CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Great Lakes region is warming more quickly than the rest of the United States, according to a study released Thursday. Our area has become wetter, too. And storms – including lake-effect snow -- have become more severe.

While the country is on average 1.2 degrees warmer now than it was between 1901 and 1916, Great Lakes states were 1.6 degrees warmer, says the first-ever Assessment of the Impacts of Climate Change on the Great Lakes, compiled by the Environmental Law & Policy Center and Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

Climate change is changing more than the temperature, though. The global weirding of our weather could mean more flooding, more shoreline erosion, fluctuating lake levels and changes in fish species.

According to the report, we’ve already seen more rainfall.

While overall U.S. annual precipitation increased 4 percent between 1901 and 2015, the Great Lakes region saw an almost 10 percent increase, with more precipitation coming as unusually large events.

Bacteria levels in the Great Lakes have increased, as the water warms earlier in the spring. Heavier rainstorms and warmer weather exacerbate the bacteria, which has caused more beach closures.

“Over the last two centuries, the Great Lakes have been significantly impacted by human activity, and climate change is now adding more challenges and another layer of stress,” said Don Wuebbles, a University of Illinois professor who served as the report’s lead author. “This report paints a stark picture of changes in store for the lakes as a result of our changing climate.”

Nearly 20 experts from universities and organizations in Great Lakes states and Ontario collaborated on the report, aimed to educate policymakers and the public about the significant changes affecting the Great Lakes, and the importance of taking actions now to protect our natural resources.

About 34 million people rely on the Great Lakes for drinking water, jobs, recreation and more, including 8 percent of the U.S. population and 32 percent of Canada’s.

Here’s what could happen if we don’t cut way down on greenhouse gases, the report says:

Beaches, dunes and shorelines will be more vulnerable to coastal erosion because of more and more severe storms.

Winters and springs will grow wetter, while summer precipitation should decrease by 5-15 percent for most of Great Lake states by the year 2100.

These increases in precipitation will likely increase flooding across the Great Lakes region.

Days above 90 degrees will increase for states bordering the Great Lakes, especially in the southern parts of the region. By 2100, the region will experience 30 to 60 additional 90-degree-plus days each year.

Lake effect snowfalls could be even more dramatic, when conditions are right.

Algal blooms will likely become more frequent as higher temperatures and heavy precipitation mix nitrogen and phosphorus with warmer waters.

The geographic ranges of fish, their physiological state and performance will all change.

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