People have always preferred building their settlements on the banks of rivers, lakes and other bodies of water. This is understandable and not surprising: fresh water, fish, and animals go out to the watering place. And for domestic needs, water is needed in large quantities. Lake Huron was no exception.
Pond history
Even before the discovery of America by Europeans, the lake was by no means deserted. Its shores were inhabited by numerous indigenous Indians. The largest was the Vendian tribe. The first of the Europeans to explore the new territory was the French, who drew an analogy between the traditional construction of hair on the head of male vendors and the severed head of a wild boar. In French, the latter was called the "guru", and the tribe as a result was renamed the Huron.
Lake Huron was very well located, and the Europeans remained on its shores forever. If, when compiling the very first maps, the reservoir was artlessly called the Freshwater Sea (a tracing-paper from the language of the Indians), then over time it increasingly became the "Lake of Hurons", and then the name was reduced to modern.
Geographical coordinates
Lake Huron has an extremely interesting geography. To begin with, in the modern world it theoretically belongs to two states at once: the United States of America and (to them in a set) Canada. On the one hand, Michigan's shores (that is, the lands of the United States), on the other, belong to Ontario, and this is Canada. At the same time, Lake Huron is also a natural monument, not only is it among the five "Great American Lakes", it also connects three other reservoirs into a common system. Perhaps you will not find such unique lakes anywhere else on the globe. They are bordered (and associated) with him: Erie (it is in the south), Upper (northwest, communication via the St. Marys River) and Michigan (it is strictly in the west). And while you still can’t say exactly where Lake Huron is located, it is both in Canada and in the States.
Ecological situation
It is sad, but neither the unique features of this place, nor the fact that Lake Huron has a wonderful location, did not save him from the fate of most rare corners of terrestrial nature. Since the 17th century, Europeans have used this pond to process wood and minerals found. Over the past almost four centuries, industry has done virtually irreparable harm to Lake Huron. And in the 19-20 centuries, metallurgy and pulp and paper enterprises joined the already "familiar" industries. These industries also require a considerable amount of water, and Lake Huron could give them it. We can say that this is what destroyed the rarest reservoir.
"Zone of Concern"
The saddest thing is that they don’t just take water from the lake for industrial needs. In the end, the reservoir is fed by sources that somehow restore the water balance in it . The bad thing is that wastewater is discharged there, and it’s not enough strength to fight this at the lake. So far, Lake Huron has not been declared a disaster zone, but parts of it have already become a “zone of concern”. In its waters there is a high content of "excess" bacteria, it has become a receptacle of toxic compounds and heavy metals. Some fish and shellfish disappeared from the relict lake, and all these signs scare even more if you remember where Lake Huron is located. After all, it has been preserved since the ice age, and there are not so many such places on Earth.
The situation is complicated by the fact that new species of inhabitants appeared in the lake, previously unusual for him. Among them are sea spiny flea and mussels (this is in a freshwater lake!). It is worth considering that Lake Huron is navigable, which not only affects the environment, but also reduces the tourist interest in the reservoir. And tourists are the main source of environmental support for unique natural sites.
Species appeal
And such a sad situation is observed despite the fact that Lake Huron has an interesting landscape and great tourist opportunities. At least the fact that the area of Lake Huron is almost 60 thousand square km already speaks of its potential. And given that this reservoir has a very winding coastline, due to which the coast stretches for 6000 km (many believe that the coast is longer), the tourist attraction of Lake Huron increases significantly. It would be nice to take into account that the area of Lake Huron is literally dotted with islets suitable for recreation. It is even more interesting that most of these "oases" are populated, so tourists will not have infrastructure problems.
The struggle for salvation
Now the governments of both countries (we recall that both the USA and Canada are “responsible” for Lake Huron) are making joint efforts to restore the ecological value of the second most important lake from the Big Five. Fish hatcheries are launched, control over discharges is strengthened at working plants, and attempts are made to limit shipping. However, according to experts, such efforts are few. Something more radical is needed to revive the lake, preserved since the ice age. Ideally, it is better to close all industrial enterprises along the banks of the Huron. However, as we all understand, this is not possible. Therefore, something unique dies, because too little money is allocated for its preservation and maintenance.
Both Americans and Canadians believe that if there is not enough money or time to travel on vacation (for example, to the Seychelles or to a resort in the Dominican Republic), then Huron will successfully replace all these options. And in the memory of the whole family for many years will remain fancy shores, unusual islands and gentle waters of this amazing lake.