What will the impact be on Ontario s lakes and rivers?
Ontario ‘s water is very vulnerable to the effects of climate change. As a result, Ontario ‘s lakes and rivers are likely to experience the following problems: • Water levels around the province will decline as moisture evaporates because of warmer temperatures and less ice cover. This would affect inland lakes and the Great Lakes where dramatic decreases in lake levels could occur. It is possible that the levels of all the Great Lakes will go down by one metre or more by the middle of the century. In shallow lakes such as Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie the existing shoreline could move up to six kilometres offshore. • Water supplies from both groundwater and surface water are expected to decrease in southern Ontario . Because of seasonal changes in precipitation, the province’s water supplies may suffer in summer when rainfall can’t compensate for the drying effects. Reduced summer water levels can affect the recharge of groundwater causing small streams to dry up. • Wetlands may shrink
