15th Biennial Report on Great Lakes Water Quality

  Available online: http://www.ijc.org/rel/boards/watershed/15biennial_report_web-final.pdf

The focus of this report is the nearshore zone, the vital ecological link between watersheds, tributaries, wetlands, groundwater, and offshore waters of the Great Lakes. Most people live in the nearshore and get their drinking water from this zone. The nearshore also supports critical habitat for fish, invertebrate and wildlife populations. Beach losings, nuisance algal growth, the establishment of alien invasive species, and habitat loss are just some of the troublesome developments in the nearshore that act as harbingers of future changes in offshore waters. A revised Agreement should be strengthened with explicit provisions to address threats to nearshore water quality and to prevent or reduce their impact on human and ecological health.

Language(s): English; Other Languages: French

Tags: Water ; Water pollution ; Environment and landscape ; Human health ; Canada ; United States of America Add tag

Translated under the title

 15e Rapport biennal sur la qualité de l'eau dans les Grands Lacs (2011)