is anticipated
to increase threefold by the year 2020, although the growth of population
will be less. This is due to increased per capita usage and to use by
municipalities that have difficulty obtaining additional groundwater sup-
pi ies. The value of Lake Michigan waters for municipal supply is one of
the main reasons why the quality of this lake must be protected.
The industrial water use from Lake Michigan is estimated to be
4.25 billion gallons daily. Of this, 3.2 billion is used in the Indiana
portion of Lake Michigan. Michigan industries utilize 586 mgd; the
Illinois industries utilize 420 mgd. (10) It is anticipated that the
demand for industrial water will also increase about threefold by the
year 2020, although the gross industrial output may increase as much as
sixfold. This will result from increased efficiency and reuse of water
in the manufacturing process. .The use of industrial water on the tribu-
taries of Lake Michigan is rather minor, when compared to the use from
the lake proper. The largest use area is along the Fox River and Lake
Winnebago,- where pulp and paper industries are the major users.
The use of water for electric power generation is of three types:
hydroelectric generation, thermal cooling, and consumptive use in steam
generation. In the Lake Michigan basin, there-are 110 hydroelectric
generating plants with an installed capacity of 318,000 kilowatts, which
generate 1,300,000 megawatt hours of energy annually. (12) The Federal
Power Commission lists an additional potential for generation of 745,000
megawatt hours; however, these stations are generally considered uneco-
nomical. The pollution effect of hydroelectric generation is minimal.
In streams that have become highly nutrified, the ponds -behind the power
dams may have algaJ problems, and the waters released from the power
plants may be low in dissolved oxygen. Also, the operation of the hydro-
plants for peaking power may result in minimal discharges during the
off-peak hours which can result in fish kills and inadequate dilution
of waste discharges. • . •
The hydroelectric generation is minor when compared to a total of
8,500 megawatts of total installed steam generation capacity in Lake
Michigan Basin, of which 7,420 megawatts are along the lake shore; and
5,750 megawatts are in the southern basin. (13) Approximately 600 mgd
are used for cooling water. Current plans call -for the installation of
an additional 1,400 megawatts of fossil-fuel steam generat-ing capacity
in the Lake Michigan basin by 1972. (14)
There is currently one nuclear generating plant in operation on
Lake Michigan, the Big Rock Point nuclear power station near Charlevoix,
Michigan; its capacity is 50 megawatts.- There are two plants under con-
struction: One of 700 megawatts, near South Haven, Michigan, and one of
497 megawatts near Manitowoc, Wisconsin. There are plans for the addi-
tional construction of five plants by 1973, with the total generating
capacity of 6,182 megawatts. (15)
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There are 1,087 megawatts of steam generation at sites which
utilize surface waters other than the lake for cooling. It is antici-
pated that few add i t iona I large p I ants will be bu i 11 that jut i I ize
stream water; rather, the new plants will be located along the shores
of Lake Michigan. There are smaller internal-combustion powered plants
in the basin utilized for peaking power; however, these have no impact
on water qua Iity.
The total generating capacity by the year 1973 could be 17,624
megawatts, which will mean that the reliance on Lake Michigan for cool-
ing purposes will more than double. New technology in electrical trans-
mission systems could cause this figure to be adjusted upward to utilize
the available waters of Lake Michigan. The long range demands for
cooling water may increase sixfold to parallel expansion in industrial
production, but better efficiencies in nuclear plants may reduce this
somewhat.
Consumptive use of water in the steam generation process is
minor; however, evaporative cooling may be used where waste heat cannot
be placed in surface waters. This requires nearly 7,000 gallons per day
for one megawatt of capacity and could become a significant consumptive
use of water.
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service has prepared a report
on the Fish and Wildlife resources of Lake Michigan. (16) The commercial
fishing industry has always been a significant part of the economy of the
Lake Michigan Basin. Since 1879, the total annual commercial catch has
averaged 26.5 million pounds. However, the composition of the catch has
changed drastically through the years. Originally, lake trout and herring
were the principal catch. The amount of these decreased but a subsequent
increase in the number of yellow perch and chubs maintained the same
average catch. Recently, carp, smelt and now the aiewlfe have become the
major components. However, the value of the catch was 15.6 million dollars
in the 1950 period and has declined to only 9.3 million dollars in 1963.
These past fluctuations of commercial fish poundage taken from Lake
Michigan have been related more closely to biological and economical fac-
tors than to water quality. The sea lamprey which caused a significant
decline in the lake trout and whitefish, and now the alewife which has
multiplied to an enormous quantity are 'introduced species. It is hoped
that introduction of the coho salmon will aid in restoring the Lake to a
proper ecological balance.
However, pollution does have an effect on the fishery of Lake
Michigan. Many of the species rely on the tributary streams and shore
areas for spawning grounds. The quality of these areas must be maintained
to facilitate the natural reproduction of the fish.
14
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Ice fishing is a popular winter sport
in the Lake Michigan Basin.
The Lake Michigan Basin is abundantly .endowed with natural terrain
making it one of the major water oriented recreation areas in the nation.
The preservation and improvement of the water quality within the Basin is
-imperative to maintain this status. The United States Bureau of Outdoor
Recreation report "Water Oriented Outdoor Recreation - Lake Michigan Basin",
(7), presents most of the facilities that are available, the problems thai-
are developing, and the action that must be taken to preserve this natural
heritage. There are a total of 625 public recreation areas in the Basin.
Of these, 536 are- water oriented. There are 74 recreational harbors on
Lake Michigan. Recreational areas are scattered throughoul the Basin,
although the major concentration of population is in the southern portion.
This, combined with the closing of some facilities due to pollution, has
resu ted in crowding of the facilities in the
Basin. Figure 4 shows Lake Michigan beaches,
tion harbors.
southern portion of the
and Figure 5 shows recrea-
15
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CHICAGO
SHORELINE
Total Length 1,661 Miles
Recreational 1,293 Miles
Beach 176 Miles
Public Recreation Areas 80 Miles
Beaches Intermittently Closed
Because of Pollution.
Beaches Closed Because of
Pollution.
_J Z
FIGURE 4
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MANISTIQUE
MENOMiNEE
OCONTO
SftEEN BAY
MANITOWOC
SHEBOYSAM
MILWAUKEE
WISCONSIN
ILLINOIS""
CHICAGO
EE3
23 50
SCALE IN MILES
SAU6ATUCK
BENTON HARBOR
MICHIGAN
IMICHIGAN INDIANA
CITY
17
F I G U R E 5
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A pleasure boat heads toward the harbor
mouth and the open waters of Lake Michigan.
There are 74 recreational harbors on the Lake.
in I960, there was -a total of 82 mil! ion activity days of water
oriented recreation and 94 million activity days of water related rec-
reational activities. It is estimated that the demand for water oriented
activities could increase to 247 million
if adequate facilities are provided.
activity days by the year 2010,
A listing of the areas where recreation is impaired by water quality
would be a long one; however, major areas are the Menominee River, Lake
Winnebago, the Fox River and the southern portion of Green Bay in Wisconsin,
the Calumet harbor area near Chicago, and at the shore lines near the larger
cities and harbors. The problems are caused by excessive coliform counts
from inadequately treated sewage, combined sewer overflows,, vessel wastes
and agricultural activities. The over-ferti I ization of the lake results in
algal growth which makes- the waters objectionable for body contact. Occa-
sionally, fish kills, due to polluting agents, are also responsible for
unsatisfactory condition.
Sport fishing is the second largest form of water oriented recrea-
tion, and unlike swimming, which is the largest, cannot be duplicated in
a man-made facility such as a swimming pool. The Fish and Wildlife Service
in its report (16) estimates 19 million angler days per year are spent in
the Lake Michigan Basin. This is expected to triple by the year 2010. To
satisfy this demand, particularly in the locality of the densely concentrated
18
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population, a strong effort is .required to .retain and restore pure water
both In Lake Michigan and its tributaries which are the major spawning '
grounds of the sport fish.
Fishing in Lake Michigan and its tributaries
is the second largest form of water recreation
around the lake, topped only by swimming.
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The value of the Lake Michigan Basin for recreation and plain
esthetic enjoyment, which is part of most recreational uses, is diffi-
cult to measure. It is, however, recognized as a significant portion
of the economy of the basin. One only has to look at the premium
prices paid for purchases and rental of apartments or cottages with a
lake view or observe the number of people who wiI I go out of their way
to take a lake shore drive, as opposed to a more direct route, to get
an indication of the esthetic value of Lake Michigan. A more indirect
way of measuring its value is by the amount that is spent annually for
recreation in the basin -- for lodging, food and recreational equipment
such as boats and fishing tackle. There is no detailed tabulation on
this available, but one need only visit several of the prime recreation
areas in the Basin to see the investment in recreational facilities.
20
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Hi-WATER POLLUTION
When Lake Michigan and the thousands of smaller lakes that dot
its watershed were formed, the depressions left by the receding icecap
were initially filled with water characterized by a high degree of
purity. It is appropriate to note, however, that purity and ideal
quality for man's purposes are not synonymous. Biologically speaking,
the lakes at formation were a sort of water desert, lacking the neces-
sary ingredients to support either desirable or undesirable life forms.
Ever since the lakes were formed, their quality has undergone continu-
ous and progressive change, as a result of waste inputs from both
natural phenomena and the activities of man. Some of the effects of
this deterioration in quality are readily apparent, whi le others are
revealed only In subtle warning signs of trouble to come unless action
is taken. Some of the problems of Lake Michigan and its tributaries
are described in the following.
1 &*> s v^-^ v rf****^i;'
^^SP-^Msr,^-
Cladophora algae cling to a rock in the water near
Saugatuck, Michigan, a southern Michigan resort area.
21
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EUTROPHICATION
A biologically healthy iake contains a myriad of living organ-
Isms, ranging from elemental one-ceil life forms upward through suc-
cessively more complex forms to fish. A balanced aquatic life system
can be visualized as a pyramid, in which each successive level forms
a link in the food chain that sustains the higher levels. At the base
of this pyramid are one-celled plants called algae, which are micro-
scopic in individual size but visible when clustered in colonies.
Algae form the base of the food chain; they are capable, through photo-
synthesis, of utilizing inorganic (non-living) elements in support of
growth. (17) Many inorganic elements are required for algal cell
growth, including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and iron --
as well as certain organic substances, required in minute quantities.
Parts of Lake Michigan and many other lakes in the Basin are richly
endowed with the right elements and conditions to support the growth of
algae; and therein lies the problem. (18)
An over-production of algae is occurring, which upsets the
normal life balance in the fakes, impairs many water uses^ and accel-
erates the normally slow aging process, called eutrophication, by
which a lake evolves into a marsh, and ultimately becomes completely
filled with detritus and disappears. One group of filamentous green
algae that has been especially troublesome is called Cj_adgghora_. In
suitable environments these plants attach to any firm object in the
water and grow, by cell division, into strings which will vary In
length, from a fraction of an inch where nutrients are scarce, to sev-
eral feet In nutrient-rich waters. Growths of C^jadophorjai have been
observed in the southern end of Lake Michigan foF~many~~years; but,
where small tufts occurred ten years ago, there are now mats with fila-
ments several feet long, These growths are periodically broken loose
by wave action and wash ashore to litter the beaches in slimy windrows.
They clog water intake screens and interfere with swimming. When they
decay they produce a putrid odor and provide a breeding place for flies
and other insects.
While the ultimate fate of Lake Michigan, as other lakes, Is in-
evitable, Its useful life span can be prolonged thousands of years by
timely and continuing action. The present overgrowth of algae can be
controlled, and the accelerated aging of Lake Michigan and other lakes
can be arrested, by reducing the supply of one or more of the elements
needed for growth of algae. The element most amenable to such control
5s phosphorus. Many experiments, on both laboratory and field scale,
have demonstrated the feasibility of regulating algal growth by varying
the quantities of phosphorus (In the form of soluble phosphates)
aval Iab is.
The extensive volume of data collected in the study of Lake
Michigan and its tributaries permits making an estimate of the relative
amounts of phosphate contributed annually from its principal source
categories. About two-thirds of the present annual supply of phosphate
going into Lake Michigan (estimated to be about 15 million pounds) comes
22
-------
__„,„ r______r^...^^ jfT^JK
f »;> '4''1» f) f; *»* *ll'^:
{'^<'^'^^t,,,.«
?|-i ''¥' vfelSi^^
' ;y.' '^.ijw^^.^i
Algae are shown growing in abundance
in one of the lake's tributaries.
Windrows of algae washed up on many Lake Michigan
beaches last summer (1967). The above, scene is
Calumet Park beach in Chicago, Illinois.
23
-------
from municipal and industrial wastewaters. The other third is a com-
posite of all non-point sources, carried in solution and transported
into the lake by its tributary streams. An unknown fraction of this
latter third is natural in origin; it gets into the water by leaching
from soils and rocks on the watershed. At the same time,, a sizable
portion of this third undoubtedly stems from man's activities -- from
livestock manure, wastes from dairying operations and s I aughteri ng,
and the residue from applications of phosphate-rich fertilizers to
farm lands. Therefore, some part of this third of all phosphate in-
puts is amenable to reduction.
Wherever phosphate-bearing waters can be captured and put through
a treatment plant, techniques are now available for removing a high per-
centage of the phosphate content, at reasonable cost. The main reason
this has not been done extensively in the past appears to be that re-
moval of phosphates has only recently come to be recognized as an
important function of sewage treatment plants. In fact, most municipal
sewage treatment plants have not even analyzed their waters to obtain
records of phosphate content before and after treatment. In some places
where this has been done, and plant modification effected, a large
reduction of phosphate has been achieved. Notable among these are San
Antonio, Texas and Milwaukee, Wisconsin -- the latter being the largest
single point source of phosphates on the Lake Michigan watershed.
The Milwaukee Sewerage Commission has in progress a demonstra-
tion project, partly financed by a grant from the Federal Water Pollution
Control Administration, to demonstrate the feasibility of and further
improve the effectiveness of phosphate removal in an activated sludge
treatment plant.
Improvement in the design and operation of conventional treat-
ment plants which provide the so-called secondary, or biological, form
of treatment is a necessary first step toward removing nutritive
material from wastewaters. There is growing conviction, however, that
more will be required in the Lake Michigan Basin, at least at the
larger plants where advanced waste treatment can be added at reasonable
unit cost. The standard treatment plant of the future in the Great
Lakes Basin may be some form of 3-stage treatment: physical, biological,
and chemical. It is important to note that this will not render obso-
lete the 2-stage, i.e., secondary, treatment plants now existing or
planned. Rather, the third stage, of chemical precipitation and further
solids removal, would be applied to the effluent from the first two --
and each stage supplements the others.
Summing up what has just been said: eutrophication is a threat
now, to the usefulness of Lake Michigan and other lakes within the
Basin; feasible methods exist for bringing this problem under control.
They need to be applied.
24
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BACTERIAL POLLUTION
Another indication of deteriorated water quality is the presence
of coliform bacteria. Col iform organ!sms are significant because they
occur in the fecal matter of all warm-blooded animals, including man.
Consequently, the presence of these bacteria in a body of water is
usually evidence of fecal contamination. Since such contamination is
one avenue of transmission of certain waterborne diseases, the presence
of coliforms is an indication of health hazard from accompanying patho-
genic bacteria and viruses.
Generally, the severe problems of bacterial contamination in the
Lake Michigan Basin are located around the population centers. But, of
course, this is precisely where the great demands for water usage occur.
Studies have shown that the bacterial quality of Lake Michigan is gen-
erally good in deep water but is degraded along the shoreline and in
harbor areas. Evidence of severe bacterial pollution of tributaries
has been found in the Fox River between Lake Winnebago and Green Bay,
Wisconsin; the Milwaukee River within Milwaukee County, Wisconsin; in
and downstream from the cities along the Grand River in Michigan and the
St. Joseph River in Indiana and Michigan; and the streams of the Calumet
Area, Illinois and Indiana. (19) In the last-named area, the recom-
mendations, to provide disinfection, of an interstate enforcement con-
ference described elsewhere have not yet been fully implemented.
Bacterial contamination has forced the
closing of some Lake Michigan beaches, such
as the one shown here at Hammond, Indiana.
25
-------
r US fe, E, ^^^^ . tj&f*., >« 'KAfcv, * V -v *i j, L ' 1» ' 1L JJM» s' w f
The Bay View Beach in Green Bay, Wisconsin, was a
popular swimming area at the time this picture was
taken in 1910. (Photo courtesy State Historical
Society of Wisconsin.)
This is the same area as it appears today. Swimming
has been prohibited for many years because of water
pollution. (Photo by Bureau of Outdoor Recreation.)
-------
A number of Lake Michigan beaches are closed, either intermit-
tently or permanently, because of health hazard. Permanently closed are
some beaches in the Calumet Area and a beach at the southern end of
Green Bay. The latter area exhibits also an example of the eutrophi ca-
tion discussed earlier. The Bay View Beach (City of Green Bay) was
closed many years ago because of bacterial pollution; over the ensuing
years, the beach's custodians understandably got tired of spending
time and money each year to clear aquatic growth from waters that were
not usable anyway. The beach is now clogged with aquatic weeds and its
once-sandy bottom now covered with the dead and decaying remains of
weed crops of previous years — a product of overferti I ization. (7)
Bacteria are easily destroyed by disinfection, wherever the
waters can be put through a treatment plant. Unfortunately, most of
the cities on the watershed are served by combined sewer systems, so
that large quantities of a mixture of storm water and sewage are dis-
charged without treatment during and after every heavy rain. This poi-
lutional overflow is the reason that Milwaukee beaches on Lake Michigan
have to be closed part of the time.
CHEMICAL POLLUTION
Pollution of Lake Michigan and its tributaries by dissolved
chemicals covers a broad range of substances, effects, and sources, the
principal source being industrial wastewater effluents. Two general
types of effects are produced: I) local and immediate effects in the
vicinity of the discharge point, and 2) a progressive buildup in the
concentrations of certain persistent chemicals in the lake as a whole.
Regarding the latter, Lake Michigan has experienced an overall increase
in average concentration of such dissolved constituents as chlorides,
suI fates and the hardness-producing salts. (20)
Areas of local pollution exist around centers of industrial
activity and commercial shipping, especially the Calumet Area at the
south end of the lake, Milwaukee harbor and its tributary streams, and
the southern end of Green Bay. Contamination takes the form of oil,
phenolic compounds or other persistent organic chemicals contributing
to taste and odor problems, ammonia and other nitrogenous materials,
phosphorus, suspended matter, and highly acidic or alkaline materials.
Conditions in the Calumet Area have been extensively documented in con-
nection with the ongoing enforcement action relative to its interstate
waters. (21) Details concerning the Milwaukee area and the Green Bay
area are given in reports published by FWPCA last year. (22 & 23)
27
-------
The heavily industrialized south end of Lake
Michigan suffers severe water pollution problems.
This is a waste outfall located on the Indiana
Harbor Ship Canal in East Chicago, Indiana,
OXYGEN DEPLETION
The small quantity of oxygen normally dissolved in water is per-
haps the most important single ingredient necessary for a healthy,
balanced, aquatic life environment. Dissolved oxygen is consumed by
living organisms through respiration and is replenished, if a well-
balanced environment exists, by absorption from the atmosphere and
through the life processes of aquatic plants. When organic pollution
enters this environment, the balance is altered. The bacteria present
in the water or introduced with pollution utilize the organic matter as
food and multiply rapidly. The resulting oxygen deficiency may be
great enough to inhibit or destroy the fish and other desirable organ-
isms and to convert the stream or lake into an odor-producing nuisance.
At present, the main body of Lake Michigan has not shown signs
of oxygen deficiency — even in its bottom waters, where an oxygen
deficit is frequently observed in eutrophic lakes and in manmade
reservoirs. Oxygen depletion is a common occurrence, however, in
many of the Lake Michigan tributaries. Especially bad in this respect
are the Fox River in Wisconsin, between Lake Winnebago and Green Bay;
and the tributary streams of the Calumet Area, including the Little
Calumet River, Grand Calumet River, Indiana Harbor Canal, and Indiana
Harbor. Other zones of periodic oxygen deficiency are: the Grand
River in Michigan downstream from Jackson and Lansing; the Menomi nee
River in certain stretches along the boundary between Wisconsin and
28
-------
Michigan, the Milwaukee River and Milwaukee Harbor; the Kalamazoo River,
Michigan; and the St. Joseph River, Michigan and Indiana, and the
southern end of Green Bay. In general the discharge of treated and un-
treated municipal and industrial wastes in these areas produces these
polluted conditions. The high concentrations of biochemical oxygen
demand (BOD) in the waste discharges combine, in some cases, with
severe drought flows of receiving waters to intensify the problems of
this nature.
5w$£ A>f4M
s^^x-gf.v ^»»r Xs* ;,»** »4M
*>**., *..* ,#>. L>£ ii JL> jj ,\ i I* .. «, , ii 'A w s.1 .\ i«3»®iL^,
^i^^?
' ^
JA
\f /* «
, A VJ' /IFfM4
'> &*&:-•;.,,
This load of detergents has been discharged by the
Jackson, Michigan, sewage treatment plant into the
Grand River, a Lake Michigan tributary.
ELECTRIC POWER PLANTS
Lake Michigan has been an attractive location for large electric
power plants. Two principal reasons are the ready availability of a
large quantity of cooling water, and the proximity to the large market
of its cities and industries. The greatest concentration of power
plants is around the southern basin, from Milwaukee southward. Within
this area are located six major power plants having a total installed
capacity in excess of 4.5 million kilowatts, and some 20 smaller plants,
either public utility or private industrial, which bring the total capa-
city of plants in the southern basin to about 6 million kilowatts.
These are fossiI-fueled plants, burning either coal or gas. (13)
The Nuclear Power Age has come to the Great Lakes area with dra-
matic suddenness within the last few years. One of the earliest full-
scale, commercially-operated, nuclear power plants is the existing
plant at Big Rock Point, Michigan, near the northern end of Lake
Michigan. Five additional plants are proposed or under construction,
3 of which will have twin reactor units, and ail of which are scheduled
for completion between 1970 and 1973. The three largest of tnese plants
29
-------
will be located in the southern basin and have a total installed capacity
of 5 million kilowatts. Thus, by 1973 the southern basin of the Lake
will be ringed with power plants having an electrical output of I I mi I-
lion kilowatts — 6 fossil-fueled and 5 nuclear-fueled (see Figure 6)
:-lfiS!« ' i^PW^.^
•:!4 al *;««:-A*• $miuto&& .
m-V > "' T1»"
x; ^i,^-" '
^ 'J l«K*t '
"y**vw?f»lf' ;/ ^
„ >/'» i>i! M?*«
*' «/
»a»;-^
».'.,'„ * /. ^
Wisconsin Electric Power Company at Oak Creek,
Wisconsin, south of Milwaukee, is one of the many
power plants located in the southern basin of
Lake Michigan.
Power plants are of concern to water quality because both types
add heat to the Lake Michigan water, and nuclear plants also discharge
some waste radioactivity to the water. '
Waste Heat
The typical thermal power plant converts heat energy to electric
energy, wasting large quantities of heat in the process. In the pre-
sent status of the art, a fossi I-fueled plant wastes about 1 5 units of
heat for each equivalent unit of useful eneray output- a nuclear-
powered plant wastes, for comparable output/about 2.25 units 'of heat
energy. (In technical terms, fossil-fuel and nuclear plants reject
respectively 4,900 and 7,800 BTU per kwh.) This waste heat, in either
type, is conducted from the plant in the cooling water and subsequently
30
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TRAVERSE
C ITV
NUCLEA
Name
Big Rock Point
Kewaunee
Point Beach Unit 1
Poini Beach Unit 2
Zion Unit 1
Zion Unit 2
Bndgman Unit I
Bndgman Unit 2
Palisades
R PLANTS
Capacity
Million KW
0.07
0.53
0.45
0.45
1. 10
1. 10
1.10
1.10
0.70
Completion
Date
1963
i972
1971
(972
1S72
1973
1972
S972
i370
GRAND HAVEN
SAOGATUCK FOSSIL FUEL PLANTS
Wl£C_ON_S_n\|
ILLINOIS
CHICAGO
GARY
p
J No. Name
Oi~ ] ^
/ (]p Lakeside
XBENTON
-------
dissipated into the environment — the ambient air, or receiving
waters, or some combination of both. Power plants on Lake Michigan
are not usually equipped with cooling towers for transfer of heat
to the air, so that the bulk of this waste heat goes first into the
water of the Lake.
Heat added to Lake Michigan produces two effects: I) it creates
a local zone of water warmer than the natural background temperature,
and 2) it warms, albeit imperceptibly, the whole body of lake water
and the air above it. Regarding the second effect, the critical body
of water would be that contained in the epilimnion (upper layer) of
the southern basin of the lake, and the critical period would be the
summer months, when water and air temperatures are warmest and strati-
fication inhibits the dispersal of the input heat to a greater volume
of lake water. An estimate has been made of the overall warming
effect of power plants on the lake zone just delineated. Assuming the
power plants to operate with an average output equal to 80 percent of
plant capacity, and assuming no escape of the input heat from the
water (a conservative assumption), the combined effect of existing
plants plus the proposed nuclear plants would not raise the overall
average water temperature by as much as one-tenth of a degree
Fahrenheit. Even this minute increase in water temperature would be
nullified during the following winter, so that no progressive warming
tendency for Lake Michigan, attributable to power plants, is expected
to occur.
This focuses attention on the first effect cited -- the local
zone of warm water created in the immediate vicinity of a power plant
discharge. Again citing a typical Lake Michigan power plant, it will
have a pipe or tunnel conduit bringing water from an intake located
perhaps a few thousand feet offshore; as the cooling water flows
through the plant its temperature will be increased by 10 to 20 de-
grees F.; the used water will be returned to the lake at or near the
shoreline. Since the water at the point of intake will be somewhat
colder than the shallow water at the point of discharge, it can be
expected that the discharging water may be on the order of I 0 to 15
degrees warmer than the lake at that point. The local warm water zone
will thus have a peak temperature some 10 to 15 degrees warmer than
the background temperature. Some of this heat will be transmitted to
the ambient air; the rest will transfer into lake water by a combina-
tion of dilution and convection, until the local water temperature
merges with and becomes indistinguishable from that of neighboring
water. The areal extent of this warm water zone will depend upon the
incremental temperature rise, and the rate at which heated water is
being put in — and the latter will depend on the size and design of
the power pI ant.
If the local warmwater zone occurs where the lake bottom has
suitable attachment surfaces, it could promote a luxuriant crop of
filamentous algae (Cladophora), The detrimental effects of an over-
growth of algae have been described elsewhere. It is sufficient here
to point out that conditions are favorable for promoting over-
32
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production of aigae in many parts of Lake Michigan; and that anything
which may further promote their growth is to be viewed with concern.
Radioacti vi ty
Most of the six commercial nuclear power stations (9 units)
built or planned in the Lake Michigan Basin are of the light-water
type, operating on the pressurized water principle. "The water of
the primary coolant system passes through a heat exchanger in which
the heat is passed to the water of a secondary cycle in which steam
is produced for use by a turboelectric plant. The primary cycle
coolant, after passing through the heat exchanger, is returned through
pumps to the reactor for reheating. The two-loop system is used to
prevent fission products from entering the turbines and thereby com-
plicating maintenance operations and adding to the complexity of
radiation protection. In the event of a fuel-element failure in a
two-loop reactor, the fission products remain in the primary system and
do not contaminate either the secondary system or the turbines." (24)
Primary and secondary coolants are passed through ion-exchange
resins to remove activation products and fission products resulting
from fuel-pin failures. "In the operation of a nuclear power plant,
there are many operations which produce contaminated liquids. Leaks
of primary water from valves,, flanges, and pumps will ultimately
result in the contamination of sump water. Components which are re-
moved for repair must first be decontaminated, and this will result
in contaminated water, as will the operation of washing casks, sluic-
ing resin beds, laundering contaminated clothes, and washing contami-
nated laboratory ware. In addition, it may be expected that the
cooling pools for spent fuel may in time become contaminated as a
result of failures in the fuel element cladding." (24) Provisions
are made for containment, treatment, and ultimate disposal of these
waste liquids. High-level wastes are shipped to burial sites but low-
level wastes are diluted and discharged to the environment.
AM liquid and gaseous radioactive waste discharges from
nuclear power plants are limited by Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
Rules and Regulations (IOCFR20) or State regulation where they apply.
However, the AEC limits are set above "natural background." Since
"natural background" is not defined, the Rules can be interpreted in
three ways: I) discharges are limited to concentrations in excess of
pre-World War II levels; 2) discharges are limited to concentrations
in excess of pre-operationaI levels; or 3) discharges are limited to
concentrations in excess of cooling water intake levels. None of these
interpretations are desirable. In the case of I), pre-World War 11
levels are not known, since the technology was not developed to measure
minute quantities of radioactive materials. Interpretation 2) would be
adequate except that each additional reactor would have a higher base-
lino on which acceptable waste discharge levels would be determined,
since preoperational levels for a new reactor would be post-operational
for a previously built reactor in the same watercourse. Case 3) is
whole ly unacceptable because there would be essentiai-ly no limit to
q_uant_i ties discharged.
33
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Since the original standards were promulgated on the basis of
a moving stream receiving the radioactive effluent, and since Lake
Michigan has a very small discharge rate, any radioactive waste
material entering into it will diminish only by natural decay. This
may result in significantly increased levels of the longer-lived
radio!sotopes. The AEC Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards,
October 12, 1966 (AEC News Release No. IN-725 dated October 25,
1966), made the following statements and recommendations:
"The dilution, dispersion, and transport of liquid radioactive
wastes in surface waters (rivers, lakes, estuaries, bays and open
ocean) are important factors in the siting of nuclear reactors. In
addition to these phenomena, attention frequently needs to be directed
toward biological concentration of radionuclides in aquatic life. It
may be.desirable to review previous work on this subject, including
related research on discharge of municipal and industrial liquid
wastes. Preparation of a state of the art'review of current knowledge,
and delineation of areas where further research is needed, would be
useful. A special evaluation of the impact of siting many reactors on
the shores of the Great Lakes, in relation to retention and flushing
characteristics and to accumulation of radionucl ides in aquatic organ-
isms, may also be desirable."
FROM -WAIERCRAFT
Vessels of all types, commercial, recreational and Federal
(Corps of Engineers floating plant, Coast Guard cutters and Naval
Reserve Training Ships) plying the waters of Lake Michigan and its
tributaries are contributors of both untreated and inadequately
treated wastes in local harbors and in the open lake, and intensify
local problems of bacteria! pollution.
A report entitled "Pollution of Navigable Waters of the United
States by Wastes from Watercraft" (25), was submitted to the Congress
on June 30, 1967 by the FWPCA. This report recognizes and analyzes
the serious problems that are caused by ail types of vratercraft, in-
cluding pollution from sanitary, garbage and oil wastes. Implementa-
tion of the recommendations made in this report by the Congress will
provide an effective means for combating the vessel waste problem on
Lake Michigan, FWPCA has proposed legislation to Congress, based on
this report.
Some significant progress has been made in the abatement pro-
gram on Lake Michigan. The City of Chicago recently enacted an ordi-
nance prohibiting the discharge of all wastes from vessels and shore
installations into the portion of the lake within the city's
jurisdiction.
OIL POLLUTION
One of the problems in the Lake Michigan drainage basin is oil
pollution. Discharges from industrial plants and commercial ships,
34
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and careless practices in loading and unloading cargos, cause con-
tamination of water in many areas. Oil discharges and spills produce
unsightly conditions which affect beaches and recreational areas,
contribute to taste and odor problems and treatment problems at water
treatment plants, coat the hulls of pleasure craft, and in some cases
are toxic to desirable fish and aquatic life.
The Oi I Pollution Act of 1924 prohibits the discharge of oi ! by
vessels in the waters within the United States. The FWPCA was made
responsible for enforcement of this Act by the Clean Waters Restoration
Act of 1966. Oil pollution in navigable waters from any source which
Is a hazard to navigation is the responsibility of the Corps of Engi-
neers as authorized by the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899. The Coast
Guard provides support to both the Corps and FWPCA.
&WV," i^;/V<>; * *' r.t, ,.
*.5/: .^X'*J/v^-A *-;"A-:
i
lvji*yliwi'£l|i1ltt} j»f ' *1
!^> llr'ftW4 i
:'
'-• - -'s^sVrt! i4 *S*»v '*A kr I*
v,; •'K:%-/»
' i*.-vl!SSfi
Oil pollution is a serious problem at the Indiana Harbor
Ship Canal, East Chicago, Indiana. Inland Steel Company's
turning basin on the canal is often coated with oil.
35
-------
Although oil contamination has been observed in many areas of
the Basin as shown on Figure 7, the principal location in which it
occurs is the Calumet Area in Illinois and Indiana. Table 2 shows
the number of oil discharges and spills reported by the Coast Guard
in 1967. The number of discharges and spills indicates the need for
greater care in transportation of oil by commercial ships, and the
need for separation of oil from industrial waste to reduce the effects
of oil contamination on the public waters.
The Torrey Canyon ship disaster, which involved a major spill
of oil off the coast of England in 1966, focused attention on the
detrimental effects of oil contamination on recreational facilities
and on fish and aquatic life. It also pointed up the need for addi-
tional study of existing resources and techniques to deal with spills
of this magnitude should they occur again. On May 26, 1967 the
President of the United States asked the Secretaries of Interior and
Transportation to undertake a joint study to determine how best to
mobilize the resources of the Federal Government and the Nation to
cope with the problems of major oil spills and other pollutants and
hazardous substances and their adverse affects.
One of the major needs disclosed by the study was the develop-
ment of a contingency plan to deal with an emergency involving
Federal, State and local agencies with due regard for each agency's
statutory responsibility and capability. Preliminary coordination
has been effected by FWPCA with the Corps of Engineers and the Coast
Guard throughout the Region to dex'elop such a plan.
DISPOSAL OF MATERIAL
Responsibility for improvement and maintenance of the water-
ways of the United States in the interest of navigation has been
delegated by Acts of Congress to the Corps of Engineers. In carry-
ing out this responsi b i i i ty, the Corps dredges approximately 10
million cubic yards annually from Great Lakes harbors,, and in fiscal
year 1966 dredged 1-1/2 million cubic yards from harbors on Lake
Michigan (see Figure 8). The Corps has fo! lowed the practice of
disposing of most of th is -materi a I in authorized dumping grounds in
the open waters of the Lakes. The nature of the dredged material
ranges from gross ly- pol luted sludge to clean lake sand. Private
dredging in the vicinity of docks, loading facilities,, etc., is ac-
comp I ished under permit from the Corps.
The interest of FWPCA in the disposal of polluted dredged
material dates back to !948, when a special study was undertaken-, - i n
cooperation with the field staff of the Internationa! Joint Commis-
sion, of the pollutionai effects of dredging operations in the Rouge
River, at a request of the District Engineer, Detroit District, Corps
of Engineers. As a result of this study, the Re£orf^M1ie_jjri-_er-
Joj jjrt Commi ss i on , Un i ted^tates_and Ca_n_ad_a , on fhe~ToTTuTion
9_ 5 IJ , contained a conclusion that "Dredged
______
material should be disposed of in such a manner and at such locations
36
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LANSING SHOALS LIGHT
SCALE IN MILES
MILWAUKEE
.WISCONSIN
ILLINOIS
CHiCAGO
ST. 1QNACE
MACKINAW
CITY
25 Number of oil discharge incidents
from outfalls and ships in
indicated vicinity-as reported by
the U.S. Coast Guard for 1967.
37
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TABLE 2
OIL DISCHARGES FROM OUTFALLS AND COMMERCIAL SHIPS
REPORTED BY THE U. S. COAST GUARD IN THE
LAKE MICHIGAN DRAINAGE BASIN IN 1967
NO.
DATE
LOCATION
TYPE
i Apr 4 Round Lake, Charlevoix, Mich.
2 May 6 Grand River at Grand Haven, Mich.
3 May 14 Sturgeon Bay, Wise.
4 Jul 28 South Channel, Straits of Mackinac
5 Aug 8 Indiana Harbor Canal
6 Aug 9 Chicago & Calumet River and
Lake Michigan Area
7 Aug 10 Straits of Mackinac
8 Sep 19 Milwaukee Harbor
9 Sep 17-26 Southern end of Lake Michigan
10 Sep 28 Lake Calumet
11 Oct 3 Indiana Harbor Canal
12 Oct 9 Lake George Branch, Indiana
Harbor Canal
13 Oct 9 Indiana Harbor Canal
14 Oct 10 Indiana Harbor
15 Oct 10 East Branch Grand Calumet River
16 Oct i I Indiana Harbor Canal
Sp iI I while unload!ng
Spill wn i le refueIi ng
Spi I I while unloadi ng
Discharge of ships
ba!last
Spi i 1 wh i le unload!ng
Leaking ship
Ship discharge
Leak from tank farm
Oil on water and
beaches from unknown
source
Discharge of ships
ballast
Outfall discharge
Outfall discharge
OutfaI I discharge
Outfa II di scharge
OutfaI I di scharge
OutfaII di scharge
38
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TABLE 2 (Continued)
OIL DISCHARGES FROM OUTFALLS AND COMMERCIAL SHIPS
REPORTED BY THE U. S. COAST GUARD IN THE
LAKE MICHIGAN DRAINAGE BASIN IN 1967
NO.
DATE-
LOCATION
TYPE
17 Oct II East Branch Grand Calumet
18 Oct li Lake George Branch of Indiana
Harbor CanaI
19 Oct 12 Indiana Harbor
20 Oct 12 Lake George Branch of Indiana
Harbor Cana i
21 •Oct 12 Calumet River Branch of Indiana
Harbor Canal
22. Oct 13 Indiana Harbor Cana!
23 Oct 13 Lake George Branch of Indiana
Harbor Canal
24 Oct 14 Lake George Branch of Indiana
Harbor Canal
25 Oct 14 Indiana Harbor Canal
26 Oct 14 Straits of Mackinac
27 Oct 15 Lake George Branch of Indiana
Harbor Canal
28 Nov 9 Lansing Shoals light, vicinity
of Grand Isiand in Lake Michigan
Outfal! discharge
OutfaI! discharge
Outfa!I discharge
OutfaII di scharge
Seepage of oi I from
dock bu i knead
OutfaII di scharge
Discharge from land
OutfaII d i scharge
OutfaII di scharge
Spill wh iIe loadi ng
Outfa i I di scharge
Ship discharge
-------
MANISTiQUE
MICHIGAN INDIANA
CITY
SCALE IN MILES
40
FIGURE 8
-------
f!
'M>
-------
Through a joint statement announced March I, 1967, the Department
of the Army and the Department of the Interior agreed on a program and
plan for attacking the problem of the disposition of polluted material
dredged from harbors in the Great Lakes. It was agreed that, in order
to maintain navigation, the Corps of Engineers would proceed with dredg-
ing in calendar year 1967 on 64 channel and harbor projects in the Great
Lakes. The Corps also initiated a two-year pilot program early in 1967
to develop alternative disposal methods which would lead to a permanent
plan of action. FWPCA is participating in this program, which has the
ultimate objective of providing leadership in the nationwide effort to
improve water quality through prevention, control and abatement of water
pollution by Federal water resources projects.
During the past season the Corps of Engineers provided alrernate
disposal of dredged materials from three of the most polluted harbors on
Lake Michigan: Indiana Harbor, Indiana; Calumet River, Illinois; and
Green Bay Harbor, Wisconsin. It is expected that alternate disposal will
be provided for additional Lake Michigan harbors during the 1968 season.
t o
XWv '««', i.irr v
|
^i \i(Ja s «"T*--, f
r^^TRSL-**
s* * < «-^~ "*•"«• *",,^ * ~ ••* *„ ^ -. ^rwJ_^w f"^fcSi '- .^ '«% ' ^ $$?•.& •» »• ITj*®*
jfc, ~,M«*S«'" -^-6, «™,^j£"" •«•£«*«. -^>Cf~a^ o- * * f"*Y' °* A ^ ^^^^ * .„ , f ?fc^l'*!lm? r™^ TA*J,** X s ^ ffl^ **f •*.
* * ^ «r%v T%P$^T ^^T^"'^^ r ^-^ ^ **A r- % ^ n j ^/ v*,« * > Yjrirf^i^T A ^^ ^w** *>-r ^
js^jvA?^ '^^^T "^ fc Y^«j/ - v i -s. "** "*''"* V *C " r*-*- f * <^^f^£>r^* ^7^^3'v^^v*' ^' ^ ^
A dredge hauls muck from-the bottom
of Calumet Harbor in Chicago,- Illinois,
42
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ALEWIVES
_ A dramatic example of an upset In the balance of nature is the i n-
vas.on of _ the Great Lakes by the alewlfe. These little fish, decendants
I .ff1!" Wh4'chkhas Crated into the Lakes from the ocean and adapted
itself to the fresh-water environment, have become pests mindful of the
great locust^ pi agues recorded in history in some land areas of the world
Ihe alew.fe is a virtually useless fish. They are not Good to eat and '
there is no sport to catching them. Efforts to find a commercial market
for food'.uir^K f°°d' 59Ve been °n'y Partia|!y successful. By 'competing
for food supply, they crowd out more desirable species. Worst of all they
move in enormous schools from the deeper recesses of the lakes, especially
Lake Michigan, i nro inshore waters and die there by the millions -'
water intakes and piling up in stinking masses on shores.
-«*•> v^i.. ,':iJ
,». Mi, * •*- A- -
« , , ^ i «>*--' -fr J
^*I3!i^/-^jt*'?y^f w^"Tl'?4>^v'/'
1 - :„%„; ..^.""U * / < "'. '/*•'. ' <,«t.!W, t-. •» ~*f, " T
- ' ^ J*^^|^l!-|;«ii;
"""ii-v«- \/i
-i*.
Dead alewives litter a Chicago harbor
during the alewife die-off of 1967.
43
-------
The massive influx and die-off of alewives has become an annual
event each spring in Lake Michigan and, to a lesser extent,, the down-
stream Great Lakes. It reached record proportions in Lake Michigan
last spring and early summer, when deaths estimated in the billions
occurred. On that occasion our agency conducted a special water sam-
pling survey to determine the quality of the water and whether water
pollution could have played a part in the die-off. All evidence col-
lected indicates that water pollution did not contribute to the deaths.
As a result of a recommendation by a special task force appointed
by Secretary Udall, the Interior Department's Bureau of Commercial
Fisheries is spearheading the search for further answers to the alewife
problem, including ways to bring the alewife population into balance
with other aquatic life.
PESTICIDES
The use of pesticides in the United States has expanded rapidly
in recent years. The total market value was over one billion dollars,
for the first time, in 1964. Usage in the United States increased from
34 million pounds in 1953 to 119 million pounds in 1965. More than 58
percent of this usage was by agriculture. Thousands of pounds of pesti-
cides annually run off the land into rivers and lakes.
Agencies such as the Federal and State Departments of Agricul-
ture have very little information on amounts of pesticide actually
applied to the land-. In addition, amounts used for domestic purposes
can only be estimated, since the purchase and sale of pesticides Is in
no way control led.
The use of pesticides has been so loosely controlled that man's
environment throughout the world Is now permeated with these substances.
Scientific facts are not yet known pertaining to the tolerance limits
for human beings, birds, fish, and most other forms of life. Limited
studies have taken place, investigating the levels of the various pesti-
cides found in the waters of Lake Michigan and its tributary streams.
The places in the Lake Michigan Drainage Basin where pesticides
are used most heavi ly -are the areas of extensive fruit growing. These
areas are: the Wisconsin portion of the Green Bay watershed; the south-
east quadrant of the Lake Michigan Drainage Basin; and the area along
the northeast shore from Manistee to Traverse City, Michigan.
An FWPCA study in the Green Bay area was designed to investigate
the effects of chlorinated pesticides on the aqueous environment of
Green Bay. Agricultural soil, river water, bay water, bottom sediments,
and algae were examined. Chlorinated pesticides were detected in all
•types of samples. Some of the soils tested had as high as 7,800 micro-
grams per kilogram. Maximum concentration found In bottom sediments was
close to 3,000 mlcrograms per kilogram, which was more than two million
times that of the overlying water at the time of the study. The algae
contained stiI i greater amounts than did the bottom sediments. The
GPO 8O8--665—6
-------
FWPCA analyses of several drinking water intakes located at various
places along the Lake Michigan shore revealed the presence of pesti-
cides in the surface water. Studies by other agencies indicate sub-
stantial levels of pesticides in Lake Michigan fish.
Pesticide pollution of Lake Michigan and its tributary streams
results from the application of these materials by spraying and dust-
ing. As a result of these methods of application, some of the material
falls directly into the waters of the area being sprayed. Pesticides
on the soil and crops are washed into the waters by rain and soil
e ros i on.
Water uses affected by the application of pesticides are
recreation, fish and wildlife, and water supplies. Up to this time,
the extent to which these materials are affecting the water supplies
and recreational uses of Lake Michigan has not been precisely deter-
mined. However, with the ever-increasing use of these materials,
a! i waters are threatened.
Recent studies have shown that the eggs of coho salmon,
recently introduced into Lake Michigan, contain pesticides. It re-
mains to be determined whether these pesticide levels are high enough
to have a significant effect on successful reproduction of the coho
saImon.
The significance of the synthetic organic pesticides in their
high toxicity and their persistence in the environment after the
initial application. Kills of fish, other aquatic life, and wildlife
often result. In addition, pesticides are absorbed by microscopic
aquatic life and subsequently enter Into the food chain leading
through fish to man and other animals. Purification of water for human
consumptions as commonly practiced, is largely ineffectual In removing
pesticides In the treatment process.
The synthetic organic pesticides accumulate in fatty tissue,
whether fish, fowl, or human. Food and water may both serve as
sources of these substances. Lethal levels may be carried in fatty
tissue without Immediate apparent effect on the organism. When such
fatty deposits are utilized, physical and metabolic complications en-
sue. In addition, combinations of accumulated pesticides may exert
synergistlc effects, where the total toxic effect Is greatly Increased.
in nature, soils may remain contaminated for years after the Initial
appIication.
Each State and the Federal government should reduce pollution
resulting from pesticides through the following activities: placing
responsibility for control of pesticides in one agency; establishing
water quality standards for pesticide levels; obtaining more precise in-
formation on total amounts of all types of pesticides used, where such
statistics are now unavailable; establishing routine monitoring of drink-
ing water sources for pesticide content; effecting better agricultural
practices to prevent or minimize soil erosion and runoff; encouraging
45
-------
strict adherence to instructions for handling and application; limiting
usage of pesticides in relation to solubility, persistence, and foxi-
city; sponsoring research to ascertain toxic or lethal concentrationsf
synergistic and accumulative effects for all life forms of the aquatic
system, and for wildlife and man; conducting research into environmenta!
factors controlling dispersion of pesticides; encouraging research into
the development of natural insect predators; research into the develop-
ment of degradable pesticides less toxic to higher life forms; and
requiring the manufacturer to supply information pertaining to persist-
ence, toxic or lethal concentrations, and proper handling procedures
before permitting sale of the pesticide.
46
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The Federal Water Pollution Control Administration, through the
Great Lakes Regional Office, is pursuing a vigorous water pollution con-
trol program in the Great Lakes area in cooperation with the State and
local agencies. The responsibilities of FWPCA were set forth by the
Congress in the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, passed in 1956 and
subsequently amended in 1961, 1965, and 1966. The following is a des-
cription of the activities being taken in carrying out the agency's
responsibilities, with particular reference to those activities relevant
to Lake Michigan and its drainage basin,
Interstate Enforcement Actions
Under the provisions of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act,
two previous enforcement conferences have been heid in the Lake Michigan
Basin: the Menominee River conference, involving Michigan and Wisconsin,
held on November 7, 1963; and the Calumet Area conference, involving
Illinois and Indiana, held on March 2, 1965, "with a technical session
January 4, 1966, and sessions to report progress held on March \5S 1967,
and September 6, 1967,
in the Menominee River conference, the findings were that inter-
state pollution did exist. The major problems in this area were paper
mill wastes and municipal sewage. Recommendations were made to require
more thorough waste treatment at three mi Sis cited in the conference,
Further waste treatment facilities were recommended for several communi-
ties on the river. Investigation was undertaken to determine whether
remedial action would be required to alleviate the effects of gross iron
pollution on the Brule River. The investigators found that no remedial
action was needed.
In the Calumet conference, findings were that interstate pollution
did exist, originating in both Illinois and Indiana, and that remedial
action was needed, The conference recommended water quality criteria for
the waters involved, secondary treatment and chlorination of al! municipal
waste discharged in the area, action by the States to ensure that indus-
tries minimize their wastes and a timetable for cleanup, provisions for
sampling and surveillance, and ciosing the Thomas j. O'Brien iocks on the
Calumet River to prevent flow into the lake. The technical session held
January 4-5, 1966, set the water quality criteria and the timetable for
control of industrial waste discharges. On March 15, 1967, the conferees
met and decided sufficient progress in pollution abatement was being made,
and that the original timetable and recommendations remained satisfactory.
Essentially, the same conclusions were reached at the progress meeting
held September 6, 1967.
Water Quality Standards
Under provisions of the Water Quality Act of 1965, Indiana, Illi-
nois, Wisconsin and Michigan adopted water quality standards for all of
their interstate streams/
47
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Standards are composed of two basin parts: the criteria that
established quality levels that must be achieved to make water suitable
for a designated use or usesj and the plans that specify what must be
done, by whom and by what date to achieve the established water quality
goa is.
The Indiana standards have been approved by the Secretary of the
Interior. Standards for the other three States are currently under
review by the Secretary. Once the standards are accepted by the Secre-
tary of the Interior, they become Federal standards as well as State
standards.
As part of the adoption procedure, public hearings were held to
elicit citizens' views on the proposed standards and to ascertain popular
wishes as to the use of specific areas of lakes and streams. This action
preceded formal State adoption of the standards.
Prior to submission to the Secretary, the standards for each State
were reviewed by the Regional Office of FWPCA to determine whether they
met the "Guidelines for Establishment of Water Quality Standards for
Interstate Waters" of May 1966, as well as the intent of the Federal leg-
islation. The review included a comparison of State standards and an
attempt to resolve conflicts in water use and/or criteria between con-
tiguous States.
Comments and suggestions relative to specific items in the stand-
ards were received from various agencies of the Interior Department as
well as other Federal agencies.
Each submission included an overriding expression of Intent to
provide for the maintenance of the present high quality of interstate
waters.
A copy of the complete set of each State standard is avai I able to
the public upon, request to the appropriate State agency.
Great Lakes-Illinois River Basins Project
The Great Lakes-Illinois River Basins (GLIRB) Project was estab-
lished In I960 as a special task force In what is now the Federal Water
Pollution Control Administration. With headquarters at Chicago, the
Project was charged with developing comprehensive programs for eliminating
or reducing the pollution of interstate waters and tributaries thereof, in
the Great Lakes, the Illinois River, and the!r tributaries. In Its early
years the Project actually had two tasks, I) the comprehensive program
development and 2) to act in a fact-finding and consulting capacity to the
U. S. Department of Justice In the Supreme Court litigation over diversion
of Lake Michigan water at Chicago, The latter assignment had top prior-
ity and from 1961 to 1963, represented a large share of Project effort,
culminating in the presentation of testimony and voluminous documentary
exhibits, to the Special Master in Chancery appointed by the Court to
48
-------
gather evidence and make his recommendations to the Court. It is
believed that this work significantly influenced the subsequent settle-
ment agreements reached in the case. (Principal points of the settlement
agreement, as they affect water quality, are given in the next section.)
The major objectives of the comprehensive program developed by
GLIRB Project in cooperation with other Federal agencies, with State
water pollution control agencies and interstate agencies, and with the
municipalities and industries involved were:
Identification of the causes of water pollution and
the effects of such pollution on the quality of water
resources and on beneficial uses.
- The development of agreements on the desired beneficial
uses and the water quality required to accommodate
those uses.
- The development of water quality control measures to
achieve the desired objectives, including the estab-
lishment of a timetable for their accomplishment.
- Provision of the mechanisms for carrying out program
objectives, including continuing surveillance for
the purpose of updating the programs to accommodate
changing technology and changing water quality needs.
The Lake Michigan Diversion Case
A significant step toward preservation of Lake Michigan and the
entire Great Lakes was realized when the Lake States agreed to the recom-
mendations of the Special Master of the Supreme Court in the Chicago
Diversion Case. The Special Master's recommendations are summarized as
follows:
I. That the Metropolitan Sanitary District of Greater
Chicago not be required to return its treated
effluent to Lake Michigan.
2. That total diversion Including pumpage be limited
to the present 3,200 cubic feet per second and
that diversion be averaged on a biennial rather
than on an annual basis.
3. That the State of Illinois be given the responsi-
bility for allocating the diversion.
4. That the most wise and effective use of the water
be demonstrated before consideration is given in
the future to requests for diversion. This will
require improvements in the water supply distri-
bution and waste collection and treatment practices,
49
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Construction Grants
°n6 °f the
causes of ,aer
°r
Since 1956, 181 Federal grants have been awarded in
the Lake Michigan Basin to help communities build
sewage treatment facilities. Picture above is of
the Grand Rapids, Michigan, sewage treatment plant
50
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Since the 1956 Act, a total of 181 Federal grants have been made
in the Lake Michigan Basin to help communities build needed sewage treat-
ment facilities. (See Figure 9) Grant funds involved in these projects
have totaled over $22 million in support of total project expenditures
in excess of $86 mil lion. Over two-thirds of the 181 grant projects have
already been completed and placed in operation. The remaining projects
are either under construction or preparing to go under construction in
the very near future.
The Construction Grants Section of the Federal Act has been amended
three times since its initial 1956 passage. The trend of financial assist-
ance has been upward each time the Act has been amended. Today's legisla-
tion allows municipalities to qualify for a basic Federal grant of 30 per-
cent of the eligible cost of a project. A grant of 40 percent can be made
in those States which agree to match the basic 30 percent Federal grant.
The Federal grant may be Increased to 50 percent if the State agrees to
pay at least 25 percent of the project cost and enforceable water quality
standards have been established for the waters into which the project dis-
charges. A grant may be increased by 10 percent, to 33, 44, or 55 percent,
as appropriate, if the project is certified by an appropriate metropolitan
or regional planning agency as conforming with a comprehensive metropolitan
area plan.
The States of Wisconsin and Indiana have enacted legislation to
qualify their municipalities for consideration for the higher Federal
grant percentages. The State of Illinois will place a bond issue to a
referendum in November of 1968. A favorable vote on the referendum would
entitle Illinois municipalities to consideration for higher Federal grants,
The State of Michigan has considered State matching legislation to qualify
its municipalities for higher Federal grants, but no legislation has yet
been passed. Michigan currently has a State grant program that provides
for local construction grants after the annual Federal construction grant
allocation is exhausted, but the current Michigan grant program does not
qualify its municipalities for the higher Federal grant levels.
Program Grants
Section 7 of the Water Pollution Control Act authorizes an appro-
priation of $10 TOM lion annually for Fiscal Years 1968-1971 for grants to
State and interstate agencies to assist them in meeting the costs of
establishing and maintaining adequate pollution control programs. Each
State is allotted $12,000, and the remainder of the funds are distributed
on the basis of population, financial need, and the extent of the water
pollution problems facing the State. Since the program grants were insti-
tuted, a total of $5,673,440 in Federal funds has been allocated to the
Lake Michigan States for their pollution control programs. By June 1968,
Illinois will have received $2,119,976; Indiana, $1,188,919; Michigan,
$1,284,673 and Wisconsin, $1,079,872,
51
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W.ISCOJVSJN _
ILLINOIS
CHICAGO
LEGEND
• Pre-consfruct ion
A Under Construction
• Completed
^
CO
NT«^— - /
1 GARY ,
V r\ /
< ; •-' v
0|Z
z <
_J
=J
Q
Z
\ "SOUTH
V- -\BENC
V^
.^-/MICHIGAN _.
• ' B : f
INDIANA '
O n
r
52
FIGURE 9
GPO 8O8—665—5
-------
Research and Demonstration
The Federal Water Pollution Control Act calls for establishing
field laboratory and research facilities for the conduct of research,
investigations, experiments, field demonstrations and studies, and
training relating to the prevention and control of water pollution. The
law also provides for granting fellowships and training grants to educa-
tional institutions, and grants or contracts to public and private
agencies or individuals to demonstrate new or improved methods for dealing
with water pollution problems.
The Lake Michigan Basin has seven approved demonstration grants
and two approved demonstration contracts in an active status. Applica-
tions for other possible grants are under review. Table 3 shows the
present grants and contracts awarded, and Figure 10 shows locations.
TABLE 3
. LAKE MICHIGAN BASIN R & D GRANTS & CONTRACTS
Location
E.Chicago, 1 nd.
E.Ch i cago, 1 nd.
Jackson, Mich
Mi lwaukee,Wi sc.
Mi i waukee,-Wi sc.
App leton,Wi sc.
Green Bay, Wise.
*Mi lwaukee,Wi sc.
*Mi lwaukee,Wi sc.
Grant or
Contract No.
1 I-IND-I
WPRD 70-01-67
WPD- 1 57
WPO 188-01-67
IO-WIS-1
WPRD 12-01-68
WPRD 60-01-67
14-12-40
14-12-24
App ! icant
E.Chicago S'an. Dist.
E.Chicago San. Dist,
City of Jackson
City of Milwaukee,
Wise.
City of Mi Iwaukee,
Wise.
Pulp Mfrs. Research
League
Green Bay Metro.
Sewerage Dist.
Rex Chainbelt
Ai 1 is-Chalmers
Federa 1
Grant
$1,044,120
450,000
1 1,919
95,578
i, 468, 589
483,371
251,250
197,989
388,526
Esti mated
Total Cost
$3,1 1 6, .533
600,000
1 1,919
95,578
2,1 18,! 18
690,530
335,000
197,989
388-, 526
TOTAL
$4,391,342
,554,19:
^Contracts
-------
WISCONSIN
ILLINOIS ~t~
GRANTS
-------
Nature of Projects
II-IND-I - Project will evaluate the effectiveness of treating
combined sewer overflows in a very deep detention basin having aerobic
and anaerobic levels of treatment.
WPRD 70-01-67 - The objective of this project is to develop and
verify, on a small pilot scale, the preliminary design and operating con-
ditions for-chemical coagulation, sedimentation, dual media filtration,
and granular activated carbon adsorption for treatment of combined muni-
cipal-industrial wastes mixed with storm run-off.
WPD 188-01-67 - A project to study phosphate removal by an acti-
vated sludge plant.
WPD-157 - Aeration of secondary effluent to further reduce BOD.
IO-WIS-1 - Reduction of degree of pollution in the Milwaukee River -
is anticipated by increasing the efficiency of intercepting devices and
by using a detention tank to capture and treat the storm overflow of com-
bined sewage for an urban area comprising 570 acres which constitutes
approximateiy 3 percent of the total combined 'sewers of the city. This
includes the measurement of fiows and quality at critical points within
the collector system affecting the controi of facilities to be constructed,
WPRD 12-01-68 - This project will demonstrate field scale, inplant
treatment of dilute pulping wastes with a portable reverse osmosis unit.
Development of in-plan-t techniques to reduce loadings on biological
secondary treatment processing will be carried out. Project will acceler-
ate development and evaluation of reverse osmosis as a method of concen-
trating dissolved solids in dilute wastes-'with recovery of clear water for
reuse by the mi 1 I.
WPRD 60-01-67 - The project is a study, evaluation,, and determina-
tion of the effectiveness, design, and operating parameters of four alter-
native biological treatment processes and modifications for treating
combined municipal and industrial (primarily paper mill) wastewaters.
14-12-40 - This project will develop and demonstrate the applica-
ability of screening and chemical oxidation of storm and combined sewage.
14-12-24 - The primary purpose of the contract is to demonstrate
the applicability of a new concept of biological treatment to be applied
withi'n a sewerage system.
-------
Research is being conducted to reduce pollution
of the Milwaukee River, shown here entering the
Lake at its harbor mouth.
-------
^""",f iv ^- a
tfV"*}* e/ J' ,.'i"^
Wastes pour into Calumet Harbor on Lake Michigan
from U. S. Steel's Chicago South Works.
-------
Present Status of Projects
Most projects are either in the construction phase or preconstruc-
tion phase of the grant or contract. WPD 188-01-67 will complete one year
of study about the 1st of February 1968, on the phosphate removal from an
activated sludge plant. One year of study is complete on -WPD 157; report
now awaited; study may be extended,
FWPCA research facilities in the Great Lakes Region provide a
National Water Quality Laboratory at Duluth, Minnesota and a proposed
laboratory at Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The National Water Quality Research Laboratory at Duluth, Minnesota
is charged with the responsibility of developing water quality requirements
for all fresh water uses in the United States.
The proposed research laboratory for Ann Arbor, Michigan will be
involved in studies that will cover most all problems relating to water
pollution and especially those problems in the Great Lakes area.
Federal Installations
The Federal Government has not overlooked the pollution hazards
created by its own activities. By Executive Order 11288, President
Johnson has directed the heads, of the departments, agencies, and estab-
lishments of the Executive Branch of the Government to provide leadership
in the nation-wide effort to improve water quality,
The Order directed all agencies to present annually a phased and
orderly plan for needed corrective and preventive measures and faci iities
to the Bureau- of the Budget to faci litate budgeting procedures. FWPCA
has reviewed the plans submitted in an effort to achieve maximum pollution
"abatement. Project priorities have been established on the basis of the
severity of the pollution problem- wi.th due regard for legitimate water uses,
enforcement actions, and applicable water qual-ity standards. Secondary
treatment is the- mini-mum acceptable under the Order for all projects. The
establishment of water quality standards may necessitate higher degrees of
treatment, including nutrient control, at some installations.
Federal installations in the Lake Michigan Basin have initiated pol-
lution abatement programs in accordance with the Order. There are approxi-
mately 345 instaIlations .In the Basin, distributed as follows: Illinois,
12; Indiana, 34; Michigan, 171; and Wisconsin, 128. About 50 percent of
these are connected to municipal sewer systems. The remaining 50 percent
di scharge wastes, after .varying degrees of treatment,, to. ground-or surface
waters of the Basin. Some of the smaller -installations provide no treat-
ment at present. Tabulated in the Appendix of this report is an inventory
of these installations showing the waste treatment provided and the status
of pollution abatement.
Two installations account for three-fourths of all wastes generated
by -independently-discharging Federal sources in the Lake Michigan Basin.
-------
-,«f»> „*' ', \t -—•, ? j,v« ?" ' '
i'"" . **' <*••** r *i le"»- » ' U*f ' *!f
• • -r'<- *•.-.«*UV'/.:?«:V>•''•*?',>.<>*'»•.:.
a*k^i
Great Lakes Naval Training Center (pictured
above) and Fort Sheridan account for
than half of all wastes contributed by
independently-discharging Federal installations
in the Lake Michigan Basin.
-------
These are the Navy's Great Lakes Naval Training Center and the Army!s Fort
Sheridan. The sewer system at the Naval facility includes the training
center, the command center for Ninth Naval District headquarters, and a
Veterans Administration Hospital. Fort Sheridan is headquarters for the
Fifth U.S. Army, recently relocated from the south side of Chicago. Waste
treatment capability at both places is the conventional secondary type.
The more significant Federal vessels which frequent the .waters and
harbors of Lake Michigan are listed in the Appendix. The U.S. Coast Guard,,
Navy,, and Army Corps of Engineers are all acutely aware of the problems
associated with vessel pollution. They are actively pursuing abatement
and research and development programs in an effort to obtain waste treat-
ment devices suitable for ship board use.
The U.S. Coast Guard is installing a waste holding tank on the
Cutter "Sundew" berthed at Charievoix, Michigan. Wastes wiI I be evacuated
to the municipal sewer system. Other Coast Guard vessels have macerator/
chlorinator units which are not considered adequate,, and which wi i I be
corrected as rapidly as funds permit.
All Corps of Engineers'' vessels and floating pi ants (tugs, dredges,
derricks, etc.) operating In Lake Michigan, have been fitted with macera-
tor/chlorinator units. Efforts are being made to insure that these devices
wi I! be replaced with acceptable treatment units or holding tanks at the
earliest possible date. One dredge operating in Lake Erie is now being
fitted with an extended aeration package plant of a type that is suitable
for installation on-all such floating plants.
The American Shipbuilding Company, Lorain, Ohio, has designed and
is now installing secondary treatment plants on comma reia I cargo vessels
under construction. Units of this type could be made adaptable for instal-
lation on Federal vessels.
Federal water resources projects and facilities and operations sup-
ported by Federal loans, grants, or contracts are also included in Execu-
tive Order 1.1288. Water resource projects must be designed, constructed,
and operated in a manner which will reduce pollution from such activities
to the lowest practicable level.
The head of each Federal department, agency, and estabIishment has
been directed to conduct a review of the loan, grant, and contract prac-
tices of his own organization to determine to what extent water pollution
control requirements set forth in the Order should be adhered to by bor-
rowers, grantees, or contractors. This review has resulted in practices
designed to reduce water pollution in various programs. Urban renewal
.projects now require the construction of separate storm and sanitary sewer
systems rather than combined sewers. The nationwide highway construction
program, financed with Federal funds and administered by the Bureau of
Public Roads, is now being conducted in accordance with practices aimed at
60
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preventing water pollution, either during construction or in operation
and maintenance. The various agencies have consulted with the Federal
Water Pollution Control Administration in an effort to insure maximum
consideration of water quality in their activities.
This Order represents a major step forward in the battle to pre-
serve and enhance the quality of our Nation's waters. It has sparked a
keen awareness on the part of government officials of the need for cor-
rective action and vigorous abatement programs. The effort being shown
by these various Federal agencies provides leadership in the nationwide
quality improvement program.
Technical Assistance
The Regional Tachnical Program provides technical assistance to
States, local authorities, and industry upon request through the State
water pot I ution control agencies,, and to other Federal agencies. Current
technical assistance projects in the Lake Michigan Basin include:
!. Participation in the Corps of Engineers' pilot program to
deve-lop practicable alternate methods for disposal of dredged material.
This has involved collection and/or analyses of samples collected from
24 harbors on Lake Michigan.
2. Participation in the International Joint Commission study of
the feasibility of further regulation of the levels of the Great Lakes,
including Lake Michigan. The object of further lake regulation would be
to reduce damages resulting from excessively high or low lake levels.
3. Investigation of character and source of oil pollution. In a
recent incident which involved a large oil slick along the Chicago water- '
front, an extensive investigation was made involving analyses of samples
from 18 beaches and 10 lake stations. The type of oil was identified,
and although this information eliminated several possible sources, the
actual source was not determined.
The Technical Program also has responsibility for maintaining water
quality surveillance through stations in the National Water Pollution Sur-
veillance System. Lake Michigan stations located at Milwaukee, Wisconsin
and Gary, Indiana, provide long-term records of water quality character-
istics which provide highly important indications of water quality trends.
The Program is also providing surveillance of water quality conditions in
the Calumet enforcement area, to determine status of compliance with con-
ference recommendations. This operation has included weekly collection
and analyses of samples from Indiana Harbor Canal and Lake Michigan, oper-
ation of two automatic water quality monitors, and bi-weekly sampling of
beaches during the swimming season.
61
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Vi "'&"'
*^$&:mn
'
V * *
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CN,
#
ft!
Part of the residue of a 75-mile long oil slick that
stretched along the Chicago water front last summer
is shown on the beach. (Photo courtesy of the Chicago
Tribune.)
Public Information
The Public information Program of the Federal Water Pollution
Control Administration is designed to present facts about water pollution
control to the news media, interested groups and organizations, and the
public,, generally. The Program serves the public's right to know what
FWPCA is doing and trying to accomplish. It aiso serves those who need
particular information in order to participate effectively in water
pollution control programs.
62
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OF
(FIRST
POLLUTION OF LAKE
AND ITS TRIBUTARY
(WISCONSIN-ILLINOIS-INDIANA-MICHIGAN)
On the basis of a written request to the Secretary of the
Interior from the Honorable Otto Kerner, Governor of Illinois, dated
November 22, 1967, as we I I as on the basis of reports, surveys, or
studies, the Secretary of the Interior on December 16, 1967, called
a conference In the matter of pollution of Lake Michigan and its
tributary basin (WisconsI n-I I I inois-indlana-Michlgan) under the
provisions of section 10 of the Federai Water Pollution Control Act,
as amended (33 U.S.C. 466 et seq.). The conference was heid on
January 31, February 1-2, February. 5-7, March 7-8, and March 12, 1968,
at the Sherman House, Chicago, Illinois.
The following conferees representing the State water pollution
control agencies of Wisconsin, ! ! i inois, Indiana, and Michigan, and
the U. S. Department of the Interior participated in the conference.
Presiding:
Max N. Edwards
Murray Stein
For the of Illinois
Dr. C. S. Boruff
Clarence W. Klassen
Franklin D. Yoder, M. D.
Assistant Secretary
U. S. Department of the Interior
Washington, D. C.
Assistant Commissioner for Enforcement
Federal Water Pollution Control
Administration
U. S. Department of the Interior
Washington, D. C.
Illinois State Sanitary Water Board
Peoria, ! 1 1 Inois
Technical Secrerary
Illinois State Sanitary Water Board
Springf iel d, I 1 1 1 no I s
Director, State Department of Health
Chairman, Illinois State Sanitary
Water Board
Sprin.gf Iel d, III inois
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For the State of Indiana:
John MItchei I
Blucher Poole
Colonel Charles Sidle
For the of Michigan:
George F. Liddle
Loring F. Oeming
John Vogt
For the State of Wisconsin:
Freeman Hoi-mer
Russel! 6. Lynch
Lester P. Voigt
Director, Department of Natural
Resources
Indianapolis, 1ndiana
Technical Secretary
Indiana Stream Pollution Control
Board
Indianapolis, I ndiana
Chairman, Indiana Stream Pollution
Control Board
Indianapol is, Indiana
Chairman, Michigan Water Resources
Commission
Muskegon, Michigan
Executive Secretary
Michigan Water Resources Commission
Lansing, Michigan
Chief, Division of Engineering
Michigan Department of Public Health
Lansing, Michigan
Administrator, Division of Resource
Development
Department of Natural Resources
Madison, Wisconsin
Chairman, Natural Resources Board
Madison, Wisconsin
Secretary, Department of Natural
Resources
Madison, Wisconsin
For the U. S. Department of the Interior:
H. W. Poston
Federal Water Pollution Control
Administration
U. S. Department of the Interior
Chicago, I I Ii noi s
64
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Also participating in the conference were:
NOTE: The list of other participants in the conference has been
omitted here for the sake of brevity. The list may be obtained
upon request to the FWPCA Regional Office.
The Chairman of the Conference pointed out that:
I. Under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as
amended (33 U.S.C. 466 et seq.), pollution of interstate or navi-
gable waters which endangers the health or welfare of any persons
is subject to abatement under procedures described in section 10 of
the Federal Act.
2. The first step of these procedures is the calling of
a conference.
3. The purpose of the conference is to bring together
representatives of the States and the U. S. Department of the
Interior to review the existing situation and the progress which
has been made, to lay a basis for future action by all parties
concerned, and to give the States, localities, and industries an
opportunity to take any remedial action which may be Indicated
under State and local law.
The conference was held on January 31, February 1-2, and
February 5-7, 1968. The conference was recessed 'and reconvened
in Executive Session on March 7-8, and March 12, 1968.
At the Executive Session the conferees agreed to the
following conclusions and recommendations:
Conclusions
I. Lake Michigan is a priceless natural heritage which the
present generation holds in trust for posterity, with an obligation
to pass it on in the best possible condition.
2. Water uses of Lake Michigan for municipal water supply,
recreation, including swimming, boating, and other body contact
sports, commercial fishery, propagation of fish and aquatic life,
and esthetic enjoyment, are presently Impaired by pollution. The
sources of this pollution include wastes from municipalities,
65
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Industries, Federal activities, combined sewer overflows, agricultural
practices,, watercraft, natural runoff, and related activities through-
out the drainage basin.
3. Eutrophication is a threat now to the usefulness of Lake
Michigan. Unless checked,, the aging of Lake Michigan will be accel-
erated by continuing pollution and particularly by wastes containing
phosphates. Feasible methods exist for substantial removal of phos-
phates from sewage and Industrial waste discharges. They need to be
appfled.
4. Evidence of severe bacterial pollution of tributaries has-
been found In the Fox River between Lake Winnebago and Green Bay,
Wisconsin; in the Milwaukee River within Milwaukee County, Wisconsin;
In and downstream from cities along the Grand River In Michigan and
the St. Joseph River in Indiana and Michigan; and in the streams of
the Calumet Area, Illinois and Indiana. Although the bacteria! qual-
ity of Lake Michigan Is generally good in deep water,, the water Is
degraded at some points along the shoreline and In harbor areas.
5. Pollution has contributed to the growth of excessive
inshore algal populations which have occurred in the vicinity of
ManEtowoc to Port' Washington, Wisconsin; Chicago, Illinois; the
eastern: shore of Lake Michigan, and near Manlstique, Michigan.
Interference with water treatment plant operations because of algae
has occurred at Green Bay, Sheboygan, and Mi Ewaukee, Wisconsin;
Waukegan, Evanston, and Chicago, Illinois; Gary and Michigan- City,,
Indiana; Benton Harbor, Holland, Grand Rapids, and Muskegon, Michi-
gan; and other cities. Phosphate concentrations now exceed critical
algal growth values In many areas.
6. Excessive sludgeworm populations, indicating poHution of
lakebed sediments, have been found at points one mile off the shore
near Manitowoc; Sheboygan; Port Washington, Wisconsin to Waukegan,
11 i.fnols; and Chicago, Illinois to- Muskegon, Michigan, Sludgeworms
were not found in shallow waters subject to wave action.
7, The smalt- quantity of oxygen normally dissolved in water Is
perhaps the- most important single Ingredient necessary for a healthy,
balanced, aquatic life environment. The discharge of treated and
untreated municipal and Industrial wastes with high concentrarHo-ns of
biochemical oxygen demand have caused oxygen depletion "m many of the
Lake Michigan tributaries and In some harbors. At present the main
body of Lake Michigan has not evidenced signs of oxygen deficiency.
8. In addition to one existing nuclear power plant, five
nuclear power plants, three of which will have twin; reactors, are
-------
proposed or under construction at Lake Michigan cities for comple-
tion between 1970 and 1373. The combined impact of siting many
reactors on the shores of the lake must be considered so that this
activity will not resuit in pollution from wastewater heat or from
the discharge of excessive amounts of radionuclIdes.
9. Water-craft plying the waters of Lake Michigan and its
tributaries are contributors of both untreated and inadequately
treated wastes in local harbors and in the open lake, and intensify
iocai poliutlon problems.
10. The danger of spills of pollutant chemicals, particularly
oil, whether accidental or deliberate is so prevalent that it must
be considered a significant source of pollution of the waters of
Lake Michigan and treated as such. Oil discharges from industrial
plants and commercial ships, and careless loading and unloading of
cargos, despoil beaches and other recreational areas, contribute
to taste and odor problems and treatment problems at water treatment
plants, coat the hulls of boats, and may be deleterious to fish and
other aquatic life.
II. The maintenance of waterways for commercial and naviga-
tional use is a constantly necessary activity. The continued depo-
sition of dredged material containing nutrients, oil, and soiids of
sewage and Industrial waste origin in Lake Michigan poses a distinct
threat to the quality of the lake.
12. Pesticides are found in Lake Michigan and Its tributary
streams resulting from the application of these materials. The ever-
increasing use of these materials threatens water uses for recreation,
fish and wildlife, and water supplies.
13. A persistent pollutant entering directly into Lake Michigan
or dissolved Into the water that feeds the lake, mixes with and may
become an Integral part of the lake water as a whole.
14. The massive die-off" of alewives that occurred in !967
created conditions that severely restricted recreational uses
causing losses In millions of dollars to the tourist Industry and
certain municipalities. Although the dead fish .were not the resuit
of pollution, they caused poliutlon and therefore a concern to
water pollution control agencies,
15. Discharges of untreated and Inadequately treated wastes
originating in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan cause pol-
lution of Lake Michigan which endangers the health or welfare of
persons In States other than those In which such discharges originate.
In large measure this pollution results from nutrients which fertilize
67
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the Sake. This pollution is subject to abatement under the pro-
visions of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended
(33 U.S.C. 466 et seq.).
16. The Federal enforcement actions already in effect on the
Menominee River area and the Calumet River area are supplemented but
not superseded by this conference.
Recommendations
!. Waste treatment is to be provided by all municipalities to
achieve at least 80 percent reduction of total phosphorus and to pro-
duce an effluent that will not result in degradation of Lake Michigan's
water quality. Such treatment will provide compliance with the water
quality standards for Lake Michigan as.approved by the Secretary of
the Interior and the appropriate State water pollution control agency
of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan or Wisconsin. This action is to be
substantially accomplished by December 1972.
2. Industries not connected to municipal sewer systems are
to provide treatment so as not to result in the degradation of Lake
Michigan's water quality and to meet the water quality standards for
Lake Michigan as approved by the Secretary of the Interior and the
appropriate State water pollution control agency of Illinois,
Indiana, Michigan or Wisconsin. This action is to be substantially
accomplished by December 1972.
3. Within six months each State water pollution control agency
shall list the municipalities and industries discharging wastewater
to the Lake Michigan Basin. The U. S. Department of the Interior
will provide a comparable list of Federal installations. Each source
so listed will indicate whether it discharges pollutants, including
nutrients, having a deleterious effect on the Lake Michigan water
quality. Detailed action plans for treatment of all waste having
deleterious effect on the water quality of Lake Michigan are to be
developed. Such plans shall identify the principal characteristics
of the waste material now being discharged, the quantities, the
proposed program for construction or modification of remedial facil-
ities and a timetable for accomplishment, giving target dates in
detail. This list shall be presented to the conferees for their
review and consideration. Pollution sources shall be added to or
removed from the list by formal action of the conferees.
4. Continuous disinfection is to be provided throughout the
year for all municipal waste treatment plant effluents. This action
is to be accomplished as soon as possible and not later than May 1969.
5. Unified collection systems serving contiguous urban areas
are to be encouraged.
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3PG 808—665—3
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6, Adjustable overflow regulating devices are to be installed
on existing combined sewer systems, and be so designed and operated
as to utilize to the fullest extent possible the capacity of inter-
ceptor sewers for conveying combined flow to treatment facilities.
The treatment facilities shall be modified where necessary to mini-
mize bypassing. This action is to be taken as soon as possible and
not later than December 1970.
7, Effective immediately, combined sewers are to be separated
in coordination with all urban reconstruction projects, and prohibited
in .all new developments, except where other techniques can be applied
to control such pollution. Pollution from combined sewers is to be
controlled by July 1977,
8. Discharge of treatable industrial wastes -{following needed
preliminary treatment) to municipal sewer systems is to be encouraged.
9. Continuous disinfection is to be provided for industrial
effluents containing pathogenic organisms, or organisms which indicate
the presence of such pathogens, which may have a deleterious effect on
persons coming into contact with Lake Michigan waters.
10. The States and the Department of the Interior wfii appoint
members of a special committee on nuclear discharges and the thermal
pollution aspects of power plants and reactors. The committee will
meet with representatives of the Atomic Energy Commission and other
interested parties to develop guidelines for pollution control from
nuclear power plants. The committee is to pay special attention to
thermal discharges which affect the aquatic life environment of the
lake. Representatives of the committee will be available to appear
before any Federal or State agency considering approval of a permit
for such power plants and reactors.
II. The prohibition of the dumping of polluted material into
Lake Michigan is to be accomplished as soon as possible. The Corps
of Engineers and the States are requested to report to the conferees
within six months concerning their program, at which time the con-
ferees will consider adopting a coordinated approach toward the dis-
posal of dredged material together with a target date for getting the
program Into operation.
12. While the massive deaths of alewives In Lake Michigan are
probably not caused by pollution this phenomenon certainly creates
a pol I tit ion problem. The U. S. Department of the Interior, Fish and
Wildlife Service, and the cooperating State agencies- In the four
States bordering Lake Michigan are to be commended on their efforts
to achieve an ecological balance to stop the massive alewlfe die-off
in Lake Michigan. - It is recognized that this is a long-range program.
in order to provide protection for the next several years, stringent
69
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interim measures must be provided. Such measures will Include skim-
ming of dead alewives before they reach the shores of Lake Michigan,
disposal on properly located Sand sites and a local program to deal
with alewives which get to shore despite the offshore skimming pro-
gram. Recognition is given to the program being developed by the
task force of the Great Lakes Basin Commission to meet this problem
during this and the next few years* To assure the success of this
program the conferees recommend that the States concerned and the
Federal government support a program which would accomplish the
above objective with funds and personnel.
!3. The representatives of the conferess within 60 days meet
and agree upon uniform rules and regulations for control I ing wastes
from watercraft. These rules and regulations will generally conform
with the harbor pollution code adopted by the City of Chicago and the .
regulations adopted by the Michigan Water Resources Commission. The
use of maceration chlorination is not approved at the present time.
Since each of the four States operates under different statutes, con-
ferees will recommend to their respective boards, legislatures, etc.,
approval of the proposed uniform rules and regulations. Commensurate
requirements controlling the discharge of wastes from commercial ves-
sels is to be the responsibility of the Federal government.
14. Each of the State water pollution control agencies accel-
erate programs to provide for the maximum USQ of area-wide sewage
facilities to discourage the proliferation of smaii treatment plants
in contiguous urbanized areas and foster the replacement of septic
tanks with adequate collection and treatment.
15. Technical committee on pesticides wi!I be established to be
chaired by a, member of the Federal Water Pol lution Control Administra-
tion with representatives from each state. The committee shall evalu-
ate the pesticide problem and recommend to the conferees a program of
monitoring and control. The first report will be submitted in six
months to the conferees. The states shall seek legislation to license
commercial applicators.
16. The U. S. Department of Agriculture be requested to submit
to the conferees a report within six months on agricultural programs
to prevent pollution from agricultural land use such as siltation and
bank stabi1ization.
17. A committee be appointed to develop specific recommendations
for a coordinated four State-Federal monitoring program in the Lake
Michigan Basin and submit recommendations to the conferees at the
next progress meeting.
18. State wafer pollution control agencies and U. S. Depart-
ment of the Interior shall compile an inventory of all sites where
70
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potential exists for major spills of oil and other hazardous material,
which may affect the water quality of Lake Michigan, and require that
measures be taken where necessary to prevent the escape of this mat-
erial to the waters. A report will be submitted to the conferees
within six months.
19. The State water pollution control agencies shall arrange
for a broad spectrum of water quality analyses, including planktonic
algae counts,, to be performed at least twice weekly at the following
water filtration plants: Green Bay, Milwaukee, Evanston, Chicago
(both plants), Gary, Michigan City, Benton Harbor, and Grand Rapids.
Results will be reported annually to the conferees.
20. The Coast Guard will be requested to report at the next
progress meeting on present and future plans for monitoring by
aircraft and reporting of pollution on Lake Michigan.
21. The discharge of visible oil from any source in such a
manner as to reach the waters of Lake Michigan shall be eliminated.
22, Present knowledge of water pollution control shall be
employed immediately to abate water pollution in the Lake Michigan
Basin, and research on pressing water pollution problems shall be
vigorously pursued. Principal areas in which research is needed in
the Lake Michigan Basin include: control of over-production of
algae; more effective and less costly methods for removing dissolved
chemicals, especially nutrients, from wastewaters; techniques for
restoring eutrophlc lakes; methods for ultimate disposal of residues
removed from wastewaters; improved treatment and other measures for
handling industrial wastes including reelrculation; permanent solu-
tions for combined sewer problems; effective treatment plants for
ships; improvement and standardization of water quality tests; and
improved techniques for water quality monitoring.
23. It is recommended by the State conferees that Federal
legislation for the control of oil pollution on Lake Michigan be
strengthened.
24. it is recommended by the State conferees that the full
appropriation be made of the grant authorizations in the Federal
Water Pollution Control Act.
25. Progress meetings be held at least every six months
unless the conferees decide on another schedule for such meetings.
26. The conference will be reconvened at the call of the
Chai rman.
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IEFERENCES
!. United States Census of Population, 1960, U. S. Department of
Commerce, Bureau of the Census.
2. Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas in the United States as
defined on May !, 1967, with population in 1950 and 1960, U. S.
Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census.
3. Lake Michigan Basin, Population and Economy, Federal Water Pollution
Control Administration, Great Lakes Region, Chicago, Illinois.
4. County and City Data Book, 1967, U. S. Department of Commerce,
Bureau of the Census.
5. United States Census of Agriculture, 1964, U. S. Department of Commerce,
Bureau of the Census.
6. Great Lakes Harbors Study, U. S. Army Engineer Division, North Central
Corps of Engineers, Chicago, Illinois (November, 1966).
7. Water Oriented Outdoor Recreation - Lake Michigan Basin, U. S. Depart-
ment of the Interior, Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, Ann Arbor, Michigan
(March, 1966).
8. Water Levels of the Great Lakes; Report on Lake Regulation, U. S. Corps
of Engineers, North Central Division, Chicago, Illinois (December, 1965),
9. Water Quality investigations, Lake Michigan Basin - Lake Currents,
U. S. Department of the interior, Federal Water Pollution Control
Administration, Great Lakes Region, Chicago, Illinois (November, 1967),
10. International Joint Commission Great Lakes Levels Study (Preliminary
Report), U. S. Department of the interior, Federal Water Pollution
Control Administration, Chicago, Illinois.
II. Municipal Water Facilities - 1963 Inventory - Region V, U. S. Department
of Health, Education and Welfare, Public Health Service (1964).
12. Planning Status Report - Water Resource Appraisals for Hydroelectric
Licensing (6 parts), Federal Power Commission, Bureau of Power
(1964-1966).
13. Principal Electric Facilities, Great Lakes Region (map), Federal Power
Commission, Bureau of Power (1965).
14. Tabulation of Scheduled or Planned Changes in Installed Generating
Capacity (memorandum), Federal Power Commission, Bureau of Power
(July 7, 1967).
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15. Nuclear Installations in the Great Lakes and Illinois River Watersheds.,
U. S. Department of the Interior, Federal Water Pollution Control
Administration (unpublished).
16. Fish and Wildlife as Related to Water Quality of the Lake Michigan
Basin,, U. S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service
(March, 1966).
17. Biological Investigations, Special Report Number LM4, Great Lakes-
Illinois River Basins Project; April 1963, Presented as an Exhibit
in the Supreme Court Hearings on Diversion at Chicago.
18. Water Quality Investigations, Lake Michigan Basin - Biology; Federal
Water Pollution Control Administration, Great Lakes Region, Chicago,
Illinois (January, 1968).
19. Water Pollution Problems of the Great Lakes Area, Federal Water
Pollution Control Administration, Great Lakes Region, Chicago,
Illinois (September, 1966).
20. Ownbey, C. R., and Willeke, G. E., Long-Term Solids Buildup In Lake
Michigan Water. Proceedings, Eighth Conference on Great Lakes Research,
Great Lakes Research Division, the University of Michigan (1965).
21. Report on Pollution of the Waters of the Grand Ca i umet River,, Little
Calumet River, Calumet River, Lake Michigan, Wolf Lake and their
tributaries, Federal Water Pollution Control Administration (February,
1965).
22. A Comprehensive Water Pollution Controi Program, Lake Michigan Basin,
Milwaukee Area. Federal Water Pollution Control Administration
(June, 1966).
23. A Comprehensive Water Pollution Control Program, Lake Michigan Basin,
Green Bay Area, Federal Water Pollution Control Administration (June,
1966).
24. Eisenbud, M., Environmental Radioactivity, McGraw-Hill, New York,
p. 195 (1963).
25. Pollution of Navigable Waters of the U. S. by Wastes from Watercraft,
submitted to the Congress on June 30, 1967, FWPCA
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TO LIST
The following papers were presented by the identified staff
members of the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration at the
conference on pollution of Lake Michigan and Its tributary basin,
Chicago, Illinois, January 3!, 1968:
26. Bartsch, A. F., Statement on Eutrophication Conditions in Lake
Mi ch igan.
27. Baumgartner, Donald J.„ Statement on Currents in Lake Michigan.
28. Weinberger, Leon W., Waste Treatment for Phosphorus Removal.
The following report containing relevant information has been
published subsequent to the conference:
29. Water Quality Investigations, Lake Michigan Basin - Physical
and Chemical Quality Conditions; U. S. Department of the Interior,
Federal Water Pollution Control Administration, Great Lakes
Region, Chicago, Illinois, January 1968.
74 *U.S.Government Printing Office: 1971 — 750-652
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