The Great Lakes ecosystem is recognised by many as an international natural resource that has been altered by human activities and climate variability. These alterations have led to degraded water quality, diminished habitat, lower native fish and wildlife populations, and an altered ecosystem. In response, the federal governments of the United States and Canada and the state and provincial governments in the Great Lakes basin are implementing several restoration activities. These activities range from mitigating the harmful effects of toxic substances in lake waters to restoring fish habitat. This books provides the reader with a background on and issues of the Great Lakes restoration initiative, as well as the action plan for the years 2010-2014.

New York Times Bestseller Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize Winner of the J. Anthony Lukas Award "Nimbly splices together history, science, reporting and personal experiences into a taut and cautiously hopeful narrative.… Egan’s book is bursting with life (and yes, death)." —Robert Moor, New York Times Book Review The Great Lakes—Erie, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, and Superior—hold 20 percent of the world’s supply of surface fresh water and provide sustenance, work, and recreation for tens of millions of Americans. But they are under threat as never before, and their problems are spreading across the continent. The Death and Life of the Great Lakes is prize-winning reporter Dan Egan’s compulsively readable portrait of an ecological catastrophe happening right before our eyes, blending the epic story of the lakes with an examination of the perils they face and the ways we can restore and preserve them for generations to come.

Aldo Leopold, father of the "land ethic," once said, "The time has come for science to busy itself with the earth itself. The first step is to reconstruct a sample of what we had to begin with." The concept he expressedâ€"restorationâ€"is defined in this comprehensive new volume that examines the prospects for repairing the damage society has done to the nation's aquatic resources: lakes, rivers and streams, and wetlands. Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystems outlines a national strategy for aquatic restoration, with practical recommendations, and features case studies of aquatic restoration activities around the country. The committee examines: Key concepts and techniques used in restoration. Common factors in successful restoration efforts. Threats to the health of the nation's aquatic ecosystems. Approaches to evaluation before, during, and after a restoration project. The emerging specialties of restoration and landscape ecology.

Lake and Reservoir Restoration deals with the eutrophication process and the methods to protect, restore, and manage lakes and reservoirs. The most common in-lake techniques or procedures, plus nutrient diversion, are reviewed with regard to their scientific basis, methods of application, known effectiveness, feasibility, drawbacks, and costs. Areas for further research and development are also highlighted. This book is comprised of 16 chapters organized into four sections. After an introduction to the theory of the problem and the restoration technique, the discussion turns to the various restoration methods such as those used for physical and chemical control of nutrients. Diversion and advanced waste treatment, hypolimnetic withdrawal, and dilution and flushing are considered along with phosphorus precipitation and inactivation, sediment oxidation, sediment removal, and hypolimnetic aeration. Case studies and success stories are presented and the costs and potential negative impacts of the methods are examined. The following chapters focus on methods to control plant biomass, including artificial circulation, water-level drawdown, harvesting, biological control, and surface and sediment covers. A chapter on liming acidified lakes concludes this text. This monograph will be useful to professional limnologists and engineers, on-site lake or reservoir managers, and those who are interested in learning about the problems and management of lakes and reservoirs.