How exactly, and what from, do they need to be protected?
Also: why the ad hominem? There was nothing idiotic about my simple question.
Stop downvoting and answer the question.
>over-fished, ... polluted the living hell out of them
Zebra mussels you might be able to claim damage the lake, but the complaints against them are certainly primarily based on nuisance, so I'll exclude them.
Since zebra mussels became established in Lake Erie,
water clarity has increased from 6 inches to 30 feet
in some areas. … One drastic impact of the zebra mussel
invasion is the near extinction of native American
unionid clams in Lake St. Clair and in the western
basin of Lake Erie.
The way you asked it was like "What problems?" when it's obvious that a water-system that vast needs controls or it'll be abused and ruined for everyone.