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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 190

 
2    WHEREAS, Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake located
3entirely in the United States; and
 
4    WHEREAS, When measured by water surface, Lake Michigan is
5the third largest of the Great Lakes; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Lake Michigan is the second largest of the Great
7Lakes by volume; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Approximately 12 million people live along Lake
9Michigan's shore, including the 2.7 million residents of the
10City of Chicago; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Lake Michigan serves as a source of drinking
12water, as a place for swimming and fishing, and as a scenic
13wonderland; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Lake Michigan is a magnificent resource that
15provides an essential home for all kinds of wildlife; and
 
16    WHEREAS, In 2008, Illinois, along with Indiana, Michigan,
17Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin adopted
18a compact banning diversions without concurrence of all
19signatories, which President George W. Bush signed; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, The declining water levels could negatively
2impact industries such as commercial shipping, hydroelectric
3power generation, and recreational boating and fishing, which
4would hinder the economic growth of the region; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The Great Lakes are large bodies of water that
6would not replenish easily; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Experts have already seen environmental changes
8created by the diversion of water; the Great Lakes ice cover
9has been decreasing, while air and water temperatures have been
10rising, which clearly illustrates global climate change in the
11region; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Removing water from this vital body of water sets
13a bad precedent for the protection of this finite resource and
14will put a strain on its water supply; therefore, be it
 
15    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL
16ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we strongly support the
17Great Lakes Basin Compact and adamantly oppose any effort to
18divert water from Lake Michigan, or the other Great Lakes, to
19the southwestern states.