The International Joint Commission’s Great Lakes Photo Showcase is now open

Do you have a phone full of snapshots of life in the Great Lakes region? Submit your photos to the International Joint Commission’s (IJC) Great Lakes Photo Showcase to share how you live, work, and play in the Great Lakes basin. 

Across the region, the wellbeing of plant, animal and human communities rely on clean, healthy Great Lakes water quality. Through its responsibilities under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, the IJC works to educate and engage a variety of audiences on Great Lakes water quality issues. To support that work, the IJC is seeking photos showing the countless ways that people interact with the Great Lakes.  

Submit your photos for a chance to be featured on the IJC’s homepage, on our social media platforms or incorporated into the IJC’s upcoming assessment report on Great Lakes water quality. The top 10 photos, selected by public voting, will be featured in a Great Lakes postcard set. 

There are three photo categories for the showcase.

• Recreation: Photos that show the recreational use and enjoyment of the Great Lakes, such as boating, fishing, swimming, birding, camping, hiking, sailing or other reactional activities.
• Research, Education & Science: Photos that show Great Lakes research, education or science activities in progress. This includes both field-based photos and photos related to Great Lakes research, science or education that are not on the Great Lakes (e.g., photographs from a lab setting).
• Great Lakes Water in Action: Photos that show the many forms, conditions and uses of the waters of the Great Lakes, including but not limited to drinking water, pollution, rain/weather, human/economic uses, landscapes, groundwater, and life in aquatic habitats.  

Photos will be accepted on a rolling basis through mid-2026. Rules and more information can be found on GLPerspectives, the IJC's public engagement platform for its upcoming assessment of Great Lakes water quality.

Share Your Perspectives on Great Lakes Water Quality 

Through the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, the governments of Canada and the United States work together to keep the Great Lakes clean and healthy. Every three years, the IJC reports on the governments’ progress towards the Agreement’s goals for drinkable, fishable, swimmable Great Lakes.

The IJC has begun the process to develop its next Triennial Assessment of Progress report, expected next year. Public input is an important part of this assessment, which helps to inform the IJC's recommendations. The IJC’s public comment period is expected to commence in early 2026.

Sign up on the IJC’s GLPerspectives online engagement platform for more information about how you can share your perspectives on Great Lakes water quality. 

Test Your Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement Knowledge 

Want to learn more about the IJC and its responsibilities under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement? Test your knowledge of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement with this short quiz.