JOE OGNIBENE: Could southern states steal our water?

By Joe Ognibene

Hardly a day goes by that a news article about the Great Lakes and the problems they face does not appear in the news. The greatest problem facing our lakes is the possibility that one day other states will run pipes up to one or more of them and siphon our water away. If oil can be piped from Texas to northern refineries water can be sent to other states the same way.

This column has been clamoring for years that the Great Lakes Compact must be ratified by congress so that other states can’t take our water. The compact has the approval of most of the Great Lakes governors and the question is why aren’t they all on board. New York is one of the states that has not yet signed the compact although public sentiment is all for it. The present laws are inadequate to protect our water and keep it here at home where it belongs. Schemes to load tankers with our fresh water for

Arabian countries have been nipped in the bud both in this country and in Canada. The compact must be ratified before the census in 2010 could see a congressional shift with 25 House seats taken from Great Lakes states and given to states from drier parts of the country. That would be like giving a thief a license to steal and then we can kiss the Great Lakes goodbye. Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, one of many running for the presidency, would be delighted if the compact were not signed. He has suggested a national water policy, claiming Wisconsin is awash in water. He and governors from the South and Southwest are drooling over our Great Lakes waters and will do their utmost to have it diverted to them.

It has been estimated that the water level in Lake Ontario will fall almost 14-inches by 2030. Lake Erie it is estimated will fall almost four feet in that period. If other states were allowed to draw water from any of the Great Lakes it influences the levels of all of them. Can you imagine Lake Ontario with almost 14 inches of water gone? Or Erie almost four feet lower than it is now? Reefs that are now under water would be readily seen and a lot of props and boats will be scraping bottom. The shoreline of both lakes would not be the same as today. Boat docks would be high and dry and look like photos of some southern lakes that are almost bone dry.

The lower water levels would interfere with fish spawning and our walleye fishery now making a dramatic comeback in Lake Ontario could be wiped out. The lower levels would be conducive to rapid warming which would be ideal for largemouth bass but not for walleye. The more that 140 exotic species that were brought to this country in ballast water would more than thrive and competition for remaining forage would be fierce with our game fish coming out second best. We have time to save our waters if everyone makes an effort to have the Great Lakes Compact ratified by the state and Congress. Let your conservation club know you want them to work towards that goal. Call you local representatives and ask them what they are doing about it. I have the feeling some politicians are dragging their feet on this in the hopes that by protecting entities that want to ship our water to some other state they will land a cushy lobbying job one day. I have heard that this is done in political circles. If any of you have the opportunity, ask any of the hopefuls running for the presidency if they are for or against the Great Lakes Compact, if they know anything about it. Expect a lot of double talk, hemming and hawing, but not a straight answer.

Our salmon season is winding down rapidly and from now until the flowers bloom in spring trout will be the targeted fish. All trout with the exception of lake trout are fair game all winter. Lakers will open on New Years Day. You are limited to three trout or salmon a day in any combination. The combo may not include more than two lake trout of which only one may be between 25 and 30 inches. The other one can be any length. Only one Atlantic salmon included in the three fish limit and rainbows must be a minimum of 21 inches.

Joe Ognibene is a local sportsman who has covered the outdoor scene since 1957.