TRAVERSE CITY -- Grand Traverse Bay is a lot different than when early settlers first arrived here.
Modern settlement left its mark on the watershed over the last 200 years with lumbering activity, dams construction, over-fishing, introduction of toxic chemicals and the appearance of invasive species. This century, climate change and urbanization also will take a toll, experts believe.
"The big thing now are the invasive species and the cascading effect they have on the food web," said Tom Kelly, executive director of the Inland Seas Education Association.
Kelly will speak about historical changes in the bay's ecology on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Traverse Area Historical Society, 322 Sixth St. in Traverse City. The lecture is free and open to the public.
Lumbering caused losses in river habitat that led to the extinction of certain species of fish, such as the grayling, while dams built on area rivers blocked spawning activity for a number of fish species, Kelly said.
There was the over-fishing of certain species -- lake trout, sturgeon and blackfin cisco -- that changed the makeup of the bay's fish population. Finally, the introduction of invasive sea lampreys, alewives and both zebra and quagga mussels further impacted underwater components in the bay, creating a new and unforeseen ecology, Kelly said.
"It's still changing fast enough that we're playing catch-up," he said.
Changes in Grand Traverse Bay are important to pay attention to from a historical perspective because it was that water body that ultimately fostered the settlement and growth of Traverse City, said Steve Kelsch, a member of the historical society.
"There were no well-developed roads until the late 1880s. If the bays weren't here, Traverse City would be a Cadillac. It would be out in the middle of a field," Kelsch said.
In coming years, researchers intend to study how climate change may impact the bay, from fluctuating water levels to the forming and thawing of ice cover during winter, Kelly said.
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