Drinking the lake is a photographic essay that visually presents the rise and fall of Lake Michigan’s water level for the previous 150 years, 1860-2010. The annual water level is represented by the height of the horizon line in the lake photographs collaged into the large-scale wall mural.

NOAA, the government’s main climate agency, says between 1972 and 2008, Lake Michigan ice cover declined by about 30 percent.  Due to the disappearing ice, the lake can now evaporate year-round.  And with a growing population actually drinking that lake, scientists are concerned of a larger threat than ever of dramatic drops in the actual water level of the Great Lakes.

Living in Illinois, we are lucky to have access to the greatest supply of drinking water in the world.  The Great Lakes Basin is located along the international boundary between Canada and the United States. The Basin includes portions of eight states: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York; and the province of Ontario. Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario compose the Great Lakes system. Combined, these lakes make up the largest surface fresh water body in the world.

Where does the data come from?

Great Lakes water levels constitute one of the longest high quality hydrometeorological data sets in North America with reference gage records beginning about 1860 with sporadic records back to the early 1800′s.  NOAA’s National Ocean Service and the US Army Corps of Engineers collect these levels monthly (Click here to read more).  The photograph shows annual averages of the twelve months of data.

The artist would like to give a special thanks to Craig Stow and Keith Kompoltowicz for assistance with data compilation.

Drinking the lake was produced thanks to the John and Katherine Covington Exhibition Series at Lake Forest College.