People are fishing in Milwaukee's outer harbor, "one of the most polluted spots in the Great Lakes," writes Katherine Esposito in her cover story on Lake Michigan. Wisconsin DNR analyst Dan Kaemmerer wonders if they know the risks. "This is not good that they're fishing there," he says, pointing out a nearby disposal facility where more than two million cubic yards of contaminated sediment have been deposited since 1975. From dioxins, PCBs and other industrial toxins to sewage overflows, the proliferation of zebra mussels and other invasive species, Lake Michigan is in jeopardy, Esposito reports, and time is running out. "It behooves all stakeholders and governments," says Kaemmerer, "to move posthaste to make restoration a reality." Lake Michigan continues to confront threats, ranging from record-high water temperatures and invasive Asian carp to municipal water-withdrawal efforts. Now a DNR community service specialist, Kaemmerer this summer received the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust's Conservation Leadership Award.
Great stakes for Great Lakes
From the Isthmus archives, Aug. 17, 1990