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Any cites on the great lakes that do not have industrial history and/or active industry pollution? (like within at least 200 miles) Seems like just about all I look at end up have a steel mill or power plant!
It is highly unlikely. The Great Lakes were extremely useful for industry and the externalities of industry took their toll accordingly. There is upcoming remediation of the former US Steel plant closed in 1981.
All the cities actually on the lakes have an industrial history, inland cities like Columbus and Indianapolis are a different story. Madison may be an exception though, since it’s mostly built around education and government.
Chicago reversing the Chicago river from polluting Lake Michigan in the very early 1900s. Spared it a far worst fate of issues. The rivers waters then ran to the mighty Mississippi river. Doesn't seem Indiana steel milks by Lake Michigan. Hurt it too badly. The sand dunes and miles of beachfront still is fine. Chicago's beaches also. Fish have returned to the Chicago river ..... but still polluted as never dredged. Lake Michigan still has fishing off Chicago shores too.
Milwaukee's and still ongoing Chicago's Deep-Tunnel project since the 70s thru to 2029. Is to alleviate heavy rain periods of run-off into the Lake and river. Older cities have combined street-runoff and regular sewer systems that heavy rains overload. Multi-billions in cost to spare Lake Michigan more and basement flooding issues in parts.
Farmland and fertilizer run-off are still probably more threatening to gain possible algae blooms. Still most of the Great Lakes are fine. Lake Erie has had problems more as all being the most shallow of the Great Lakes and can get the warmest in summer.
Another big thread is Asian-carp that are very close to entering Lake Michigan and the others. They will alter the eco system much more and damage other fish stock by taking over if the enter and multiply.
Most of the cities on the Great Lakes have been/are industrial cities.
Lake Superior did not have a lot of industry on its shores but there was mining around it which led to some pollution with heavy metals.
Most of the pollution that enters the Great Lakes now comes from stormwater runoff, agricultural (phosphates) and sewage. While the US requires that sewage has secondary treatment, Canadian law requires only primary treatment. Some cities in Canada do perform secondary treatment but not all.
There are ongoing efforts anyhow to clean up the lakes:
Most of the cities on the Great Lakes have been/are industrial cities.
Lake Superior did not have a lot of industry on its shores but there was mining around it which led to some pollution with heavy metals.
Most of the pollution that enters the Great Lakes now comes from stormwater runoff, agricultural (phosphates) and sewage. While the US requires that sewage has secondary treatment, Canadian law requires only primary treatment. Some cities in Canada do perform secondary treatment but not all.
There are ongoing efforts anyhow to clean up the lakes:
Here's another: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18JpT61rX6A
The total cost of the clean up of the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland will be near $10B, the good news is that we are well over half way done.
Any cites on the great lakes that do not have industrial history and/or active industry pollution? (like within at least 200 miles) Seems like just about all I look at end up have a steel mill or power plant!
I think the cleanest lakes in general are Lake Superior, followed by Lake Huron.
Lake Superior is surrounded more by forests and few cities so it is the most pristine. Lake Huron is not bad either but the other lakes have issues. Lake Erie and Lake Ontario are downstream so they not only have their own problems, they get some of their neighbors too. And Lake Erie is much more shallow then the others.
Duluth MN by/large hasn't had active industrial operations since the early 1900s and is a pretty clean city environmentally.
More like the 1970s and 1980s did industry start to decline. The population peaked in 1960.
The city is pretty green overall (literally and figuratively).
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Great Lakes - Pollution VS Non-Pollution
