USGS on water level impact

This was from USGS Great Lakes Science Center Website. USGS thinks water level is important to consider. Wish they would look at Maine Lakes like Sebago Lake and China Lake.

Terrestrial, Freshwater, and Marine Ecosystems

Drowned River Mouth Wetland Coastal Ecosystems

The coastal zone of the Great Lakes (defined here as those onshore and nearshore areas that are or were at one time influenced by coastal and aeolian processes) includes wetlands, drowned river mouths, shallow water habitats, oak savannas, beaches, dunes, relict coastal features and deposits, and abandoned dune fields. These coastal ecosystems offer diverse habitats that support a myriad of plant, fish, and wildlife species. The economy of many coastal areas is dependent on the recreational value of these habitats and the sport fishing, commercial fishing, hunting, birdwatching, and swimming and hiking activities associated with them. Large numbers of seasonal tourists spend millions of dollars on lodging, food, sporting goods, boat and vehicle rentals, gasoline, and personal items, which often represent the major source of income to coastal communities. The ecosystems that supply the fish, wildlife, and recreational facilities underlying that economy have been severely impacted in number, area, and quality. Degradation is often associated with human activity in the coastal zone, including industrial, commercial, residential, and agricultural development, as well as alteration of littoral and other coastal processes that supply the sediments that form and maintain natural features such as dunes, beaches, and sand spits. Yet, surprisingly little is known about the relationships between protection of natural habitat and biota and environmental factors such as water-level change, coastal sediment dynamics, coastal tributary sediment dynamics and hydrology, and ground-water contributions in the coastal zone. Understanding the interactive role of biology, geology, and hydrology in protection and maintenance of coastal features is critical to the survival of the resources important to the people living in and enjoying the coastal zone.