Winter businesses, environment on thin ice as Great Lakes ice coverage hits historic low

Ice coverage on the Great Lakes has dipped to its lowest levels in recorded history, according to a new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL).

Combined ice cover on the five Ontario lakes was measured at 2.7 per cent on Feb. 11. It's a trend that's concerning for ice fishing businesses that rely on frozen water, and can come with long-term environmental consequences.   

"We haven't had a season," said Diana Woodward, co-owner of Woodward's Ice Fishing in Long Point Bay — a popular fishing destination located on the north shore of Lake Erie in southwestern Ontario.

"The minimal amount of ice that we did have forming on the Bay is completely gone. Even if it were to get cold right now, it doesn't usually form anything and with the winds at this point, it's not likely to freeze because the water is moving too fast for it to harden up." 

The Great Lakes — Erie, Huron, Ontario, Superior and Michigan — make up about 20 per cent of the world's freshwater system, spanning 750,000 square kilometres. 

"We have never seen ice levels this low in mid-February on the lakes since our records began in 1973," said Bryan Mroczka, a physical scientist with GLERL in a news release. 

This winter, Lakes Erie and Ontario were almost completely ice free, the report found. Maximum ice cover for the year usually peaks in late February or early March and on average, the Great Lakes get a maximum annual ice cover of about 53 per cent. 

Each lake's coverage was measured at:

• Lake Superior - 1.7 per cent. 
• Lake Michigan - 2.6 per cent. 
• Lake Huron - 5.9 per cent
• Lake Erie - 0.05 per cent
• Lake Ontario - 1.7 per cent

'The bills don't stop' business owner says

The current winter season started with very warm air temperatures that resulted in slow ice formation. The few cold periods in January weren't enough to allow ice coverage to increase, the report said. 

This mild winter has led Woodward to pivot and find other ways to generate revenue. Her shop has been selling fishing baits and has given customers vouchers to reschedule their ice fishing trips for next season, she said. 

"We knew going in that it's a chance you take, that's just the way a seasonal business works. But even if you don't get ice, those bills don't stop whether you're busy or not," she said.

Predicting whether there will be enough ice to sustain business throughout each winter is getting harder as years go by, said Marshall Collins, who owns Collins Harbour Marina and Resort off Lake Erie.

"It used to be that we could predict that when we would have winter, we'd have ice and we can plan our winter activities. However when the ice doesn't come, it's a little tougher," he said. 

"It's concerning because winter activities let us operate year-round. Tourism is a big thing for us in our area so when we can draw tourism in yearly and not just seasonal, it's great. But unfortunately when we don't have that ice, we lose some momentum too."

Collins said he's had to layoff a few employees, but is now focusing on promoting spring fishing. 

Ice is critical for fresh water supply: expert

Ice is important for both the quality and quantity of fresh water, said Sapna Sharma, a professor at York University in Toronto, who specializes in environmental stressors on lakes.

"You can think of ice as a lid on a lake in the winter and if you lift that lid up earlier, or it's not on there at all, we have higher evaporation rates in the winter and that leads to lower water quantity," Sharma told CBC's Afternoon Drive. 

"With less ice cover, our lakes warm faster and water temperatures are great conditions for algae to grow and proliferate. Warmer temperatures, rainier summers can relate to degraded water quality."

This also impacts underwater biodiversity because warm temperatures don't create an environment where they can successfully grow and reproduce, Sharma said.

Although the lakes warming is worrisome for Sharma, she said environmental actions like minimizing greenhouse gas emissions, and ecological footprints, can make positive change for water systems.

Afternoon Drive7:50Great Lakes ice levels at historic lows

<p>Ice cover on the Great Lakes is at its lowest level in recorded history. York research chair Sapna Sharma joins host Colin Butler to share more about how this will effect the health of the lakes.</p>