Report Notes Health of Great Lakes Has Many Areas of Concern

TORONTO (CP) – A new report says the health of the Great Lakes is mixed, and while the ecosystem is improving in some ways, there are many areas of troubling concern.

The report by Environment Canada and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says the Great Lakes continue to be a good source for treated drinking water, and toxic chemicals in the water have been significantly reduced.

But concerns about climate change, damaged natural habitats and invasive species are on the rise.

The report says shorter winters, higher annual temperatures and extreme heat events are likely to affect ice cover on the lakes, which has already been declining.

An altered climate and lower water levels could also continue to force wildlife from their natural habitats and allow the numbers of invasive species to grow.

The report says there are more than 300 different invasive species within the Great Lakes basin, and their destructive, parasitic behaviours are getting worse.