C.2. GREAT LAKES ACTION PLAN FOR THE PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF 
NON-INDIGENOUS AQUATIC NUISANCE SPECIES 
C.2.1. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE GREAT LAKES PLAN 
The Great Lakes Action Plan was written by the Great Lakes Panel on Aquatic Nuisance 
Species (ANS) (available at http://glc.org/ans/pubs.htmn . The goals of the plan are to prevent 
ANS introductions, limit ANS spread, and minimize impacts. In an addendum, the Action Plan 
lists objectives and strategic actions designed to achieve these goals through management; 
research and monitoring; and information, education, and collaboration. 
C.2.2. CLIMATE CHANGE AND INVASIVE SPECIES IN THE GREAT LAKES 
Climate models project temperatures increases of 5 tolO°F (2.8 to 5.5°C) and 
precipitation increases of 10 to 30%in the Midwest region by 2100 (Easterling and Karl, 2001). 
Increasing temperatures are expected to increase evaporation, triggering a soil moisture deficit, 
reduction in lake and river water levels, and diminished groundwater recharge. Models project 
lake level losses of up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) in the Great Lakes. In smaller lakes and rivers, 
increased evaporation will cause reduced flows, exacerbating water quality issues (Magnuson et 
al., 1997; Easterling and Karl, 2001). Heavy precipitation events are also expected to increase, 
washing nutrients and runoff from urban, agriculture, and construction sites into waterways 
(Magnuson et al., 1997). 
Warmer water temperatures may make waterways more vulnerable to ANS invasions; 
aquatic ecosystems in the Midwest may experience a shift from coldwater fish species such as 
trout to warmer water species such as bass and catfish (Robillard and Fox, 2006; Jacobs et al., 
2001). For example, the Lake Superior Lakewide Management Plan notes that environmental 
conditions in the Lake Superior basin have prevented reproduction of zebra mussels to date, but 
that mild weather in recent years has allowed reproduction to occur in the St. Louis estuary. As 
the climate in the region warms, conditions in the Lake Superior basin may be more amenable to 
zebra mussel reproduction, allowing the species to become established in the ecosystem 
(U.S. EPA, 2000). 
C.2.3. THE GREAT LAKE PLAN’S CURRENT INTEGRATION OF CLIMATE 
CHANGE 
Table C-1 summarizes how the Great Lakes Action Plan for the Prevention and Control 
of Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Species addresses and incorporates the projected effects of 
climate change. The Great Lakes Plan does not address the effects of climate change or 
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