Follow
Lake Michigan water is very clear.
It’s been 3 years already since the Lake Michigan water is regarded as being one the clearest source of drinking water supply in the United States.
As proof, the Michigan City officials organized boat trips for scientists, tourists, and citizens. A 60-foot laboratory vessel, known as the W.G. Jackson, took 30 people on a short educational trip to draw samples from the bottom and top of the lake.
It is worth mentioning that this boat does not just sail on Lake Michigan, but also on Muskegon Lake and along Michigan’s western shoreline. Its scientific purpose is to gather samples from these three sources, compare and use them as a teaching material for students.
During the last trip, the samples proved that the water quality was almost perfect. According to Shirley McIntire, a science instructor at Grand Valley State University’s regional campus in Muskegon, the fact that the water is clear proves that it is safe to drink.
Another important method that scientists use to check the water quality includes lowering a massive disk into the water to check how far down will it go before becoming impossible to spot. The people on the boat were allowed to perform this experiment. As a result, the disk was still visible even after 19 feet in depth, reaching the maximum distance at which a disk could still be seen by the human eye.
Furthermore, several other aspects show whether the water is clear or not, such as its color, pH level and the activity on the lake’s bottom. Surprisingly, scientists made a discovery as well after pulling up small pieces of smooth brown gravel from the bottom of the lake.
In addition to this, a plankton net was also used to check the supply of these organisms. The data showed that this important source of food for many of the lake creatures thrives in the Lake Michigan water.
Nevertheless, the biggest contribution to this initiative belongs to the Michigan City Sanitary District, that starting from 2014, has sent the vessel on educational voyages to inform people and make them understand how important is for us to have clean water sources.
Hopefully, the water of the Lake Michigan will remain as clean as it is today, setting an example for other communities to start doing the same.
Image Source:Wikipedia
