CLAIRE MOORE
This map shows the geographical composition of Great Lakes Basin surface freshwater and groundwater. (U.S. Geological Survey graphic)
LANSING Fresh water is the aquatic version of treasure. It’s valuable and people really, really want it.
Access to oodles of fresh water is normal for those who live in or near the Great Lakes Basin. Its residents are close to Earth’s largest freshwater ecosystem, which formed when massive glaciers carved out lake beds, then melted.
Below the surface lie groundwater reservoirs, which link the entire watershed.
But now, as North America grapples with climate change and a rising population to feed, the agricultural industry’s interest in tapping into the region’s freshwater supply is growing.
48SHARES
A map showing the geographical composition of Great Lakes Basin surface freshwater and groundwater. Image: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
Editor’s note: This is the fourth part of a 5-part series by Kalah Harris, Audrey Porter, Yue Jiang and Claire Moore that focuses on trans-border U.S. and Canadian environmental research projects.
By Claire Moore
Freshwater is the aquatic version of treasure. It’s valuable and people really, really want it.
Access to oodles of freshwater is normal for those who live in or near the Great Lakes Basin. Its residents are close to Earth’s largest freshwater ecosystem, which formed when massive glaciers carved out lake beds, then melted.