Lake Michigan isn’t just a lake. It’s a home to 163 species and over 23 million aquatic animals. Around 12 million people live on its shores. Lake Michigan is also one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world. 

People have been sticking close to Lake Michigan for thousands of years. It has been a comfortable place for many indigenous tribes to settle, such as the Chippewa, Ottawa, the Mascouten, the Potawatomi and the Miami. Over the last one thousand years, it has and continues to be used for trading. In addition, the lake serves as an important space for recreation.

All throughout history, we have noticed patterns in weather. However, the effects of climate change are consistently worsening all over the world. 

 The most common effect of climate change on Lake Michigan is the fluctuating water levels. Rising water levels can cause damage to cities and buildings, while dropping water levels can cause loss of habitat and drained shipping docks. 

When the water levels keep decreasing, the aquatic animals have to adapt to new conditions, whether it’s living in deeper water and having to find new food to eat or competing for space amongst new species. And when the shipping docks are drained, larger ships can’t park in the harbors resulting in delayed shipments.

According to the Winter 2024 Water Level Update, only recently has Lake Michigan’s water levels started to decrease. Up until 2020, Lake Michigan’s water levels were increasing.

“Climate change is making Lake Michigan change its behavior much more rapidly,” said Nate Fuller, executive director at Sarett Nature Center in Benton Harbor Michigan. “The lake levels are going up and down more quickly than they used to. The big storms that used to just hit in November are now coming in October through December, and the infrastructure people built along the shoreline, like stairs and docks, are getting wrecked more often.”

When one doesn’t know how hard a storm is going to hit, it can become dangerous to be on the water for an extended period of time.

“Back in the day, there were a lot of docks, but they had a house over them. As the waves rise and get rougher, the owners have been putting sea walls, but even then the water goes over the walls, and that’s why you see a lot of water over the piers,” said sophomore Cash Wolverton who regularly fishes at Lake Michigan.

Climate change goes beyond simple temperature fluctuations. Warmer summers and colder winters cause the natural ecosystem to struggle with the effects of climate change.

“Summer storms are bringing much more water, much more quickly than ever before,” said Fuller. “Here in Kalamazoo, we are experiencing flooding like never before as the Kalamazoo River now regularly floods in the summer as well as spring. In 2018, there was the biggest flood on record that put a good portion of the neighborhoods along the river and Crosstown ponds underwater.”  The Crosstown ponds are located in downtown Kalamazoo off of Westnedge and Porter street. 

The winter weather also causes problems. With the climate getting warmer, the lake doesn’t freeze over as early in the season as it used to, if at all. This causes an unusual effect on the city around the lake called lake effect.

“Lake effect snow happens when wintry air picks up moisture from the relatively warmer water of Lake Michigan, which turns into snow when the air cools off as it comes off the lake,” said Fuller. “When Lake Michigan freezes over, the lake effect snow goes away. But now the lake is staying warmer and not freezing over – the lake effect snow is occurring in more random and intense ways.”

Besides icy roads and increased automobile accidents, lake effect can damage farmers’ crops. Because the soil won’t freeze over, it won’t hold in place during the winter. As a result, agriculture related businesses must find a way to protect their crops by planting cover crops. Cover crops will hold in the soil and be a place holder to keep the soil healthy for the future crops. Using climate forecast tools and using safe, healthy fertilizers are some more ways farmers must protect their crops in the winter or summer while experiencing the effects of climate change.

If we can manage a sustainable way of living by cutting things that we don’t need out of our lives, Mother Earth can push towards a healthy and steady balance between seasons. The key is to set a change and live with it. Whether it’s always recycling, turning off lights and not using electricity when it’s not needed, using paper straws or paper bags instead of plastic, there are ways that we can reduce the impact of climate change. The more conscious our actions are, the more effectively climate change will be reduced.