The American Southwest has horribly mismanaged it's fresh water supply. Tulare Lake, Hoover Dam, and Las Vegas are just some examples of the American Southwest's horrible fresh water management. My suggestion is does the rest of the United States and North America have a right to the fresh water contained in the Great Lakes? Would a pipeline from Chicago to Los Angeles or Mexico City be better for the environment than a desalination plant?
I live a few hundred miles from the great lakes but all of the large storms I get come from there. If the great lakes lose a large quantity of water hundreds, if not thousands, of square miles will have their weather fucked up. The consequences would likely be devastating.