By JOHN FLESHER

AP Environmental Writer

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Under pressure from Congress, a U.S.-Canadian agency Thursday agreed to quicken a study of whether erosion from dredging on the St. Clair River is causing water levels to plummet in Lakes Huron and Michigan.

The International Joint Commission said it would submit a series of updates on its progress next year and a draft report by February 2009.

The panel began looking into the matter last April but previously said its findings wouldn’t be ready until 2010.

“The commission understands the urgency of getting answers based on sound science as soon as possible,” said Herb Gray, chairman of the commission’s Canadian section.

The study was prompted by two reports from the Georgian Bay Association, which represents about 17,000 people living on the Canadian bay of Lake Huron.

They contend erosion on the northern end of the St. Clair, resulting primarily from dredging to improve the commercial shipping lane during the 1960s, is causing a loss of 2.5 billion gallons of water daily from Lakes Huron and Michigan.

Water levels on the two lakes have fallen drastically since the late 1990s. The association’s reports acknowledge drought and evaporation are among the reasons, but contend erosion also plays a role and could be fixed.

Seven U.S. senators from the Great Lakes region sent the International Joint Commission a letter last month asking for an expedited study.

“The Great Lakes are a tremendous economic and natural resource that demands immediate attention and continuous commitment,” said the letter, signed by Sens. Russell Feingold and Herb Kohl of Wisconsin; Richard Durbin of Illinois; Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan; and Norm Coleman and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.

The commission’s study is part of a broader look at water levels on the upper Great Lakes, including Lake Superior.

The panel doing the study has begun cross-sectional surveys of the St. Clair River, bed material sampling, taping videos of the river bed and other work, the commission said.

Posted 10/19/2007