Lake Erie Estuarine Systems: Issues, Resources, Status, and Management

PREFACE

This volume contains the proceedings of a one-day seminar on Lake Erie with emphasis on its nearshore and coastal wetland areas. The presentations were made on 4 May 1988 at the Herbert C. Hoover Building of the U.S. Department Of Commerce in Washington D.C., as part of a series of "Estuary-of-the-Month" seminars sponsored by the NOAA Estuarine Programs Office (EPO). The objectives of this series are to bring to public attention the important research and management issues regarding our nation's estuaries.

The Laurentian Great Lakes of North America represent our nation's "sweetwater seas" and its "fourth coast." The National Sea Grant College Program administered by NOAA includes active research, education and extension programs in most of the Great Lakes States. Furthermore, the southern shore of Lake Erie in Ohio is the site of the only freshwater National Estuarine Research Reserve. Therefore, it was appropriate that the Estuary-of-the-Month seminar series would include Lake Erie.

The present seminar was originally arranged and organized by Dr. C. E. "Eddie" Herdendorf, recent director of the Ohio Sea Grant Program as well as director of The Ohio State University's Center for Lake Erie Area Research (CLEAR) and its Franz Theodore Stone Laboratory on South Bass Island in Lake Erie. In view of his ensuing retirement, Dr. Herdendorf asked me to assume the roles of coordinator and moderator of the seminar and editor of the proceedings.

The title of this volume undoubtedly raises some eyebrows, Indeed, researchers actively debate the use of the terms "estuary" and "estuarine" to describe certain estuarine-like physical processes characteristic of many of Lake Erie's wetlands and its flooded tributary mouths. Contrasting views on the appropriate terminology are found in several of the presentations, Thus, it is important, in order to understand the estuarine-like characteristics of these areas, that these proceedings present first the geological and physical nature of Lake Erie and its coastal regions. The succeeding papers summarize the chemistry and biology of the nearshore and coastal areas, both within the historical context and the context of present conditions of pollution and physical modification. Of great importance to the future condition of the Lake Erie ecosystem are the views and policies of government, throughout the local, state or provincial, and national hierarchy as well as at the binational level. These issues are succinctly covered by representatives of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Great Lakes National Program Office, and Environment Canada's Inland Waters Directorate.

The seminar originated through discussions in 1987 between Dr. Herdendorf and Dr. James Thomas, then of the Estuarine Programs Office, followed by later coordination with Dr. Carl Berman and Dr. Joe Bishop of the EPO, as well as with Dr. Virginia Tippie, EPO Director. Special appreciation is extended to Ms. Terri Weininger for retyping several of the manuscripts, and to Ms. Nancy Creamer for editorial assistance, both at Heidelberg College. The Ohio Sea Grant College Program supported travel costs for two of the participants under federal grant number NA84AA-D-00079, the National Sea Grant College Program, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce. Dr. David B. Baker, Director of the Water Quality Laboratory at Heidelberg College, generously provided the use of computers, supplies, secretarial assistance, and some of my time for coordination and editorial efforts.