The pollution of our waterways became a national issue in June of 1969, the day the Cuyahoga River caught on fire. The Cuyahoga flows through Cleveland, Ohio, on its way to Lake Erie. It caught fire because it was so polluted. This was not the first time that the Cuyahoga River had been in flames. But the 1969 fire caught the attention of the nation, and the fight began for increased water pollution controls. The result was the Great Lakes Water Quality Act and the Clean Water Act in the 1970s.
Water pollution is defined as a change in the chemical, physical, and biological health of a waterway due to human activity. Ways that humans have affected the quality of the Great Lakes water over the centuries include sewage disposal, toxic contamination through heavy metals and pesticides, overdevelopment of the water's edge, runoff from agriculture and urbanization, and air pollution.
Pollution finds its way into the Great Lakes in many ways;
- Falling rain washes pollutants suspended in the air into the water.
- Melting snow carries road salt, oil, gasoline, and other pollutants into the water.
- Anglers lose lead sinkers while fishing, allowing lead to get in the water.
- Farmers, golf course managers, and homeowners apply fertilizers and pesticides to the land. Some of those chemicals eventually end up in the water.
- People use soaps and toothpaste containing micro-beads. Those tiny pieces of plastic end up in the water.
- People allow large pieces of trash to blow into the water, to fall overboard, or to wash into the water from beaches.
- Factories release pollutants into the air that can end up in the water.
- Can you think of other ways that pollutants can enter the Great Lakes?
