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Protecting and Restoring the Great Lakes
 

About the Ecosystem

The five North American Great Lakes form the world's largest storehouse of surface freshwater. The 64 quadrillion gallons of freshwater in the lakes represent 20 percent of the world's and 95 percent of our nation's total supply. The 10,900-mile Great Lakes coastline is our nation's longest, and there watershed drains 200,000 square miles of land. The Great Lakes basin's incredible richness and diversity of species stem from a huge latitudinal and longitudinal reach, spreading 850 miles across several major North American ecoregions.

The Great Lakes watershed includes eight U.S. states - Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin - and two Canadian provinces - Ontario and Quebec. The watershed is home to 34 million U.S. and Canadian residents, which is one-tenth of the U.S. and one-quarter of the Canadian populations. The lakes are nationally and internationally important for drinking water, power production, industrial use, irrigation, commercial and recreational fisheries, navigation and commerce.

The Great Lakes and the life they support are of global significance. The basin's sand dunes, coastal wetlands, 30,000 islands, rocky shorelines, prairies, savannas, forests, fens, and other landscape features are globally unique and support a wide variety of species, including some endemics. The basin's waterways, wetlands, and islands support over 180 species of indigenous fish and provide habitat for many species, including 171 globally imperiled or rare species.

 

 

Ecosystem Problems

Invasive species, pollution, habitat degradation, overfishing, hydrologic alteration, resource extraction and development, and competing demands for water uses have seriously impacted the Great Lakes.

Major problems in the region include:

  • Invasive species threaten the region's rare and endangered native species. Over 145 non-native aquatic species have colonized in the Great Lakes since the 1800s. Commercial ships are the leading pathway for aquatic species introductions into the Great Lakes, but there are many others, including recreational boating, the bait trade, aquaculture, and importations of live food and aquarium plants and animals. Terrestrial invaders also threaten the region's forests and wetlands. New species significantly change conditions for and interactions between existing species, creating ecosystems that are unstable and unpredictable.
  • Industrial and municipal discharges, combined sewer overflows, and urban and agricultural non-point source runoff have seriously reduced water quality in the basin and resulted in the accumulation of contaminants in lake sediments.
  • Human development has resulted in the loss and fragmentation of wetlands, coastal marshes, dune communities, and many unique Great Lakes habitats and species.
  • Urban, industrial, and agricultural development, invasive species, and over-fishing have damaged native fish and wildlife and their associated habitats within the Great Lakes basin over the last two hundred years. Lake trout populations collapsed in the mid-1950s with the explosion of the sea lamprey, which prey on large fish throughout the lakes. Lake sturgeon populations are steadily declining. Over-fishing and an exotic perch threaten the native perch populations.
  • Great Lakes water levels are currently slightly below their long-term average. The low water levels limit navigation and recreational boating, with some recreational harbors rendered unusable. Other water quantity issues include impacts from fluctuating water levels, dredging, winter navigation, dams, and engineered structures, and changes in water quality. Global warming is predicted to further decrease water levels due to increased evaporation, and current lowered levels may even be an early symptom.

 

 

Ecosystem Users

Residents
The Great Lakes region is home to 34 million U.S. and Canadian residents and an extensive number of Indian reservations exist in each state and province. The region is characterized by large industrial cities and great expanses of rural farm land. The area's major cities in the region include Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo, Toledo, Milwaukee, Duluth, and Minneapolis.

Industry
The Great Lakes basin is the center of the U.S. and Canadian paper, steel, and automobile industries. The iron ore industry is also a major industrial component, particularly along the south shore of Lake Michigan, at Detroit, the south shore of Lake Erie, and in Canada at Sault Ste. Marie, Hamilton, and Nanticoke. The pulp and paper industry makes use of the basin's abundant timber and water resources, and is concentrated around the Lake Superior shore, the Fox River in Wisconsin, and along the Welland Canal in Ontario. The basin is also one of the world's major chemical producing centers, as well as a major agricultural provider.

Commercial navigation
The Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway stretches 2,300 miles from the Gulf of St. Lawrence in the Atlantic Ocean to the Port of Duluth in Lake Superior. It is an intermodal transportation system linking the American heartland to markets throughout the world. The completion of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959 allowed sea-going and Canadian laker vessels up to 740 feet in length and 78 feet wide to navigate the entire system. The larger U.S. flag "lakers" (1,000 feet in length) operate exclusively in the upper four Great Lakes, carrying dry bulk cargo such as iron ore, coal, and limestone. Sea-going vessels often transport steel into the Great Lakes region and grain out of the system. Total annual shipping on the Great Lakes exceeds 180 million tons annually, over half of which goes through the Soo Locks.

Recreation
Recreational resources and activities are available in the Great Lakes in all four seasons and support a multi-billion-dollar industry. These activities include fishing, boating, skiing, camping, and tourism. Niagara Falls is the region's most popular tourist destination.

Fisheries
The fishery of the Great Lakes is valued at $4 billion per year. The lakes are primarily "put and take," with annual stocking of non self-sustaining Pacific salmon. In the United States, the commercial fishery is based on lake whitefish, smelt, bloater chubs and perch, and on alewife for animal feed.

 

 

 

Ecosystem Map

 

Map of the Great Lakes Basin (source: U.S. EPA, GLNPO)

 

 

Ecosystem Alteration

Below is a timeline of major events and legislative actions that have contributed to the large-scale alteration of the Great Lakes:

Connecting channels, 1820s
As cities begin to spring up at the mouths of rivers, canals were cut to provide cheap water-based transportation throughout the region.

Commercial fishing, 1820s-1890s
Commercial fishing began on the lakes, increasing until its peak in the late 1800s. Records show that approximately 147 million pounds of fish were commercially harvested in 1889 and 1899.

Federal harbor improvements, 1824
The first federal harbor improvement on the lakes began at Erie, Pennsylvania. Federal appropriations for harbor improvements in the region continued almost every year until 1839.

Erie Canal, 1825
The State of New York completed the Erie Canal, providing a waterway between Buffalo on Lake Erie and Albany on the Hudson River. The canal became an important factor in the settlement and growth of the Great Lakes region.

Federal internal improvements, 1825-1829
As a result of policies by President John Quincy Adams, numerous harbors on Lakes Erie and Ontario were improved.

Oswego Canal, 1828
The State of New York completed the Oswego canal, providing a waterway been Lakes Ontario and the Erie Canal.

Welland Canal, 1829
Canadian interests finished the Welland Canal, providing a navigable waterway between Lakes Erie and Ontario.

Commercial logging, 1830s
To support the growing cities, commercial logging began in Canada. Within a few years, the industry spread to Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The early loggers initially harvested the basin's virgin white pines. After exhausting the pines, they turned their attention to other species, such as maples, oaks, and walnuts. The clearing induces massive stress on the Great Lakes ecosystem. Not only were forest systems eliminated, but trees were floated down the closest streams to get them to the lakes. This process removed riparian vegetation, destroyed stream banks, and disrupted the stream bottoms, in turn destroying fish-spawning habitats.

Ohio Canal, 1832
The State of Ohio completed the Ohio Canal connecting Cleveland Harbor on Lake Erie with Portsmouth on the Ohio River, opening up the vast agricultural area of the Midwest to navigation, and stimulating the expansion of lake commerce.

Illinois River-Lake Michigan Canal, 1848
The State of Michigan completed the Illinois River-Lake Michigan Canal, providing a waterway between Chicago Harbor on Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River.

Agriculture, 1850s
By the mid-1800s, all land available for agriculture in the basin had been cleared and settled, resulting in the destruction of habitat, particularly wetlands.

Welland Canal, 1850
The Canadian government completed the second Welland Canal. The canal had nine feet of water on lock sills but was soon deepened to ten feet, sparking a transportation boom on the lakes.

Rivers and Harbors Act of 1852
The Rivers and Harbors Act of 1852 appropriated more than $2 million for over 100 river and harbor projects, including a number of new harbors in the Great Lakes and $20,000 to initiate a project at the St. Clair Flats.

Cholera epidemic, 1854
A cholera epidemic caused by increasing amounts of untreated human sewage entering the drinking water killed five percent of Chicago's population.

Sault Ste. Marie Canal, 1855
The State of Michigan completed a canal at Sault Ste. Marie, providing a waterway to lake vessels moving between Lakes Huron and Superior.

Contaminated drinking water, 1870s-1890s
Water used for drinking in many of the Great Lakes cities was so contaminated it became undrinkable. Steam-driven pumps were installed to bring water from intake pipes beyond the reach of the cities' waste discharges.

St. Clair Flats, 1870
The federal government completed work on a project providing a 15-foot deep, 300-foot wide channel over the St. Clair Flats.

Federal lock at Sault Ste. Marie, 1881
A federal lock, the Weitzel, opened at Sault Ste. Marie. The lock was 515-feet long, 80-feet wide, and had 17 feet of water over its sills.

St. Clair Flats, 1883
The second federal channel was completed at the St. Clair Flats.

600-foot lakers, 1883
The first 600-foot laker vessels appeared on the lakes, significantly increasing lake tonnage.

Atlantic salmon, 1896
The last Atlantic salmon were reported in Lake Ontario.

Industrial and Human Expansion, 1890s-1950s
The wastes generated by the growth of human population in the region, and the resulting economic activities, placed a major system-wide stress on the Great Lakes basin.

Typhoid epidemic, 1891
A typhoid epidemic in Chicago, caused by contaminated drinking water, led to a move to deepen the canal in order to carry wastes away from the drinking water intake.

Connecting channels, 1892
The federal government deepened the St. Clair Flats to 20 feet. Work also began on deepening eight additional sections of the connecting channels between Lake Superior and Lake Huron and between Lake Huron and Lake Erie to 20 feet.

Sault Ste. Marie, 1896
The federal government completed a second lock at Sault Ste. Marie. The Poe Lock was 800 feet long, 100 feet wide, and had 21 feet of water over its sills.

Connecting channels, 1897
The federal government finished deepening connecting channels to 20 feet based on depths at mean level of Lake Erie in 1877. Because of low lake levels, actual depths ranged between 17 and 19 feet.

Manufacturing, 1900s
As the cities grew, manufacturing became an increasingly important economic force in the basin. Iron and steel manufacturing made efficient use of iron ore from Minnesota, limestone from quarries throughout the basin, and coal from the nearby Appalachian plateau. All of the industries were facilitated by the cheap transportation of large quantities of material by water.

Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal, 1900
The Chicago Diversion was enlarged and renamed the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. The canal was deepened to the point that it reversed flow of the Chicago River from Lake Michigan, and water poured out of the lake to reach the Des Plaines, Illinois, and Mississippi rivers, and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. The canal allowed more ship traffic, and it flushed Chicago's sewage down the river and away from Lake Michigan - Chicago's source of drinking water. The enlargement also led to a long-running dispute over how much water should flow through the canal.

Livingston Channel and Davis Lock, 1907
Congress authorized the Livingston Channel - a 12-mile second channel, 300 feet wide and 22 feet deep - on the lower reaches of the Detroit River. Congress also authorized construction of a third lock - the David Lock - at Sault Ste. Marie.

Sabin Lock, 1912
Congress authorized funds for a fourth lock at Sault Ste. Marie. The Lock, called the Sabin Lock, was 1,350 feet long, 80 feet wide, and is 24.5 feet deep at the miter sills. The lock was completed in 1919.

Connecting channels, 1915
The federal government completed work to deepen the Detroit River portion of the Lake Erie-Lake Huron connecting channels to a depth of 22 to 23 feet.

PCBs, 1920s
PCBs were developed and put into service as liquid insulators and heat-transfer fluids by many industries throughout the region. Decades later, they were found to be hazardous, widely distributed in the environment, and building up in the food chain.

Chicago Diversion, 1925-1980
The U.S. Government challenged the right of Chicago to divert Lake Michigan water without consulting its neighbors. The other Great Lake states, with support from Canada, alleged potential economic losses in a series of subsequent lawsuits. The suits led to U.S. Supreme Court decrees in 1930 and 1967, with an amendment in 1980. The court allowed the diversion to continue, but cut its flow from a high of 280 cubic metres per second down to 90.

Connecting channels, 1930
The Depression motivated Congress to authorize the deepening of downbound sections of the lakes' connecting channels to 24 feet.

Invasive species, 1930s-1950s
Connecting channels resulted in the introduction of many invasive species into the Great Lakes, including the sea lampreys, alewives, and smelt. The species decimated native fish populations, outcompeting them for habitat, food and other resources, and permanently changing the dynamics of the lakes' ecology. The sea lamprey in particular moved into Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior, devastating commercial fisheries, particularly for Lake Trout.

Welland Canal, 1932
The Canadian government completed work on the fourth Welland Canal, capable of accommodating vessels 600 feet long.

Industrial boom, 1940s-1970s
The industrial boom created by production for the Second World War set the scene for large-scale industrialization in the Great Lakes. Demands for chemicals, rubber, steel, nuclear weapons, pesticides, and other materials in support of the Allied effort in the Second World War led to a major industrial expansion. This period marked the start of large-scale chemical and heavy metal discharges to the lakes. The heaviest pollution discharges occurred in the 1960s and 1970s.

MacArthur Lock, 1942
Congress authorized construction of the MacArthur Lock, a new lock to replace the Weitzel Lock at Sault Ste. Marie. The lock, 800 feet long, 80 feet wide and 30 feet deep was opened the following year.

Duck kills, 1948
Oil and chemical pollution caused massive duck kills on the Detroit River, sparking major public outcry.

Commercial fishing, 1950s
The region's commercial fishery declined in response to human-induced pressures such as introductions of exotic species, overfishing, the loss of habitat, and pollution.

Agriculture, 1950s
Farming became much more intensive in the Great Lakes basin, leading to extensive use of fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals. Also of concern was the management of large amounts of animal wastes.

Reproductive failures in wildlife, 1950s
Starting in the mid-1950s, scientists noted reproductive failures in fish-eating birds, including the almost total reproductive failure of some species, such as double crested cormorants, bald eagles, and herring gulls in Lake Ontario. The failure was attributed to toxic chemicals including the widely used insecticide DDT.

St. Lawrence Seaway, 1952
The United States and Canada signed an agreement to start the St. Lawrence Seaway project, which opened up the lakes to ocean ships.

St. Lawrence Seaway Act of 1954
Congress enacted the St. Lawrence Seaway Act authorizing the United States to participate with Canada in construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Connecting channels, 1956
Congress authorized and provided funds to improve the connecting channels and harbors above Niagara Falls in order to allow for vessels with a 27-foot draft.

St. Lawrence Seaway, 1959
The United States and Canada completed work and began operation of the St. Lawrence Seaway. With its deep, wide canals, the Seaway allowed ocean-going freighters access to the lakes. It also allowed the more widespread introduction of non-native species, particularly those transported in the foreign ballast water of ships.

DDT, 1959
DDT was detected in the Lake Erie ecosystem.

Nutrient pollution, 1960s
Nutrient pollution (primarily phosphorus) caused eutrophication and severe degradation in the lower Great Lakes and many embayments of the upper Great Lakes. Enormous algal blooms became a frequent occurrence. Decomposition of algae resulted in anoxia (lack of oxygen), and distasteful odors and flavors in drinking water. Non-native forage fish overpopulated and died in large numbers; industrial harbor areas became nearly devoid of aquatic life.

Lake Erie "dying", 1960s
The "dying" of Lake Erie became one of the biggest environmental stories in North America. The lake was found to be over fertilized by phosphorus, particularly from sewage and detergents. This caused excessive growth of algae, the death of which sucked oxygen out of the water, killing life in certain parts of the lake. At one point, this process choked off oxygen to 65 percent of the lake's bottom.

Mink breeders, 1965
Mink breeders in Michigan discovered reproductive failures in animals fed Great Lakes fish, leading to concerns that chemicals dumped in the environment entered the food chain and returned to harm humans.

Poe Lock, 1968
A new Poe Lock, 1,200-feet long, 100-feet wide, and 32 feet deep, opened to traffic at Sault Ste. Marie.

Cuyahoga River, 1969
The Cuyahoga River, a major tributary of Lake Erie running through industrialized Cleveland, caught on fire due to the accumulation of flammable contaminants floating on the water surface. The fire revealed the seriousness of pollution problems in the Great Lakes.

Love Canal, 1970s
Chemicals leaking from Love Canal near Buffalo, and other toxic waste dumps along the Niagara River triggered fears for drinking water safety.

Persistent toxic substances, 1970s
Declines in the populations of bald eagles and cormorants, first noted in the 1950s, as well as deformities off tern chicks and other waterfowl frequently cited during the late 1960s and early 1970s, were linked to the widespread occurrence of persistent toxic substances. Researchers also found deformities such as crossed bills, club feet and missing eyes in Great Lakes birds that consume large amounts of fish.

Mercury found in fish, 1970
Dangerous levels of mercury, a heavy metal that can cause nerve damage, were found in fish in parts of Lake Ontario, leading to some fish consumption bans and an awakening with the basin to the dangers of pollution in the food chain.

Fish consumption warnings, 1971
Fish consumption warnings were issued for Lake Michigan trout because of PCBs in the fish.

Love Canal, 1976
Chemicals seeped from an old toxic waste dump in Niagara Falls, NY, into neighborhood basements, and bubbled up onto the ground beside an elementary school. The chemicals also drained into the Niagara River and thus into Lake Ontario. In subsequent years, millions of people downstream feared for the safety of their drinking water because of concerns about chemicals leaking from the Love Canal and more than 150 other chemical dumps along the Niagara River.

Love Canal, 1978
A series of media stories pointed to a health emergency around the Love Canal, causing state and federal health and environment agencies to fence off the canal itself and begin testing air and water samples. New York declared a State of Emergency, closed the school and evacuated pregnant women and infants. President Jimmy Carter declared it a federal disaster area, the first time in the U.S.'s history that a federal disaster had been caused by human activities. The governments evacuated 255 families in what was called the "inner ring" of homes nearest the canal. When dioxin, a highly dangerous substance, was found in the Love Canal wastes, more homes were evacuated.

Dioxin found in herring gull eggs, 1980
A federal government scientist announced that the highly toxic dioxin had been found in Lake Ontario herring gull eggs, raising fears that it was in the drinking water.

Dry cleaning fluid, 1985
The discovery of a "blob" of perchloroethylene (dry cleaning fluid) on the bottom of the St. Clair River, as result of spill from the Dow Chemical Canada Inc. plant, raised fears of toxic chemicals in that region.

Chemical wastes, 1985
Scientists calculated that more than 3,000 tonnes a year of chemical wastes flowed down the Niagara River every year.

Mississippi River, 1988
A severe drought affected the Midwest, and the Mississippi River droped to its lowest levels on record. The Illinois governor called for the Chicago diversion to be further opened to draw more Great Lakes water on an emergency basis. This call provoked strong opposition around the lakes.

Zebra mussels, 1988
The zebra mussel, an exotic invasive species that likely arrived in the ballast water of an ocean-going ship, was discovered in the Great Lakes.

Great Lakes fish health risk, 1990s
Studies indicated that consumption of Great Lakes fish still posed health risks for certain groups, including subsistence anglers (such as urban poor and Native Americans), pregnant women, and infants of nursing mothers.

Phosphorus levels, 1990s
Increased phosphorus levels in Lake Erie and a decline in dissolved oxygen levels created one of the largest areas of low oxygen or "dead zones" ever recorded.

Urban sprawl, 1990s
An expanding population led to urban sprawl and the removal of more of the region's natural habitat. The sprawl also increased levels of point and non-point source runoff into the lakes.

Cryptosporidium, 1993
Flooding introduced cryptosporidium, a protozoan parasite, into the drinking water system of Milwaukee. The outbreak affected about 400,000, hospitalized 4,000, and killed 111.

Water Resources Development Act of 1999
The Water Resources Development Act of 1999 authorized a Great Lakes navigation study. The goal of the study, to be conducted by the Army Corps of Engineers, was to review navigation improvements on the Great Lakes, such as harbors, connecting channels, locks, etc, and make recommendations to Congress for the maintenance and improvement of these features.

Water levels, 2001
Water levels in Lakes Huron, Michigan, St. Clair and Erie reached their lowest levels since the mid-1960s.

Wetlands ruling, 2002
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the federal government cannot regulate "isolated" wetlands under the Clean Water Act, leaving a significant portion of the nation's wetlands unregulated. The court's ruling made it unclear how much of the nation's wetlands were now under the states' purview, and how much regulatory authority was maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

 

 

History of Restoration Actions (1905 - 2003)

Below is a timeline of restoration-related events and activities prior to the establishment of large-scale restoration programs in the Great Lakes:

International Waterways Commission, 1905
The United States and Canada formed an International Waterways Commission to advise the governments on water levels and flows in the Great Lakes. The Commission functioned from 1905-1913, with some work continuing to 1919. It recommended a treaty on waters and the creation of a permanent body.

Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909
The United States and the United Kingdom (on behalf of Canada) signed the Boundary Waters Treaty to help resolve disputes and to prevent future ones, primarily those concerning water quantity and water quality along the boundary between the two countries.

International Joint Commission, 1909
The United States and Canada established a six-member International Joint Commission, with three members each appointed by the U.S. president and Canada's prime minister. The Commission was given responsibility for regulating flows on the St. Marys and the St. Lawrence Rivers. It was also given authority to intervene in dispute resolution, and to conduct studies whenever the interests of the other federal government in Great Lakes waters was affected.

International Joint Commission report, 1918
The first International Joint Commission report spoke of chaotic, perilous and disgraceful water pollution in parts of the Great Lakes.

United States Supreme Court, 1930s
The United States Supreme Court set limits on how much water can be drained out of Lake Michigan through the Chicago Diversion. The judges also imposed water conservation measures on the Chicago region, including closed loop industrial processes which re-use water once it is withdrawn, and they required meters for all water users.

International Joint Commission, 1946
The United States and Canada asked the International Joint Commission to investigate pollution on St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, and the Detroit River. The request was later extended to include the St. Marys River.

International Joint Commission Report, 1950
The International Joint Commission released a report on the Pollution of Boundary Water citing major concern over the amount of bacteria plus phenols, oil, iron, phosphorus, chloride and discoloration in the Niagara River. The report recognized that sewage treatment had not kept up with population growth. The report also fiound injury to health and property from municipal and industrial wastes.

St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, 1954
A wholly-owned government corporation, the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, was created by statute to construct, operate, and maintain the part of the St. Lawrence Seaway between the Port of Montreal and Lake Erie within the territorial limits of the United States.

Convention on Great Lakes Fisheries, 1954
The Convention on Great Lakes Fisheries created the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to facilitate coordinated, binational fisheries management. The bilateral Agreement affirmed the need for the two nations to collaborate on the protection and the perpetuation of the Great Lakes' fisheries resources.

Great Lakes Fishery Act of 1956
The Great Lakes Fishery Act of 1956 authorized the Secretary of the Interior to act for and on behalf of, the United States in the exercise of the powers granted by the 1954 Convention on Great Lakes Fisheries. The Act set forth the procedures for carrying out programs under the Convention, including appointment and compensation of commissioners and an advisory committee; acquisition of real property; construction, operation and maintenance of sea lamprey control works; and coordination and consultation with states and other federal agencies.

Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments, 1961
Amendments to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act in 1961 required federal agencies to consider during the planning for any reservoir storage to regulate streamflow for the purpose of water quality control. The Act also gave authority to the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to undertake research programs related to determining effects of pollutants and treatment methods and to assess water quality in the Great Lakes.

International Joint Commission, 1964
The United States and Canada asked the International Joint Commission to investigate the deteriorating state of Lakes Erie, Ontario, and the international section of the St. Lawrence River. The following year, the Commission recommended action to reduce phosphorus and control eutrophication, in part by improving sewage treatment.

Lake Michigan Diversion Supreme Court Consent Decree, 1967
Following decades of negotiations, the eight Great Lakes states enter into a Consent Decree regulating the diversion of Great Lakes water into the Chicago River. The decree stated that the State of Illinois may not divert more than 3,200 cubic feet per second from Lake Michigan for navigation, domestic or sanitary uses. The consent decree was modified in 1980 to allow Illinois to extend domestic use of the water to additional communities and to provide additional guidance on the parameters of the measurement of the diversion.

Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments, 1970
Further amendments to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act in 1970 required that performance standards be developed for marine sanitation devices, and it authorized demonstration projects to control acid or other mine water pollution and to control water pollution within the watersheds of the Great Lakes. The amendments also described the responsibility of federal agencies to ensure that federal facilities were operated in compliance with applicable water quality standards

Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, 1972
The United States and Canada signed the first Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement detailing objectives for restoring and maintaining the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Great Lakes Basin. The Agreement called for joint initiatives in research, pollution control, problem identification, and monitoring.

Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972
The Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 authorized NOAA's Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management to administer a Coastal Zone Management Program. The program advanced national coastal management objectives by maintaining and strengthening state and territorial coastal management capabilities. It also supported states through financial assistance, mediation, technical services and information, and participation in priority state, regional, and local forums.

Clean Water Act, 1972 and 1987
Based on the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948, the Clean Water Act was substantially amended in 1972 and 1978. The 1972 amendments enacted national water quality and waste discharge standards calling for waters to be suitable for swimming and fishing; addressed pollution control problems on the Great Lakes; put an end to the discharge of pollutants into waterways; and provided financial assistance for construction of local waste treatment plants. The 1987 amendments provided for nonpoint source pollution management.

Endangered Species Act of 1973
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 considerably strengthened provisions from previous endangered species legislation. The Act provided for the listing and protection of endangered and threatened species and required all federal agencies to undertake programs for the conservation of endangered and threatened species. The Act also prohibited federal agencies from authorizing, funding, or carrying out any action that would jeopardize a listed species or destroy or modify its critical habitat.

PCBs, 1977
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency restricted use and manufacture of PCBs.

Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, 1978
The United States and Canada signed the second Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement introducing the "ecosystem approach" and "mass balance" conceptd to Great Lakes management, and calling for virtual elimination of persistent toxic substances from Great Lakes basin.

Air Pollution Memorandum of Intent, 1980
The United States and Canada signed a memorandum of intent to curb acid rain and other air pollution problems, but it would take most of the decade to reach a formal agreement.

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980
Congress authorized the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 - the Superfund law - creating a fund to clean up abandoned toxic waste sites, including some on the border with Canada.

Areas of Concern, 1982
The International Joint Commission identified 39 contaminated Areas of Concern around the Great Lakes where environmental agency guidelines are being exceeded. The list was expanded to 42 in 1985.

National Dioxin Study, 1983
Responding to public concern over dioxin contamination at Times Beach, Love Canal, Jacksonville and other sites, Congress directed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a National Dioxin Study to determine the extent of contamination nationwide.

Niagara River Report, 1984
The United States and Canada released the most comprehensive report yet on the state of the Niagara Rive,r listing 261 chemicals of concern in the river, its bottom mud, and wildlife.

Remedial Action Plans, 1985
Eight Great Lakes states developed remedial action plans to address environmental damage in the International Joint Commission-designated "Areas of Concern"

Great Lakes Charter of 1985
The eight Great Lakes states and Ontario and Quebec signed a good faith agreement through which the Great Lakes states and provinces cooperatively made decisions about managing the waters of the Great Lakes. The purpose of the Charter was to conserve the levels and flows of the lakes, their tributaries, and connecting waters; protect and conserve the Great Lakes ecosystem's environmental balance; and protect and secure present and future investments and development within the region.

Water Resources Development Act of 1986
The Water Resources Development Act of 1986 required that all eight Great Lakes governors approve any proposed diversion of U.S. water from the Great Lakes basin, whether to a domestic or foreign recipient, before it may proceed.

Great Lakes Toxic Substances Control Agreement, 1986
The Governors of the Great Lakes states signed the Great Lakes Toxic Substances Control Agreement pledging binational cooperation in the study, management, and monitoring of toxic pollutants in the Great Lakes and their effects. The Agreement supported an "ecosystem management approach" for the Great Lakes and asked for more federal involvement in controlling toxic pollution. Later, Ontario and Quebec signed a memorandum of understanding, which joined them to the agreement.

Water Quality Act of 1987
The Water Quality Act of 1987 provided the most recent series of amendments to the Clean Water Act. Provisions included establishment of a Great Lakes National Program Office within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and a Great Lakes Research Office within NOAA. The Act also required that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in conjunction with the Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA, conduct research, as part of the Great Lakes Program, on the harmful effects of pollutants on the general health and welfare, specifically the effect bioaccumulation of these pollutants in aquatic species has upon reducing the value of aquatic commercial and sport fisheries

Declaration of Intent on Pollution of Niagara River, 1987
A Declaration of Intent on Pollution of Niagara River commited the governments of the United States and Canada, the State of New York and the Province of Ontario to reducing certain toxic discharges to the Niagara River by at least half by 1996.

Protocol to the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, 1987
The United States and Canada revised the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement recognizing several "new" pollution sources, including nonpoint sources, air toxics, contaminated sediments, and contaminated groundwater. The revisions called for development and implementation of Remedial Action Plans to restore beneficial uses in the 43 Great Lakes Areas of Concern and Lakewide Management Plans for critical pollutants. The revisions also opened the door to consideration of cumulative and synergistic effects.

Great Lakes Coastal Barrier Act of 1988
Congress passed the Great Lakes Coastal Barrier Act of 1988. The Act restricted future federal expenditures and financial assistance which had the effect of encouraging development of coastal barriers along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts and along the shore areas of the Great Lakes.

Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990
Amendments to the Clean Air Act in 1990 required the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Offices of Water and Air to work together to monitor and manage atmospheric deposition of toxic substances into the Great Lakes. The Act also required the agency to periodically report to Congress on its progress.

International Joint Commission Report, 1990
The International Joint Commission released its fifth Biennial report, stating that the principal danger of persistent organochlorine chemicals was to the fetus.

Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 1990
The Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act authorized the Fish and Wildlife Service to develop and implement proposals for the restoration of fish and wildlife resources in the Great Lakes basin, and to provide assistance to the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission, states, Indian Tribes, and other interested entities to encourage cooperative conservation, restoration, and management of the fish and wildlife resources and their habitat in the Great Lakes basin.

Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990
Passage of the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 established a regulatory ballast water management program for the Great Lakes. The Act also established the ANS Task Force and many programs to monitor, prevent, and manage invasive aquatic organisms nationally.

Great Lakes Critical Programs Act of 1990
The Great Lakes Critical Programs Act of 1990 required the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to establish water quality criteria for certain pollutants in the Great Lakes.

The Canada-United States Air Quality Accord, 1991
Signed by the two countries as a cooperative commitment to address transboundary air quality issues, the Canada-United States Air Quality Accord called for reductions in a range of air pollutants, including those contributing to smog across the lower Great Lakes.

Lake Superior Basin Program, 1991
Canada, the United States, Ontario, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin agreed to establish a Binational Program to Restore and Protect the Lake Superior Basin.

International Joint Commission, 1992
The International Joint Commission in its sixth Biennial Report recommended that Canada and the United States, in consultation with industry and other affected interests, develop timetables to sunset the use of chlorine and chlorine-containing compounds as industrial feedstocks. This call provoked an intense debate and strong criticism of the commission by some industry spokespeople.

Great Lakes Sediment Reduction Act of 1992
The Great Lakes Sediment Reduction Act of 1992 directed the Army Corps of Engineers to develop sediment transport models for each of the major tributaries into the Great Lakes so that states could target their soil erosion control efforts to those areas causing greatest sedimentation.

Great Lakes Tissue Bank Act of 1992
Great Lakes Tissue Bank Act of 1992 established the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Tissue Bank and required the Fish and Wildlife Service to coordinate facilities for the storage, preparation, examination, and archiving of tissues from fish and wildlife in the Great Lakes. In addition, the Act directed the Service to issue guidance for tissue collection, preparation, archiving and quality control procedures; maintain a central data base for tracking and assessing relevant data on Great Lakes fish and wildlife, including data on tissues collected for and maintained in the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Tissue Bank; and establish criteria for public access to the data base.

State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conferences (SOLEC), 1992
The United States and Canada established SOLEC, a science-based reporting forum that provided information on the state of the Lakes and the stresses on the Lakes relating to aquatic ecosystem health; human health; aquatic habitat and wetlands; nutrients; contaminants; and the economy.

International Joint Commission Report, 1993
A report from the International Joint Commission stated that governments need to do more to protect human health from toxic chemicals in the Great lakes, especially those that cause reproductive problems.

Ecosystem Charter for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin, 1994
Publicly released on October 25, 1994, the Ecosystem Charter tied a common thread through the many policies, laws and agreements in the basin, and explicitly defined objectives for an ecosystem approach to management. A living document, the Ecosystem Charter was to be periodically updated.

Collingwood Harbour AOC delisted, 1994
Collingwood Harbour on Georgian Bay in Ontario became the first Area of Concern to be declared restored and was de-listed.

National Invasive Species Act of 1996
The National Invasive Species Act of 1996 expanded the regulatory Great Lakes ballast management program. The Act also authorized a dispersal barrier in the Chicago Shipping and Sanitary Canal - connected to Lake Michigan - to prevent the spread of exotic species between the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes.

Water Resources Development Act of 1996
The Water Resources Development Act of 1996 enacts the John Glenn Great Lakes Basin Act. The Act also authorizes the Army Corps of Engineers to work with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop and demonstrate sediment remediation technologies for the Great Lakes region.

Memorandum of Understanding on the Lake Michigan Diversion, 1997
The Great Lakes states entered into a Memorandum of Understanding, concluding a lengthy mediation process on the matter of Illinois' diversion of Lake Michigan water at Chicago. Under the U.S. Supreme Court decrees, Illinois would further reduce its annual diversion over the following 14 years to restore to Lake Michigan the excess amount of water it had withdrawn since 1980 and construct new lakefront structures that do not allow leakage.

Great Lakes Binational Toxics Strategy, 1997
The United States and Canada signed the Great Lakes Binational Toxics Strategy. The goal of the Strategy was to build collaboration among all major groups around the basin, including all levels of government, native peoples, and business to work for the virtual elimination of persistent toxic substances resulting from human activity. The strategy provided a framework for actions to reduce or eliminate persistent toxic substances, especially those that bioaccumulate from the Great Lakes Basin.

Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 1998
Reauthorizing the 1990 law, the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 1998 shifted emphasis from the study of species and habitat restoration needs to implementation of restoration projects. The Act authorized $3.5 million for each fiscal year through 2004 for activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Great Lakes Coordination and Fishery Resources Offices, and also established a Committee to recommend projects for funding to the Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service.

Water Resources Development Act of 1999
The Water Resources Development Act of 1999 established the Great Lakes Fishery and Ecosystem Restoration Program, authorizing the Army Corps of Engineers to cooperate with other federal, state, and local agencies. It also authorized the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to plan, implement, and evaluate projects supporting the restoration of the fishery, ecosystem, and beneficial uses of the Great Lakes.

2000 Amendment to the Water Resources Development Act of 1986, 2000
Amendments to the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 reconfirmed the prohibition of the diversion of U.S. water from the Great Lakes basin, whether to a domestic or foreign recipient, unless all eight Great Lakes governors approve the proposed diversion.

State of the Great Lakes Report, 2001
The United States and Canada released their latest State of the Great Lakes Report stating that 25 per cent of the 33 indicators show good or improving trends, 50 percent were mixed in terms of improvements or declines, and 25 percent were poor or deteriorating.

Annex negotiations, 2001
Prompted by fears of increased diversions and several controversial proposals to sell, withdraw or transfer Great Lakes surface or ground water, the Council of Great Lakes Governors - based on its authority in the Great Lakes Charter - began a multi-year project to set standards for consumptive uses of water in the Great Lakes basin.

Great Lakes Strategy, 2002
The U.S. Policy Committee for the Great Lakes released "Great Lakes Strategy", outlining a vision for the Great Lakes basin as well as specific objectives to reduce contaminants, restore habitat, and protect the basin's living resources.

State of the Great Lakes Ecosystem Conference (SOLEC), 2002
The United States and Canada released their latest review of critical indicators of the health of the Great Lakes ecosystem. It addressed the questions: can we eat the fish, drink the water, and swim?

Moratorium on Slant Drilling, 2002
The fiscal 2002 Energy and Water appropriations bill contained a two-year moratorium prohibiting slant drilling in the Great Lakes. This moratorium was set to expire at the end of fiscal 2003.

Great Lakes Legacy Act of 2002
Congress enacted the Great Lakes Legacy Act of 2002 authorizing up to $50 million per year to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Great Lakes National Program Office to clean up contaminated Areas of Concern. Eligible activities included monitoring and evaluating sites, cleaning up contaminated sediment, or preventing further contamination.

National Aquatic Invasive Species Act of 2003 (proposed)
The National Aquatic Invasive Species Act of 2003 was introduced in Congress. Provisions of the legislation included creation of a nationwide mandatory ballast water management program, increased funding and research for the Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal Dispersal Barrier Project, screening of planned importations to ensure that potential invasive species are not intentionally introduced into the Great Lakes, public outreach programs to help inform the public about the dangers of carrying organisms on the hulls of recreational vessels and dumping bait buckets in the Lakes, funding and assistance for rapid response and early detection efforts to assist the region in mobilizing an emergency response network for controlling new potential invasions, and ecological surveys for early detection of invasive species and analysis of invasion rates and patterns.

 

 

Recent Restoration Activities (2003 - present)

Below is a timeline of events establishing and implementing restoration activities in the Great Lakes since 2003:

GAO report, April 2003
As requested by the Great Lakes Task Forces, the General Accounting Office released "Great Lakes: An Overall Strategy and Indicators for Measuring Progress are Needed to Better Achieve Restoration Goals." The report found that the while many environmental strategies are being used at the binational, federal, and state levels, these efforts are not coordinated or unified. The report also concluded that sufficient funds are not being supplied for Great Lakes restoration, and that environmental indicators and a monitoring system are needed in order to assess existing and new restoration progress in the Lakes.

Great Lakes Environmental Restoration Act of 2003 (proposed), July 2003
Senators Mike DeWine (R-OH) and Carl Levin (D-MI), as well as seven other senators, introduced the Great Lakes Environmental Restoration Act (S. 1398). The bill would provide up to $600 million per year over a ten-year period for grants to Great Lakes restoration activities. This funding would add to, rather than replace, existing programs. Grants would be awarded based on priorities from the Great Lakes governors, mayors, federal agencies, environmental groups, tribes, and industry. The legislation also would improve federal coordination and efficiency by establishing a coordination committee among the government agencies working in the Great Lakes. Finally, the bill would require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to establish a federal monitoring system that would provide the data needed to steer future Great Lakes projects and programs.

Great Lakes Restoration Financing Act of 2003 (proposed), July 2003
Reps. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) and Thomas Reynolds (R-NY) introduced the Great Lakes Restoration Financing Act (H.R. 2720). The bill would provide up to $800 million per year over five years for states to conduct restoration activities based on approved restoration plans. The legislation would improve restoration coordination work by requiring the governors, mayors, federal agencies, environmental groups, tribes, and industry to develop goals and a comprehensive management plan.

Senate Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia Hearing, July 2003
The Senate Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia held a hearing entitled "Great Lakes Restoration Management: No Direction, Unknown Progress." The hearing was chaired by Senators George Voinovich (R-OH) and Richard Durbin (D-IL), and witnesses include Senators DeWine and Levin, the General Accounting Office, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, International Joint Commission, Illinois State Senator Susan Garrett, and Great Lakes United. The hearing echoed the findings of the GAO report and supported legislation advancing Great Lakes restoration.

Council of Great Lakes Governors Restoration Priorities, October 2003
The Council of Great Lakes Governors reached consensus on priorities that should guide Great Lakes restoration and protection efforts. The priorities included ensuring sustainable use of water resources; promoting programs to protect human health against adverse effects of pollution; controlling pollution from diffuse sources; reducing the introduction of persistent bioaccumulative toxics; stopping the introduction and spread of non-native aquatic invasive species; enhancing fish and wildlife; restoring Areas of Concern; standardizing and enhancing methods for collecting, sharing and storing information; and adopting sustainable use practices.

Great Lakes Community Restoration Act of 2004 (proposed), April 2004
Several Great Lakes Senators introduced the Great Lakes Community Restoration Act of 2004. The Act would provide $100 million in grants per year directly to local communities to help restore the Great Lakes coastal region. Communities would be able to use the funding for many projects such as repairing sewer and water systems, restoring Great Lakes lighthouses, preventing or limiting pollutants from nonpoint sources from entering coastal waters, and remediating coastal waters that are contaminated by pollution.

Great Lakes Cities Initiative Priorities, April 2004
On behalf of many of the region's mayors, the Great Lakes Cities Initiative released its priorities for action. The priorities, similar to those released by the Council of Great Lakes Governors, included sustainable water use, human health, diffuse sources, toxics, invasive species, habitat, areas of concern, information management, and sustainable use practices.

House Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Hearings, May 2004
The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee's Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee held hearings on Great Lakes water quality and restoration efforts. Witnesses included the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Great Lakes National Program Office; Army Corps of Engineers; NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory; Department of Agriculture; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Representatives Rahm Emanuel (D-IL), Bart Stupak (D-MI) and Mark Kirk (R-IL); Council of Great Lakes Governors; International Joint Commission; U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO); and a scientist involved in Great Lakes restoration efforts. Witnesses discussed the environmental challenges, especially invasive species, facing the Great Lakes today and the hurdles that must be overcome for regional restoration, and highlight the need for increased funding and improved coordination.

Executive Order 13340, May 2004
President Bush signed a Presidential Executive Order recognizing the Great Lakes as a national treasure, calling for the creation of a "Regional Collaboration of National Significance" and a cabinet-level interagency Task Force.

Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Roundtable, June 2004
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee convened a roundtable in Chicago to talk with local officials and to see the Great Lakes in person.

Great Lakes Restoration and Committee Act (proposed), May 2004
Several Great Lakes Congressional members introduced the Great Lakes Restoration and Committee Act of 2004. The Act would establish the Great Lakes Protection and Restoration Advisory Committee made up of 25 voting members, 8 non-voting members, and several non-voting observers. The Committee would conduct a study, based on restoration goals for the Great Lakes prepared by the Governors of Great Lakes States, to identify the best methods by which to protect and restore the Great Lakes.

Great Lakes Task Force, July 2004
Great Lakes Task Force members met with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Leavitt to discuss implementation of Executive Order 13340. Administrator Leavitt laid out his ideas to ensure regional cooperation and to develop short- and long-term strategies that achieve the restoration priorities adopted by the Council of Great Lakes Governors and the Great Lakes Cities Initiative. Congressional Task Force members expressed support for Leavitt's efforts but emphasized the need for near-term action. They noted that several issues facing the Great Lakes do not require additional study and that additional funding is needed now for existing Great Lakes programs.

GAO Report, July 2004
As requested by the Great Lakes Task Forces, the General Accounting Office released "Great Lakes: Organizational Leadership and Restoration Goals Need to Be Better Defined for Monitoring Restoration Progress". The report recommended that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency develop controls to ensure the Great Lakes monitoring system inventory is complete, accurate, and consistent. The report also recommended that Congress consider clarifying if the Great Lakes National Program Office or the task force should lead restoration efforts and require development of measurable basin-wide goals with a monitoring system for measuring progress.

Interagency Task Force, December 2004
Principal conveners -- including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Administrator Michael Leavitt, Great Lakes governors, mayors, tribal officials, and congressional delegation members -- established the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration in Chicago. The Collaboration, which implements Executive Order 13340, will work throughout 2005 to prepare short-term and long-term restoration goals and strategies. Under the effort, eight teams will address different issue areas and provide recommendations.

 

 

Restoration Plan

In May 2004, President Bush signed a Presidential Executive Order recognizing the Great Lakes as a national treasure, and calling for the creation of a "Regional Collaboration of National Significance" and a cabinet-level interagency Task Force. After extensive discussions, the federal Great Lakes Interagency Task Force, the Council of Great Lakes Governors, the Great Lakes Cities Initiative, Great Lakes Tribes, and the Great Lakes Congressional delegation moved to convene a collaboration.

The Great Lakes Regional Collaboration was officially launched in Chicago, IL, on Friday, December 3, 2004. The Collaboration brings together a federal Task Force, the Great Lakes states, local communities, tribes, regional bodies, and other interests in the Great Lakes region. Approximately 400 regional leaders and stakeholders attended the ceremonial "Conveners Meeting" where the region's leaders declared publicly and formally their support for the development of a strategy and actions to further protect and restore the Great Lakes. Commitment to the Collaboration was expressed in a "Great Lakes Declaration" while a "Great Lakes Framework" defined the process for developing a Great Lakes restoration and protection strategy, calling for the parties to, within one year, design a strategy to restore and protect the Great Lakes now and into the future.

Following the Ceremonial Conveners Meeting, attendees and others met for the first time as Great Lakes Issue Area Strategy Teams. The Issue Area Strategy Teams were organized using the October 1, 2003, Council of Great Lakes Governors' priorities as a starting point. The Strategy Teams, made up of government representatives as well as representatives of organizations and entities, are the working bodies responsible for producing draft strategic action plans that are supported by specific action items and recommendations to address the issues considered by the specific teams. The strategic action plans from the Strategy Teams will be combined into a draft of the comprehensive strategy that will be provided to the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration members for review and consideration.

The eight Issue Area Strategy Teams are:

  • Habitat/species;
  • Indicators and information;
  • Persistent bioacculumative toxics reduction;
  • Invasive species;
  • Sustainable development;
  • Coastal health;
  • Non-point source; and
  • Areas of Concern restoration/sediments.

As they focus on the respective conditions and tasks of each Issue Area, the Strategy Teams will also address the following overarching considerations and topics:

  • Human health impacts and priorities;
  • Tribal interests and perspectives; and
  • Research and monitoring.

 

 

Key Players

Federal
Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, NOAA
Great Lakes Science Center, USGS
Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team, USFWS
St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
U.S. Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service; Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service; and Soil Conservation Service
U.S. Coast Guard

State
Illinois
Indiana
Michigan
Minnesota
New York
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Wisconsin

International
Federal government of Canada
Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec
International Joint Commission
Tribes and First Nations
Great Lakes Fishery Commission

Other
Council of Great Lakes Governors
Great Lakes Task Force
Great Lakes Cities Initiative
Great Lakes Commission
State Sea Grant offices
Universities and Colleges
Great Lakes environmental groups
Northeast-Midwest Institute
Great Lakes business associations


 

 

Funding

148 federal and 51 state programs fund environmental restoration activities in the Great Lakes basin. Most of these programs involve the localized application of national or state environmental initiatives that do not specifically focus on basin concerns. For this reason, it is difficult to track or itemize their total contribution to Great Lakes spending.

In addition to nationwide federal programs, Congress has enacted 33 federal programs focused specifically on the Great Lakes basin, for which about $387 million was spent in fiscal 1992 through 2001, to specifically address environmental conditions in the Great Lakes. Additionally, the Army Corps of Engineers expended approximately $358 million during the same time period for legislatively-directed projects within the basin.

States also fund 17 Great Lakes specific programs, for which about $956 million was expended in fiscal 1992 through 2001 to address unique state needs.

In addition, county and municipal governmental organizations, binational organizations, and non-governmental organizations, such as non-profit organizations, fund restoration activities within the basin.

 

 

Achieving Progress

As the health of the Great Lakes basin reached its worst levels in the late 1960s and early 1970s, it became apparent that the resources of the basin were not limitless. Many binational, national, state and local solu