MILWAUKEE, Wisc. — It has been a most unusual winter on Lake Michigan.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found that the average ice cover on Lake Michigan for this winter is under 3 percent, the lowest level for February in more than 50 years.
"Typically, you hear the phrase cooler near the lake, and that's because the water temperature's very cold this time of year when there's a lot of ice on it, but this year with less ice, the water temperature is warmer,” said Sarah Marquardt, Hydrologist, National Weather Service.
Milwaukee Riverkeeper Cheryl Nenn says the lack of ice -- combined with the lack of typical winter weather like heavy snow, sleet or an ice storm -- has an impact on our area's freshwater supply.
"When we have less ice cover on the lake, we get a lot of evaporation when we have sunny days and that can impact water levels,” said Nenn.
In a winter storm, the first line of defense is salt and all that runoff into the lake brings its own problems.
"Once the salt is in the rivers or in our lake, there's really nothing we can do to get it out,” said Nenn.
Nenn works with Wisconsin Salt Wise, a local group dedicated to keeping our freshwater supply clean.
She says the amount of salt needed to make an impact is smaller than you might think.
"It only takes one teaspoon of salt to permanently pollute about five gallons of water,” said Nenn.
Luckily, Nenn says there are ways you can help protect what we already have, including limiting the amount of salt you use when it snows and remembering that it doesn't disappear, but always has to go somewhere.
"Ultimately it's also making our drinking water supply more salty, and that will impact our health. And so, I think we all have a responsibility to be a little bit more aware of the issue,” said Nenn.
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