Watershed Special Threats and Challenges

 Watershed Special Threats and Challenges

Industrial, Agricultural and Sewer Runoff

Source: ArcelorMittal

The East Branch of the Little Calumet River faces many challenges into the future. The biggest threats are from the industrial, agricultural and towns. Industrial waste from the steel mills add harmful chemicals into the river and in turn into Lake Michigan. The farms in the area add pollutants, like pesticides and fertilizers, to the mix. When heavy rains hit the area, the overflow for the sewage plants runs raw sewage straight into the waterways. This harms not only the river, but Lake Michigan. It threatens the ecosystems and the variety of species that live in there. It, also, threatens millions of people's water sources. These are challenges that will have to be managed into the future.