While the Mackinac Bridge is five miles long and it spans the water between the Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The waters beneath the bridge are highly contested. Forbes discusses how the permits for the aging pipeline below the straits has had the permits granted and then taken away setting up continuing legal battles between tribal nations, the state of Michigan, and Enbridge.  Enbridge wants to replace the pipeline with a tunnel that environmentalists and the tribes in the areas around Saint Ignace want to shut down the pipeline permanently.

NOAA discusses how the ice formations in the region have drastically declines since 1980 which directly leads to a decline in fish populations as the ice historically protects the eggs that have been laid. In addition the reduced amount of ice shows a drop in lake levels because the ice typically reduces evaporation within the lakes allowing the water levels to stay within normal ranges. 

According to the Journal of American Water Resources Association the climate is rapidly changing in North America. The rapid change in climate is presenting larger issues for the great lake’s region with more severe storms, some areas are experiencing droughts, while others are experiencing flooding. 

As Quagga and Zebra mussels make rapidly reproduce and blanket the bottom of Lake Huron, they wash up on the shores and can be found along some of the rockier beaches. These mussels have closed off intakes for local factories and cause destruction to the local environment speeding the decline in lake resources.