DanS.

It does raise an interesting question...how would Indiana stop us from pumping water based on an agreement we never signed? What about Lake Huron, or Superior? It gets even deeper when Canada is considered...I don't advocate pumping water out...but it still makes me wonder.

Titanium Cat

The pipeline would have to cross Indiana and various public lands (highways at a minimum). If the state of Indiana said no how could you build it?

International waters are more difficult, those are subject to whatever agreements are in place. Yet if you take water out of Lake Michigan it would affect the level of Lake Huron and on down the line. I don't how that is covered. Last I knew the great lakes were at a pretty low level, has that changed?

DanS.

ahhh...I wasn't referring to just a pipeline. It was about the ability to take water out as a whole...whether by ship, truck or whatever...the really issue lately has been bottling plants...sucking up water.

But you're right it would affect levels on down the line...

Lake levels were really low last summer...Ships got stuck a few times...and my city has the deepest ports on the lake(or so I'm told)

But so far through this winter lake levels are up several inches.

Titanium Cat

Well you'd have to bottle and ship a lot of water to really lower the level significantly. I think I would be more concerned with industrial use. There must be some agreement about how much water each state/province can use.

I know some people who have a cottage in the Lake Huron region and they were saying how boats were hitting rocks etc. I guess heavy snowfall does have some advantages.

Heretic

The danger of opening up the Great Lakes for fresh water is that it'll be over-allowocated just as the Colorado River was. They're make estimates based on the most optimistic conditions as though they'd occur each and every year. That's why the water is so over-used and that none is left to maintain ecosystems along the Colorado. In fact what you'll see is so much water drawn from the lakes that it begins to interfer with shipping and potentially take a gradient that'll allow sea water in.

__________________
"Enough!!" -so rang Barack Obama's voice off the walls of Mile High Stadium

OldManOnFire

In my area we have the Russian River which collects water in a 70-80 mile stretch through vineyards and hills, primarily from rain and springs, and sadly...all of this water flows unimpeded into the Pacific Ocean. It's really clean water that is 100% wasted other than replenishing the oceans.

I wonder how many other fresh water rivers in the USA carry millions or billions of gallons of water into the salty oceans...

__________________
Did you know both our problems and the solutions can be found simply by looking in our mirrors...and...Never confuse the extraordinary stuff I think and write with that of a well-balanced person...

Free Parking

This coming from a guy who lives in a state that contains Detroit.

OldManOnFire

If routing potable water across state lines was deemed necessary due to a national crisis, the federal government will simply claim imminent domain rights and take whatever land necessary.

A true crisis, whether it is about oil or water, will require unity from US citizens--not self-serving positions and stubbornness.

On a general note...can anyone imagine the scope of the projects, the huge increase in employment, with growth to the US economy, and sustainability into the future, if the US through government and private expenditures, was building 100 more damns and hydro-electric power plants, constructing irrigation canals across the country to assure water for everyone, installing solar and wind farms to produce energy, etc.???????? It would be staggering!!!!! And this is not only about blue collar workers since there would also be design and development efforts.

__________________
Did you know both our problems and the solutions can be found simply by looking in our mirrors...and...Never confuse the extraordinary stuff I think and write with that of a well-balanced person...