Canada and the United States work together through the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement to keep the Great Lakes clean and healthy. Every three years, the International Joint Commission (IJC) assesses progress towards the Agreement’s goals for drinkable, fishable, swimmable Great Lakes.
February 3 - April 3, 2026: Share your perspective on how the governments are doing to restore, protect and enhance Great Lakes water quality. Your input helps inform the IJC’s independent advice to both governments. Register on GLperspectives.ijc.org to participate.
IJC advice on draft 2026-2028 Binational Priorities for Science and Action:
Under Agreement Article 5.2(c), priorities for science and action to address current and future threats to Great Lakes water quality “shall be established based on an evaluation of the state of the Great Lakes and input received during the Great Lakes Public Forum and recommendations of the Commission.” In addition to consulting with the Great Lakes Science Advisory Board to develop advice on science priorities in accordance with Annex 10 Sections C.1 and C.2, the Commission also consulted with the Great Lakes Water Quality Board, and Health Professionals Advisory Board to offer the following advice directed at both science and action priorities in the draft 2026-2028 Binational Priorities for Science and Action.