Protecting local water has global benefits New paper published May 11, 2021 in Nature Communications National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory. 2019. The United States Great Lakes as seen from space. The Great Lakes hold about 90% of the freshwater in the U.S. and about 20% of the world's freshwater supply (NOAA). Newswise — Duluth, Minnesota - A new paper in the May issue of Nature Communications demonstrates why keeping local lakes and other waterbodies clean produces cost-effective benefits locally and globally. A single season of a lake or water body with a harmful algal bloom that results in public do-not-drink orders, damages to fishing activity, lost recreational opportunities, decreased property values and increased likelihood of low birth weight among infants born to mothers exposed to polluted water bodies are but just a handful of reasons why clean water is important.