People have always preferred to build their settlements on the banks of rivers, lakes and other bodies of water. This is understandable and not surprising: both fresh water, and fish, and the beast go to the watering place. And for domestic needs, water is needed in large quantities. Lake Huron was no exception.
History of the reservoir
Even before the discovery of America by Europeans, the lake was by no means deserted. Its shores were inhabited by numerous native Indians. The largest tribe was the Vendats. The first of the Europeans to explore the new territory were the French, who drew an analogy between the traditional construction of the hair on the head of male Vendates and the severed head of a boar. In French, the latter was called "Gure", and the tribe was renamed the Huron as a result.
Lake Huron had a very good location, and the Europeans stayed on its shores forever. If, when compiling the very first maps, the reservoir was ingenuously called the Freshwater Sea (tracing-paper translation from the language of the Indians), then over time it more and more often became the “Lake of the Hurons”, and then the name was reduced tocontemporary.
Geographic coordinates
Lake Huron has an extremely interesting geography. Let's start with the fact that in the modern world it theoretically belongs to two states at once: the United States of America and (together with them) Canada. On the one hand, the Michigan shores (that is, the lands of the USA), 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. Such unique lakes, perhaps, you will not find anywhere else on the globe. It is bordered by (and contacted by): Erie (it is in the south), Upper (northwest, connection through the St. Marys River) and Michigan (it is already strictly in the west). And at the same time, you still can’t say exactly where Lake Huron is located, it is both in Canada and in the States.
Environmental situation
Sadly, 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 of the rare corners of the earth's nature. Since the 17th century, Europeans have been using this reservoir to process wood and found minerals. Over the past nearly four centuries, industry has caused almost irreparable harm to Lake Huron. And in the 19-20 centuries, metallurgy and pulp and paper enterprises joined the already “usual” industries. These industries also require a considerable amount of water, and Lake Huron could provide them with it. It can be said thatthis is what killed the rare reservoir.
Zone of concern
The saddest thing is that water is not just taken from the lake for industrial needs. In the end, the reservoir is fed by springs that, at the very least, restore the water balance in it. The bad thing is that sewage is also dumped there, and it is precisely with this that the lake does not have enough strength to fight. So far, Lake Huron has not been declared a disaster zone, but certain parts of it have already become a “zone of concern”. In its waters, there is an increased content of "extra" bacteria; it has become a receptacle for toxic compounds and heavy metals. Some fish and shellfish have disappeared from the relic lake, and all these signs are even more frightening if you remember where Lake Huron is located. After all, it has been preserved from the ice age, and there are not so many such places on Earth.
The situation is also complicated by the fact that new species of inhabitants have appeared in the lake, previously unusual for it. Among them are the sea prickly 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 tourist interest in the reservoir. And tourists are the main source of ecological maintenance of unique natural objects.
Special appeal
And such a sad situation is observed despite the fact that Lake Huron has an interesting landscape and great tourism opportunities. At least the fact that the area of Lake Huron is almost 60 thousand square kilometers already speaks of its potential. And iftake into account that this reservoir has a very winding coastline, due to which the length of the coast stretches for 6000 km (many believe that the coast is longer), the tourist attractiveness of Lake Huron increases significantly. It would be nice to take into account that the area of \u200b\u200bLake Huron is literally dotted with islands suitable for recreation. It is all the more interesting that most of these "oases" are inhabited, so tourists will not have problems with infrastructure.
Struggle for salvation
Now the governments of both countries (remember, both the US and Canada are "responsible" for Lake Huron) are making joint efforts to restore the ecological value of the second largest lake of the Big Five. Broods of fish are being launched, control over discharges has been strengthened at operating industries, and attempts are being 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 altogether. However, as we all know, this is impossible. Therefore, something unique is dying, because too little money is allocated to preserve and maintain it.
Both Americans and Canadians believe that if there is not enough money or time for a vacation trip (for example, to the Seychelles or a resort in the Dominican Republic), then Huron will successfully replace all these options. And the bizarre shores, unusual islands and gentle waters of this amazing lake will remain in the memory of the whole family for many years to come.
