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Vessel activity in a confined, relatively shallow body of water such as Lake St. Clair is a known stressor of coastal habitat. Several environmental impacts result from the wakes of large or high-speed maritime vessels and anchoring. Wakes from large (e.g., Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway bulk cargo carriers) or fast-moving recreational boats can cause erosion and vegetative damage in confined or shallow waters. Wakes can cause strong wave propagation that is capable of eroding shorelines or stirring up bottom sediments in shallow areas. Vegetation can be disturbed both by erosion processes and sedimentation resulting from wakes. Sedimentation reduces the amount of sunlight available for photosynthetic processes. The impacts of wakes are local in nature and likely to be more pronounced in confined, high traffic areas.
For more information, see: Coastal Habitat Plan, Section V (PDF)