TORONTO, CANADA (AP)-- A study finds that if water levels remain low on the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River they will have a negative economic impact on the region that could reach $18 billion by 2050.
The report released Thursday by the Mowat Centre used a climate-change scenario that projects future water levels near the low end of the historic range. According to the study, much of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence basin beginning in 1997-98 has experienced the longest extended period of lower water levels since coordinated measurement began in 1918.
The entities that would face an economic hit include recreational boating and fishing; commercial shipping and harbors; and rural groundwater users.
The study was conducted for the Council of the Great Lakes Region.