Photos, maps, up to date information and a book about changes in the five Great Lakes and their connecting waters.

The Dynamic Great Lakes: a book about changes in the five Great Lakes
Entertaining yet Informative
Elle Andre-Warner, Book Reviewer, Thunder Bay Post
Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
I've lived beside the waters of Lake Superior most of my life, but it wasn't until I read this book that I've really begun to understand and appreciate Lake Superior and the Great Lakes. The book is only 118 pages but it covers everything you need to know about the Great Lakes: how they were formed, the individual physical characteristics of each lake; their changes over time; the problems that affect them and the possible solutions. And the message that humans can positively affect their environment is strong: think globally and act locally. Entertaining, yet informative -- "The Dynamic Great Lakes" is a must read for anyone living near the Great Lakes.
 
Unraveling the Mysteries
Norman Goldman
Bookideas Many of us know very little about the five Great Lakes other than perhaps being able to name them. As Barbara Spring states in her introduction to her outstanding primer The Dynamic Great Lakes they are "a flowing river of seas left behind by Ice Age glaciers and are nearly twenty percent of the world's supply of fresh surface water; the world's greatest freshwater system." The ecosystem of this great body of water is very complex and unfortunately due to pollution and the fallout of modern industry and agriculture they have gone through a gradual transformation.
One of the unique characteristics of this compact book is that it is written in a language devoid of esoteric explanations. The eight chapters of the book reflect the author's teaching and journalistic aptitudes in knowing how to unravel the mystery of the Great Lakes and the many painful dangers it has faced and continues to face.
Each of the five Lakes is introduced with a brief synopsis of important elements distinguishing one from the other such as: elevation, length, breadth, average depth, maximum depth, volume, water area, retention time, population and outlet. From this point of departure the author deals with the various changes that have taken place as well as the various major issues affecting the Lakes. There are also brief descriptions of the various animal life found in each of the Lakes and how they have been affected by pollution and the appearance of harmful species, such as the Lamprey Eel.
However, we are also reminded throughout the reading of the book that "people power" can have an effect and if we band together and make our voices heard we could exert influence in reversing some of the harmful trends that have caused ecological disaster. For example we are apprised of the situation that occurred in relation to Lake Erie. In 1969 a tributary river of Lake Erie, the Cuyahoga, caught on fire due to being heavily coated with oil and debris. As a result, the Federal Water Quality Administration launched a one and half billion dollar municipal sewage treatment program for the Erie Basin which included the five surrounding states: Michigan, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, and Indiana.
The conclusion of the book most appropriately reminds us that: "we are all challenged to use our knowledge, creativity and common sense to keep the Great Lakes great. Can you think of ways to think globally and act locally?" We are also warned " life on earth is only possible as long as our limited life support system works.

Like Silent Spring
Jonathan David Masters 

My first impression of Ms Spring’s book was that here was a woman who was on a labor of love. Her enthusiasm for her subject is contagious. She gives the reader an overall history of the Great Lakes, a few secondary level ecology and geology lessons and then a brief history of each of the five lakes. She then sums up by identifying the major problems and elegantly expresses what she sees as possible solutions.
The general theme of her book is that we have and are continuing to make mistakes with regards to how we’ve handle these lakes in the past and that while some of these mistakes are irreversible (the extinction of species), others can be corrected through the democratic process.
The author is not a doomsday prophet, to the contrary, I found her book full of hope and promise ‘IF’ we (you and I) the ordinary citizen will care enough to become informed and get involved.
Worth a reading if for no other reason then that the writing is masterfully done and the many facts you’ll learn about these ever changing bodies of water are copious and engaging. Reminded me a little of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring.

A Journey Through Time
Rodney Hsu
Fishing With Rod
Although living in coastal BC, the complexity of the Great Lakes has often made me curious. After attending a lecture in 2000 regarding this subject, I was eager to find out more about the history of this body of water. In the recent month, I have been reading through Barbara Spring's new book The Dynamic Great Lakes and learned a tremendous amount of history and facts.
The Great Lakes are made of several large bodies of water that were formed during glaciation in eastern North America. These bodies of water include Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. It is the largest freshwater system on this planet that are interconnected by waterways and rivers. These lakes are so large that they behave like a small ocean. 
Barbara Spring is a resident of the Great Lakes and she has observed and done extensive researches on this complex ecosystem. She is an artist who sees the beauty of the Great Lakes, and a very vocal activitist who is determined to fight against pollution and other threats to preserve this beauty.
As the name implies, The Dynamic Great Lakes describes the changes that these lakes undergo overtime. Reading through this book is like taking a journey through time. Spring introduces you to the major historical events that took place at each lake and the unique characteristics that they possess today. It is a biology lesson and a history lesson that is taught through storytelling by a knowledgeable local. Unlike most scientific publications, one does not have to be a diehard biologist to understand the scientific concepts that are written by Spring. She has written in a language that readers of all ages and education levels can appreciate it.
Spring also addresses the major issues that have been taking place in the Great Lakes during the past few decades. She stresses the devastation of pollutants such as DDT and dioxin have caused in the Great Lakes. She also inspired me by giving examples of how these effects can be reversed when residents are determined to make a difference.
To an angler, this book can be a helpful guide if one wants to understand the dynamic system of a lake. I also enjoyed reading through many biological facts of fish species that were brought up throughout the book. Although my background in limnology is fairly broad, I found that the amount of knowledge that I have gained after reading this book was plentiful. If you are looking for a book that can help you grow as an angler, a scientist or an environmentalist, pick up The Great Dynamic Lakes now.

Great Lakes Hold Surprising Information Peter Wild
U. S. Water News Co -Published by The Freshwater Society
Are dinosaurs cruising the benthic depths of the Great Lakes even while we go about our daily tasks? Not exactly. Yet sturgeon, fish weighing up to 300 pounds and similarly plated with armor,are nosing around down there. Occasionally you can see the monsters appear, making their spawning runs up rivers and surfacing like submarines in the pools beneath waterfalls... The five Great Lakes, holding nearly twenty percent of the earth's fresh water, are quite young. Gouged out by glaciers, they assumed their present shapes a mere 3,000 years ago. For that, they are a dynamic shifting system, still changing and exhibiting surprising differences. Lake Ontario, for example, the easternmost, although smallest of the bodies, holds more water than Lake Erie, its shallower nearby sister. Here's a handy primer for all such things, from the interaction of phytoplankton and calcium carbonate that gives a white cast to these inland oceans come August and helps clean the water to the charming ice volcanoes spouting chilly "lava" in the winter. This is intriguing stuff for adults, but the straightforward presentation also lends itself to use in schools, beginning about the sixth grade and up. And yes, we get the latest news on the zebra mussel, the tube nose goby, and other threats to the natural scheme of things. Also good news; how since the banning of DDT in the 1970's, the bald eagles have come back. The price is reasonable enough, but you can save two dollars by ordering The Dynamic Great Lakes from 1-301-695-1707 
Important New Information


Fascinating and Informative

Libbey, Gumballpoetry Bookstore
This is a fascinating and informative read about the ever-changing Great Lakes. It's packed with in-depth history and ecology. Do you know about the disastrous Zebra Mussel invasion? Or how about the Whiting Effect, the few weeks of summer when the surface water of the Lakes turns milky white? Is that good or bad? Read it to find out, and to find out what you can do to help the Great Lakes.
 
An Engaging Guide

The Midwest Book Review, Vol. 12, No. 3
Wisconsin
Written out of appreciation for a most marvelous natural ecosystem, The Dynamic Great Lakes by Barbara Spring is an excellently written, insightfully presented, and engaging guide to the true natures of Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Chapters cover how the Great Lakes were formed, their physical characteristics and the history of their changes, problems that affect them today and offered solutions and more. An important contribution to our understanding of the Great Lakes system, The Dynamic Great Lakes is a wondrous and informative read, recommended for school and community library environmental studies reading lists and reference collections.
North America’s Great Lakes
 
NancyMarie, Myshelf.com
(3/21/2002)
Anyone interested in learning more about one of North America’s greatest natural resources will benefit from this book.


Stan Lievense, retired fish biologist, Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Every library should have this book.
A Treasure
 
Ron Mader Planeta.com Interesting collection of essays about the Great Lakes, formed by Ice Age glaciers and now polluted by toxins. The author writes: "The Great Lakes system is a treasure. Understanding their natural processes and understanding the dynamics of what we do is essential to these life-giving waters.

Great Lakes Boating
For anyone with the curiosity as to what lies beneath the sweet water seas, Barbara Spring has written a book to alleviate this thirst for further knowledge with her book, The Dynamic Great Lakes. From how the lakes were formed to the pressing problems confronting the watersheds today, she documents the changes lake by lake.
The book is a convenient reference to keep on board or to read up on during the winter to increase your ability to take out-of-town clients on lake shore tours. Be able to explain why the water has its warm spots during the summer, and learn why it takes 99 years for pollutants to circulate out of the southern end of Lake Michigan.