Lakes are among the Upper Midwest’s greatest treasures and most valuable natural resources. The Great Lakes define the region, and thousands of smaller lakes offer peace, joy, and recreation to millions. And yet, in large part because of the numbers of people who enjoy the local waterways, the lakes of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota face numerous challenges. Invasive species, pollution, defective septic systems, inadequate shoreland zoning laws, and climate change are present and increasingly existential threats. We are, quite possibly, loving our lakes to death.
In his engaging and conversational style, Ted Rulseh details each of these challenges and proposes achievable solutions. He draws on personal experience, interviews, academic research, and government reports to describe the state of the lakes, the stresses they are under, and avenues to successful lakeside living for a sustainable future. Ripple Effects will be a go-to source for all who love lakes and who advocate for their protection; its driving question is summed up by one of Rulseh’s interviewees: “We love this lake. What can we do to keep it healthy?”
About the Author
Ted J. Rulseh writes the newspaper column “The Lake Where You Live” and is active in lake-advocacy organizations, including the Wisconsin Citizen Lake Monitoring Network. The editor and publisher of several books on the Great Lakes region, he is the author of A Lakeside Companion. He lives in the lake-rich region of north central Wisconsin.
Praise For…
“A marvelously thorough synopsis of the many daunting issues surrounding lake management. Highly recommended.”—John Bates, author of Wisconsin’s Wild Lakes: A Guide to the Last Undeveloped Natural Lakes
“This book will forever change how you think about lakes and the Northwoods.”—Jake Vander Zanden, director of the Center for Limnology, UW–Madison
“Expertly weaves personal experiences and extensive research into an invaluable lake stewardship guidebook for anyone who loves lakes.”—Jo Latimore, senior outreach specialist, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University
“Rulseh’s rich and readable book tells us not only how intimately connected we are to our waters but how the fate of water is our fate as well. ”—Jeff Forester, executive director, Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates
