A great deal of reporting around climate change has focused on rising sea levels and their impact on coastal communities around the world. These are urgent concerns, particularly for those of us who do live near the coast, as I do. However, changing weather patterns are also creating major changes for inland waters. The Army Corps of Engineers recently published new data on water level increases in the Great Lakes region. Both heavier than normal rainfall, and warmer temperatures leading to greater snow melt and runoff, are contributing to record high water in the Great Lakes. This in turn leads to greater wave height and thus more erosion along the shores of the lakes. Erosion threatens many lakeside communities in the states and provinces bordering the Great Lakes. While these communities are not subject to the same tidal forces or threats of cyclones as coastal regions, the potential long term damage from too much water is significant.

Photo credit: ABC12 WJRT