.png)
Resources | Water Quality
Lake Huron's water quality can be affected by excess nutrients entering nearshore waters. These excess nutrients contribute to beach closures and algae blooms, reducing the quality of the shoreline. Excess nutrients stem from human-caused factors including leaking septic tanks, agricultural runoff containing fertilizer and manure, urban runoff containing fertilizers, and natural causes such as large populations of geese and birds on the shoreline contributing feces to the water.
​
Nearshore water quality (e.g. lake water conditions generally regarded from the beach to a depth of 6 metres) is a complex issue which is partly impacted by land runoff, lake wave action and lake longshore currents. These 3 factors combined result in the water quality conditions of the nearshore lake waters. In urban areas, stormwater runoff and wastewater treatment discharge are the major contributors. In rural areas, septic systems, farm field runoff (e.g. nutrient laden runoff) and livestock operations (e.g. manure handling systems, manure spread of fields) are major contributors to nearshore water quality. The better the management systems, the better the water quality. More intense and more frequent storm and rainfall events create challenges to these systems and commonly result in negative water quality. Climate-ready adaptations and improved urban and rural water quality runoff will have significant positive impacts to nearshore water quality. These goals are something we all need to strive toward.