Lake Erie

IJC meeting to focus on sewage overflows and other water quality problems affecting the Great Lakes

Fish on pharmaceuticals, alien invaders and poo in the Great Lakes will be on the agenda  Wednesday and Thursday (Oct. 7-8) when the International Joint Commission hold its  biennial meeting in Windsor, Ontario.

The commission, which mediates Great Lakes and other border issues between the U.S.  and Canada, will discuss several weighty issues facing the lakes, including: Invasive  species, chemicals of emerging concern (fish on Prozac and other drugs), sewage  overflows and water quality.

The commission’s meeting will focus largely on its 14th Biennial report on Great Lakes Water Quality.

It was fitting that a photo of a sewage treatment plant graced the Read More » »

Erie: A Popular and Endangered Jewel

Erie is one of the most bountiful of the Great Lakes—it provides more fish for human consumption that any Great Lake, and 11 million people rely on it for drinking water.

Unfortunately, Erie is also one of the most polluted Great Lakes, filled almost beyond repair with sewage and agricultural runoff. One of the Lake’s major tributaries, the Cuyahoga River, infamously caught fire in 1969, the publicity around which led to the Clean Water Act, Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, and the creation of federal and state Environmental Protection Agencies.

Scientists have warned that the problems facing fragile Lake Erie and the Read More » »

Rain Gardens to Ease Flooding in Toledo

The Toledo Blade reported this month on the launch of a new initiative that will encourage Toledo residents to grow rain gardens, which absorb rain water that would otherwise run off into streets and sewers and cause damage to basements and foundations. American Rivers is spearheading the $600,000 program, which was made possible by a recent grant from The Joyce Foundation aimed at restoring the Maumee River, the largest river in the
Great Lakes system.

U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) was on hand to speak at the event. “[Storm water] is not a problem, it’s an Read More » »

The State of the Great Lakes & Ohio

Click to view a larger map of the restoration sites.

State of Great Lakes – Ohio
Fact Sheet (PDF)

The Great Lakes are one of our country’s most precious natural treasures.

Ecological threats to the Great Lakes impact the Midwest’s overall economy and quality of life. Families and businesses from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin depend on the Great Lakes for recreation and income. And with nearly 20 percent of the Read More » »

The State of the Great Lakes & New York

Click to view a larger map of the restoration sites.

State of Great Lakes – New York
Fact Sheet (PDF)

The Great Lakes are one of our most precious national treasures. With nearly 20 percent of the Earth’s fresh surface water, they provide drinking water to 28 million U.S. residents. But threats to the Great Lakes basin are making our waters less fishable, closing our beaches to swimming and affecting our drinking Read More » »

The State of the Great Lakes – Indiana

Click to view a larger map of the restoration sites.

State of Great Lakes – Indiana
Fact Sheet (PDF)

The Great Lakes are one of our most precious national treasures. With nearly 20 percent of the Earth’s fresh surface water, they provide drinking water to 28 million U.S. residents. Threats to the Great Lakes basin impact the overall economy and quality of life in the United States, especially in the Midwest.

The Great Lakes are a Read More » »

The State of the Great Lakes – Pennsylvania

Click to view a larger map of the restoration sites.

State of Great Lakes – Pennsylvania
Fact Sheet (PDF)

The Great Lakes are one of our nation’s national treasures. With nearly 20 percent of the Earth’s fresh surface water, theyprovide drinking water to 28 million U.S. residents. Threats to the Great Lakes basin impact the overall economy and quality of life in the United States, especially in the Midwest.

The Great Lakes are a vital resource, Read More » »