I grew up three blocks from Lake Michigan and spent most summer days at the beach.  (My mother was a teacher who had summers off and was a beach nut.)  I learned to swim when I was five, and spent many hours swimming and sailing Hobie Cats in Lake Michigan.  My family and a next door neighbor family also took the Ludington Ferry from Milwaukee to Ludington Michigan and back, the return trip beginning in a lightning storm and being quite exciting.

Other problems, aside from the problems Lt. Governor Cherry identified, are cities dumping sewage into the lakes when it rains and their sewage systems overflow, the St. Lawrence Seaway allows ocean and lake water to mix unnaturally, bringing non-native species like alewives into the lakes, scientists have identified chlorine as being a major problem (I don't know the reason other than that it's toxic in general), and the Dow Chemical plant in Michigan contributes a lot of pollution.

The problems of the Great Lakes are systemic problems caused by the way we live.  People will have to make serious changes in their lifestyles if these problems are to be solved.