This glossary describes and provides hypertext links to and contact information for the principal U.S. and Canadian organizations involved in Great Lakes management.  It also describes and links to the fundamental agreements and laws regarding  the Great Lakes, as well as a few key terms and phrases regarding Great Lakes management and rehabilitation.

Contents

• International Agreements and Organizations
• U.S. Organizations
• U.S. Laws and Agreements
• Canadian Organizations
• Canadian Laws and Programs
• Some Definitions

Visit Great Lakes Internet Resources for links to other relevant online sources of information.

 

International Agreements and Organizations

• The Great Lakes Charter (1985): The governors of the eight Great Lakes states and the premiers of Ontario and Quebec signed the Great Lakes Charter in 1985 to respond to growing interest in diverting water from the Great Lakes to arid regions of the United States. The charter discourages new proposals to divert Great Lakes water, but it has no enforcement provisions.

 

• Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC): The United States and Canada established the Great Lakes Fishery Commission in 1955 through the Convention on Great Lakes Fisheries. The commission's main responsibilities are (1) to advise the two governments on fisheries issues of common concern, and (2) to control sea lamprey in the Great Lakes. The commission runs its programs through contracts with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The commission also advises the two governments on problems associated with nonindigenous species, such as the zebra mussel and the ruffe.
  
  2100 Commonwealth Blvd., Suite 100, Ann Arbor, MI 48105-1563, phone (734) 662-3209
  

 

• Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (1972): The U.S.-Canadian Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement describes the objectives of the two countries for restoring and maintaining the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the waters of the Great Lakes Basin. The agreement calls for joint initiatives in research, pollution control, problem identification and monitoring. It was signed in 1972 and modified in 1978. The revised accord introduced two concepts -- the "ecosystem approach" and "mass balance" -- to Great Lakes management. In 1987, another amendment called for development and implementation of Remedial Action Plans (RAPs) to restore beneficial uses in 43 Areas of Concern -- areas of the Great Lakes that suffer serious problems with water quality.

 

• International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) : This association of scientists publishes the quarterly Journal of Great Lakes Research and hosts an annual conference on Great Lakes research. (Conference sites alternate between the United States and Canada.) Conference sessions and journal publications cover a wide range of research aimed at understanding the world's large lakes and the human communities around them.

  2205 Commonwealth Blvd., Ann Arbor, MI 48105, phone (734) 665-5303
  

• International Joint Commission (IJC) : The United States and Canada established the International Joint Commission in the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 . The commission makes binding decisions regarding water uses that affect Great Lakes levels or flows on either side of the U.S.-Canadian border. The IJC also investigates Great Lakes issues at the request of the two federal governments; provides advice on issues of water quality and quantity, and encourages cooperation among different government jurisdictions. The IJC's Great Lakes Water Quality Board and Science Advisory Board report on progress toward goals outlined in the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, and its Regional Office provides administrative, technical and public information services.

  (USA) 1250 23rd St., NW, Suite 100, Washington, DC 20440, phone (202) 736-9000
  
  (CANADA) 100 Metcalfe Street, 18th Floor, Ottawa, ON K1P 5M1, phone (613) 995-2984
  
  (Regional Office) 100 Ouellette Ave., 8th Floor, Windsor, ON N9A 6T3, phone (313) 226-2170 or (519) 256-7821
  

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U.S. Organizations

• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Established in 1970, the EPA sets and enforces standards for air and water quality and the management of solid and hazardous waste. It also regulates pesticides and toxic substances, examines the causes and effects of environmental problems, and helps states and local governments deal with environmental issues. The EPA is charged with restoring and maintaining the physical, biological and chemical integrity of the Great Lakes ecosystem. It operates a regional office and the Great Lakes National Program Office in Chicago; it also operates an environmental research laboratory in Duluth, Minnesota.

  (Region V Office of Public Affairs) 77 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604
  phone (312) 353-2000

   

• Great Lakes Commission (GLC): Eight states -- Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin -- formed the commission in 1955 to help them manage the Great Lakes. The commission provides the states with research, advice and advocacy on issues of development, use and protection of water and land resources in the Great Lakes basin.

  Suite 100, Eisenhower Corporate Park, 2805 S. Industrial Highway, Ann Arbor, MI 48104-6791
  phone (734) 971-9135
   

   

• Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL): Scientists at this NOAA laboratory study the biological, chemical and physical processes that occur in natural ecosystems, especially in the Great Lakes. GLERL has five research programs that cover coordinated ecosystem research, climate variability and change, marine hazards, pollutants and exotic species.

  2205 Commonwealth Blvd., Ann Arbor, MI 48105-2945, phone (734) 741-2235

   

• Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission: The commission represents 11 Chippewa tribes that have retained their treaty rights to hunt and fish on Lake Superior and certain inland waters in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The commission provides biological assessment of waters and fisheries; program planning related to fisheries and water pollution; hatchery and fish management programs, and law enforcement. It is funded by Congress through the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

  P.O. Box 9, Odanah, WI 54861, phone (715) 682-6619

   

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): This federal agency, a part of the Department of Commerce, is responsible for research on the atmosphere, the seas and the nation's inland waters. NOAA administers the National Weather Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Environmental Data Service, the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, and the National Sea Grant College Program. It also operates the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL), described above, and the National Sea Grant College Program, described below.

  14th and Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20230, phone (202) 482-6090

   

• National Sea Grant College Program: Congress established this program in 1966 to apply the expertise and resources of the nation's universities to the wise stewardship of its coastal regions and the Great Lakes. Sea Grant supports seven programs of Great Lakes research, education and outreach: the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant College Program (University of Illinois and Purdue University); the Michigan Sea Grant College Program (University of Michigan and Michigan State University); the Minnesota Sea Grant Program (University of Minnesota-Duluth); the New York Sea Grant Institute (State University of New York-Stony Brook and Cornell University); the Ohio Sea Grant College Program (The Ohio State University); the Pennsylvania Sea Grant Project (Penn State University-Erie/Behrend College), and the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute (University of Wisconsin-Madison).

  National Sea Grant Office 1335 East-West Hwy., Silver Spring, MD 20910
  phone (301) 713-2448

   

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: The Corps of Engineers is the nation's major force in water resource development and management, and its Civil Works program covers projects that involve rivers, harbors and waterways. Specific programs include flood control, navigation, hydroelectric power, water supply, shoreline protection and development of recreational access to waterways. The Corps' Great Lakes and Ohio River Division covers the Great Lakes watershed.

  (Great Lakes Center Office) River Center 12^th Floor, 111 N. Canal St., Chicago, IL 60606-7205 phone (312) 353-6319

   

• U.S. Coast Guard: The Coast Guard is responsible for protecting lives and property on the high seas, and for enforcing federal laws governing commercial and pleasure craft. The Coast Guard manages a system of navigational aids on the Great Lakes, prevents pollution by inspecting vessels and facilities, and coordinates pollution cleanup efforts.

  (Great Lakes USCG Headquarters) 1240 E. 9th St., Cleveland, OH 44199-2060
  phone (216) 522-3900

   

• USDA Forest Service: A branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Forest Service administers seven national forests in the Great Lakes area (three in Michigan, two in Minnesota and two in Wisconsin). It cooperates with other federal, state, local and Canadian agencies in the management of timber, wildlife and fish habitat, recreational uses of these forest lands, and habitat in adjacent waterways. Its Region 9 (Eastern) office, located in Milwaukee, Wis., coordinates activities in the Great Lakes area.

  310 W. Wisconsin Ave., Suite 580, Milwaukee, WI 53203, phone (414) 297-3600

   

• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly the Soil Conservation Service): This branch of the Department of Agriculture offers farmers, ranchers and foresters a wide variety of projects to protect soil and to preserve or enhance watersheds, water supplies, flood-prone lands, wildlife habitat and recreation resources. The NRCS' Great Lakes Program supports several projects in the Great Lakes watershed, including projects to cut nutrient and sediment pollution of surface waters, to modify current uses of pesticides and fertilizers, and to implement new crop and pest management methods.

  NRCS Great Lakes Program, P.O. Box 2890, Washington, DC 20013, phone (202) 690-5988 (Contact: Mitch Flanagan)

   

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: The service was established in 1974 to protect fish and wildlife and their habitats. Those responsibilities cover migratory birds, endangered species, some marine mammals and certain inland sport fisheries and federal wildlife refuges. In the Great Lakes region, the service handles fisheries management and, in cooperation with state and Canadian governments, the hatchery production of lake trout. The Fish and Wildlife Service has a regional office in Minnesota and the Great Lakes Coordination Office (GLCO) in East Lansing, Mich.

  USFWS Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region 3, Bishop Whipple Federal Bldg., One Federal Dr., Fort Snelling, MN 55111, phone (612) 725-3519
  
  GLCO, 308 Manly Miles Bldg., 1405 S. Harrison Rd., East Lansing, MI 48823
  phone (517) 337-6807
  

 

• USGS Great Lakes Science Center: Now in its ninth decade of providing information about the biological resources of the Great Lakes basin, GLSC research is aimed at gaining a better understanding about this unique resource to manage it for the public interest. About half of the center's 100-plus staff are located at the GLSC headquarters in Ann Arbor, Mich., and the other half are spread over five field stations, one vessel base and three field station/vessel base combinations dispersed throughout the Great Lakes basin.

1451 Green Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48105, phone (734) 994-3331

 

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U.S. Laws and Agreements

• Clean Water Act (1972): Most regulation of pollution in U.S. waterways falls under the Clean Water Act. It is based on the federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948, which was amended significantly in 1972 and 1987. The 1972 amendments sought to improve the nation's water quality to make all waters suitable for fish and swimming. They called for an end to the discharge of pollutants into waterways by 1985. The amendments also set national standards for water quality and waste discharge, addressed pollution control problems on the Great Lakes, and provided financial assistance for construction of local waste treatment plants. In 1987, additional amendments called for the Environmental Protection Agency and the states to manage nonpoint source pollution.

• Great Lakes Toxic Substances Control Agreement (1986): The governors of the Great Lakes states signed this agreement in 1986, pledging to cooperate in the study, management and monitoring of toxic pollutants in the Great Lakes and their effects. The agreement supports an "ecosystem management approach" for the Great Lakes and asks for more federal involvement in controlling toxic pollution (note the listing for the MISA strategy in Canada).

• National Environmental Policy Act (1969): This legislation, enacted in 1969, establishes a national policy for the environment. One of its most note-worthy elements is the requirement for environmental impact statements regarding certain activities conducted by the federal government. The act also establishes a Council on Environmental Quality in the Office of the President. This three- member council analyzes and interprets environmental information, develops policy recommendations and reports its findings to the President.

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Canadian Organizations

• Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada: This federal agency seeks to maintain and enhance Canada's farming industries while ensuring protection of the environment. Its programs are intended to enhance the compatibility of agriculture with wildlife, and to manage farm pollution, regulate pest control products and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
  
  Sir John Carling Bldg., Carling Ave., Ottawa, ON K1A OC5, phone (613) 995-5222

• Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC): Besides providing weather information, the MSC monitors water quantities and conducts research on climate, the atmosphere, air quality, ice and other environmental issues. Its research in the Great Lakes region includes studies of the impact of toxic airborne substances, acid rain and greenhouse gases on the atmosphere and climate.

  4905 Dufferin Street, Downsview, ON M3H 5T4, phone (416) 739-4763

   

• Canada Centre for Inland Waters (CCIW): CCIW is one of the world's leading aquatic research centers and home to offices of two federal departments Ñ Environment Canada, and Fisheries and Oceans. Organizations within the center work on environmental research and monitoring, resource management, marine charting, and coastal and harbor engineering. Environment Canada's facilities at CCIW include the National Water Research Institute (NWRI) and the Wastewater Technology Centre (WTC). The Bayfield Institute of Fisheries and Oceans houses the Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (GLLFAS) and the Fisheries and Habitat Management Branch.

  867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, ON L7R 4A6
  (Environment Canada) (905) 336-4981
  (Fisheries and Oceans) (905) 336-4818

   

• Canadian Coast Guard: A part of Transport Canada, the Canadian Coast Guard promotes boating safety, conducts search and rescue operations, and assists vessels travelling in icy conditions. Its Central Region headquarters, which serves the Great Lakes region, recently moved from Toronto to Sarnia.

  (Central-Arctic Region) 201 N. Front St., Sarnia, ON N7T 8B1, phone (519) 383-1813
  (Public Affairs Office in Toronto) (416) 224-3487

   

• Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS): As part of Environment Canada, the Wildlife Service manages natural habitats and wildlife, including migratory birds, endangered species and wildlife of international or national importance. In the Great Lakes region, its priorities include the conservation of wetland habitats and research on the effects of toxic chemicals on wildlife.

  (Ontario Regional Office) 49 Camelot Dr., Nepean, ON K1A OH3, phone (613) 952-2417

   

• Environment Canada: This is Canada's lead environmental department at the federal level. It manages water, wildlife and land resources; monitors water quality and quantity, and monitors chemical and pollution control legislation. Environment Canada also develops, conducts and reviews pollution abatement programs. It maintains research facilities at the Canada Centre for Inland Waters (CCIW) in Burlington, Ontario. Environment Canada provides a variety of services under the umbrella of Conservation and Protection, which includes the Canadian Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection and the Inland Waters Directorate.

  (General office) Environment Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3
  (Ontario Regional Office) 4905 Dufferin Street, Downsview, ON, M3H 5T4
  (General inquiries) (819) 997-2800
  (Ontario Regional Office) (416) 739-4994

   

• Environmental Protection Branch (EPB): This agency within Environment Canada has lead responsibility for enforcing the Canadian Environmental Protection Act and pollution control provisions of the Fisheries Act. It is involved in all aspects of air and water pollution control including waste and toxic substance management, pollution prevention, environmental impact assessment and response to environmental emergencies.

  (Ontario Regional Office) 4905 Dufferin Street, Downsview, ON, M3H 5T4, phone (416) 739-4994

   

• Department of Fisheries and Oceans: The Department of Fisheries and Oceans supports Canada's economic, ecological and scientific interests in its oceans and inland waters. Fisheries and Oceans develops policies and creates programs, and it is a major contributor of scientific and research support to Canada's Great Lakes ecosystem. The department's Bayfield Institute is located at the Canada Centre for Inland Waters (CCIW) in Burlington, Ontario.

  867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, ON L7R 4A6, phone (905) 336-4508

   

• Public Works and Government Services Canada: This federal department is the custodian of federal property, including bridges, harbors, dry docks and dams, and it provides architectural and engineering services for such projects. Its main office is in Ottawa; its office in the Toronto metropolitan area handles projects on or near the Great Lakes.

  (Ontario Regional Office) 4900 Yonge St., Willowdale, ON M2N 6A6, phone (416) 512-5616

   

• Great Lakes Environment Office (GLEO): A part of Environment Canada, this office coordinates international, national and provincial programs designed to improve Great Lakes water quality. Its work helps fulfill Canada's obligations to the 1987 amendments of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.

  4905 Dufferin Street, Downsview, ON, M3H 5T4, phone (416) 739-4937

• Ministry of the Environment (MOE): All of Canada's Great Lakes border is in Ontario, and this office handles most of Canada's Great Lakes water quality control efforts at the provincial level. (Its work corresponds with that of the eight U.S. states that border the Great Lakes.) The Ontario ministry establishes individual pollution control orders for industrial dischargers and provides some funding for municipal sewage treatment. The ministry also runs programs for water supply analysis, storm and sewage water separation, and beach improvement; it funds some research and technology projects.

  135 St. Clair Ave. W., Toronto, ON M4V 1P5
  (General) (416) 325-4000
  (Water Resources-Great Lakes) (416) 235-6300

   

• Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources: The Ministry's Lands and Waters Group is responsible for water management, conservation and surveys. It forecasts floods, manages shorelines and water power resources, and operates a zebra mussel advisory service.

  MacDonald Blk., 900 Bay St., Toronto, ON M7A 2C1, phone (416) 314-2000

   

• Transport Canada: The Marine Group of Transport Canada includes the Canadian Coast Guard. It provides marine navigation systems, operates public harbors and ports, enforces shipping regulations and conducts the clean-up of toxic spills. Transport Canada coordinates federal efforts aimed at controlling or preventing the entry of exotic species, such as the zebra mussel, into the Great Lakes in the ballast water of ships. It also administers the Ship Source Oil Pollution Fund, which provides payment for losses caused by pollutants discharged from vessels in Canadian waters.

  (GeneralOffice) Transport Canada Bldg., Place de Ville, Ottawa, ON K1A ON5, phone (613) 990-2309

   

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Canadian Laws and Programs

• Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA): Enacted in 1988 and renewed in 1999, the CEPA emphasizes the protection of people and the environment from the effects of toxic substances. It contains provisions for virtually eliminating the release of dioxins and furans from pulp and paper mills, controlling the amount of phosphorous used in laundry detergents, and preventing the release of PCBs into waterways.

• Canada-Ontario Agreement (1972): This agreement between the federal government and the province of Ontario provides joint funding for activities required of Canada under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, an international accord signed by Canada and the United States.

• Canada Water Act (1970): This federal law provides for the management of the water resources of Canada, including programs relative to conservation, development and use of water resources. It also provides for federal and provincial agreements which outline responsibilities at both levels of government.

• Fisheries Act: This act, passed in 1985, helps the federal government conserve and protect fish in Canada's oceans and inland waters. Its regulations authorize allocation of the catch among competing users, and protection of fish habitat.

• Great Lakes Action Plan 2001-06: The Government of Canada's Great Lakes Program was renewed in 2001 as the Great Lakes Action Plan (2001-06). Its mandate is to continue to restore areas harmed by pollution and land use practices, prevent further pollution, protect and rehabilitate habitat, control exotic species such as the sea lamprey, and assess new challenges to the health of the Great Lakes basin ecosystem. This Great Lakes initiative involves eight departments of the Canadian government.

• Municipal Industrial Strategy for Abatement (MISA): This initiative of the province of Ontario is intended to reduce water pollution, especially by persistent toxins, from industrial and municipal discharges. MISA regulations impose effluent loading (total amount discharged) and concentration limits for 190 facilities that discharge to Ontario waters. All discharge effluents must be non-toxic to fish and water life.

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Some Definitions

Areas of Concern (AOCs): The IJC Great Lakes Water Quality Board has identified serious water quality problems at 43 specific areas on the Great Lakes, particularly harbors and bays. At these sites, levels of critical pollutants-- toxic substances such as PCBs, DDT and dieldrin--exceeded goals set in 1978 by the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. In 1981, the IJC water quality board called for a comprehensive "ecosystem approach" to solve these problems and designated the sites themselves as "areas of concern." Of the 43 "areas of concern" on the Great Lakes, 26 are in the United States, 12 are in Canada, and five are on the international border. More than half these areas are contaminated by conventional pollutants, such as those discharged by industries and municipalities. However, contaminated sediments or "in-place pollutants" pose a far more common problem.

 

Ecosystem Approach: This term describes the comprehensive effort needed to rehabilitate and protect the biological, physical and chemical components of the Great Lakes basin. (The idea that lakes are integrated systems of living organisms and chemical and physical conditions was first promoted by E.A. Birge, a pioneering limnologist at the University of Wisconsin.) The use of an "ecosystem approach" to restore and maintain the integrity of the Great Lakes was first embraced in the 1978 by the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the United States and Canada.

 

Eutrophication: This is the process by which lakes "age." Although it occurs naturally, eutrophication can accelerate when human activity adds nutrients, such as phosphate detergents and inorganic fertilizers, to the water. These nutrients stimulate the growth of algae, which will eventually die, settle to the bottom, and decompose. Decomposition of the plant material uses up oxygen and can make water intolerable for fish and other aquatic creatures.

 

Exotic or Non-indigenous Species: These terms describe plants or animals that are not native to a specific environment but have been introduced, intentionally or inadvertently, by human activity. Sea lampreys, zebra mussels and chinook salmon are just three exotic species that are not native to the Great Lakes but are now part of its ecosystem.

 

Point-Source and Nonpoint-Source Pollution: Contaminants that come from an easily identified source, such as a sewer pipe, are known as "point-source" pollutants. Those that enter the water from less distinct sources, such as urban and agricultural runoff or atmospheric fallout, are known as "nonpoint-source" pollutants. Agricultural pesticides or fertilizers are common ingredients in nonpoint-source pollution.

 

Mass Balance: This term describes a scientific method for evaluating the sources, transport and fate of contaminants entering a water system, and the effects of those contaminants on water quality. In a mass balance budget the amounts of a contaminant that enters a river or lake--minus the quantity that is buried in sediment or otherwise stored, transformed or broken down-- must equal the amount leaving the system. Once a mass balance budget is determined for a particular pollutant, its long-term effects on water quality can be simulated by mathematical models and that information can be used to set priorities for research and remedial action.

 

Remedial Action Plans (RAPs): These plans list the specific problems in the 43 Great Lakes Areas of Concern and describe methods for correcting them. RAPs are typically compiled by a state or provincial department in charge of natural resources; then they are signed by the secretary of that department and submitted to the IJC for final approval. In 1985, the Great Lakes States and the Province of Ontario committed themselves to developing and implementing RAPs for each Area of Concern. In 1988, the Green Bay RAP compiled by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources was the first complete plan to be submitted to the IJC.

 

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More Great Lakes Information 
can be found on the 
Great Lakes Information Network

To request printed copies of this and other 
UW Sea Grant publications, contact:

Communications Office
University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute
Goodnight Hall, 1975 Willow Drive
Madison, Wisconsin 53706-1103, U.S.A.

Telephone (608) 262-0905
FAX (608) 262-206-0591

or email us at linda@seagrant.wisc.edu

Last updated 30 May 2003 by Wittman
© 2002 University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute

http://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/Communications/Publications/GLglossary/glossary.html