Publications

IJC publications contain both board and corporate documents, including reports, fact sheets, infographics, and presentations. Contractor reports are created on behalf of or in coordination with the IJC or its boards by a separate entity, including individuals, companies, and governments. Government reports are documents developed by US or Canadian local/provincial/state/federal government that are of interest to the IJC or board.

IJC Content

Displaying 1 - 50 of 70.

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2023 Consultant Report and Summary Letter In 2021, the IJC’s Water Quality Board launched the Manure Nutrient Management Collaborative (Collaborative) with representatives from agriculture, conservation, business, environmental science and government leaders, working toward protection of water...
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In 2023 the WQB, with a team of consultants, produced a report that collected and analyzed ecological, economic, social, political, demographic, technological and cultural data to identify key drivers and trends expected to influence the Great Lakes region over the next 30 years. From this, four...
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This report looks at efforts to manage nutrients in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario by assessing federal, state and provincial Domestic Action Plans and their implementation, reviewing eight previous IJC reports on nutrient management, and assessing the extent to which key IJC recommendations have been...
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This work plan identifies the priority activities to be carried out or initiated by the GLAM Committee in the period covering October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023. Tasks are focused on supporting Phase 2 of the expedited review of Plan 2014, with additional tasks to related to the Plan 2012...
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The Great Lakes Science Strategy for the Next Decade (the Science Strategy) summarizes the science gaps and related resource needs identified by hundreds of knowledge-holders convened by the International Joint Commission (IJC). This Summary Report provides an overview of the project and integrates...
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This work plan identifies the priority activities to be carried out or initiated by the GLAM Committee in the period covering October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022. While these activities generally support the long-term adaptive management strategy (on-going review and evaluation) of regulation...
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As part of the International Rainy Lake of the Woods Watershed Board’s implementation of the IJC’s climate change guidance framework, the Adaptive Management Committee engaged water resources experts, IJC staff, and the public in a half-day, in-person workshop in Fort Frances, ON on the margins of...
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Welcome to the first edition of the Tri-Board Tribune, a quarterly newsletter designed by the Great Lakes Water Levels Boards of the International Joint Commission (IJC) to share information and articles related to the entire Great Lakes – St. Lawrence River basin and provide regional updates...
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Welcome to the first edition of the Tri-Board Tribune, a quarterly newsletter designed by the Great Lakes Water Levels Boards of the International Joint Commission to share information and articles related to the entire Great Lakes – St. Lawrence River basin and provide regional updates presented by...
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Welcome to the first edition of the Tri-Board Tribune, a quarterly newsletter designed by the Great Lakes Water Levels Boards of the International Joint Commission to share information and articles related to the entire Great Lakes – St. Lawrence River basin and provide regional updates presented by...
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About Water Quality Board Watching Briefs The Great Lakes Water Quality Board (WQB) develops watching briefs for the purpose of summarizing significant developments, events and information in a factual manner on specific, defined topic areas. They are periodically updated and serve to keep the WQB...
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In January 2019, the Committee published its 2018 phase one report that recommended the development of a Great Lakes groundwater and surface water conceptual framework. The latest report from the Great Lakes Science Advisory Board-Research Coordination Committee describes the scientific, technical...
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In 2021 the WQB produced a report (updated August 2023) on the topic of decommissioning nuclear power plants in the Great Lakes basin, which identified potential opportunities in the decommissioning process to reduce threats to the Great Lakes environment. The WQB recommends binational alignment of...
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The International Joint Commission (IJC) developed a Climate Change Guidance Framework (CCGF) in 2017 to help the people who manage the basins that straddle the United States - Canada border better understand and anticipate expected impacts from climate change. Prior reports identified the need for...
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Reports The Great Lakes Water Quality Board completed its third Great Lakes Regional Poll in 2021. The 2021 Great Lakes Regional Poll results provide a snapshot of Great Lakes residents' views on topics including: the importance to protect the Great Lakes environmental health and water quality, and...
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The Lake Erie–Niagara River Ice Boom reduces the amount of ice passing from Lake Erie to the Niagara River. This prevents ice blockages from interfering with hydropower production and reduces the potential of ice damage to shoreline property. The New York Power Authority (NYPA) and Ontario Power...
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This report provides background on the IJC Climate Adaption Guidance Framework and an update on implementation by the IRLWWB and Adaptive Management Committee.
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The International Joint Commission presents its second triennial assessment of progress on Great Lakes water quality pursuant to Article 7.1 (k) of the 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA). This report provides advice and recommendations to assist the federal governments to better meet...
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Technical Webinar - How the LCRR study is assessing Climate Change from International Joint Commission on Vimeo.
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An environmental stressor is any factor whose presence adversely affects individuals, populations, or ecosystems. Often but not necessarily the result of human activities, examples include many different pollutants, excess nutrients, habitat loss and invasive species. Recognizing that interactions...
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2020 Report In June 2020, the International Joint Commission’s Science Advisory Board (SAB) completed a report entitled Understanding Declining Productivity in the Offshore Regions of the Great Lakes. The report includes a number of findings and a recommendation aimed at improving coordination...
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The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (the Agreement) charges the International Joint Commission (IJC), supported by its Great Lakes advisory boards, with several responsibilities including identification of emerging issues facing the Great Lakes. To help fulfil this responsibility the IJC’s Great...
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Annex 10 (Science) of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement assigns the International Joint Commission (IJC) and its Science Advisory Board (SAB) a role in providing input to the Parties on priority science issues on a three year basis. The Parties’ initial Draft Priorities for Science and Action...
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The purpose of this document is to compile unbiased background information about nuclear energy production, the nuclear regulators, the decommissioning process, radioactive waste management, and status of the nuclear power facilities in the Great Lakes basin. The background report is also...
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In January 2017 the WQB produced a Climate Change and Adaption in the Great Lakes project summary that focused on the need for coordinated binational action in developing a climate adaption and resiliency strategy for the Great Lakes. The WQB undertook follow-up work to explore ways to advance...
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This report presents the recommendations of the Great Lakes Water Quality Board (WQB) to the International Joint Commission (IJC) on the topic of manure management for confined animal feeding operation practices and policies in the state and provincial jurisdictions in the Great Lakes. The...
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In 2016-2017 the International Joint Commission’s Science Advisory Board, Science Priority Committee, completed an analysis of commercial fertilizer and manure application in the western Lake Erie basin. The resulting report was adopted by the International Joint Commission and is available at...
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The International Joint Commission’s Science Advisory Board (SAB) Science Priority Committee undertook a synthesis of the science related to observed and potential impacts of crude oil on Great Lakes water quality and ecosystem condition and identified additional research, monitoring and information...
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Slides from the Great Lakes Water Quality Board's webinar presenting the results of its Second Binational Poll
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This assessment of fertilizer application and impacts in the western Lake Erie basin (WLEB) was conducted by members of the International Joint Commission Science Advisory Board's Science Priority Committee (SAB-SPC), with the assistance of an advisory group and a contractor. It considers primarily...
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The purpose of this project was to assess the flow of information to decision makers in the Great Lakes, identify barriers to the flow of this information, and provide recommendations to the IJC and the Parties to address these barriers.
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This report presents the recommendations of the Great Lakes Water Quality Board on the topic of how watershed management plans should be used to manage nutrient pollution in Lake Erie. The implementation of effective watershed management plans is an important tool in a holistic approach to reducing...
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Governments exist to serve the people. With this in mind, the International Joint Commission presents its first triennial assessment of progress on Great Lakes water quality pursuant to Article 7.1 (k) of the 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA). This report provides advice and...
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This report provides the recommendations of the Water Quality Board to address the challenges in seeking alternatives to the use of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) as flame retardants, and avoiding the release of PBDEs during product use, recycling and disposal through the implementation of...
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The IJC has developed this draft triennial assessment report, informed by a larger staff developed technical appendix that includes fuller analyses, technical information, discussion of relevant science and references. This report and the staff technical appendix report will be revised after...
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This document summarizes the SAB’s advice to the Parties on their Draft 2017-2019 Binational Priorities for Science. This advice benefited from input provided by the IJC’s Great Lakes Water Quality Board. General comments that apply to all Agreement Annexes are presented first, followed by general...
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This report presents the recommendations of the Great Lakes Water Quality Board's Legacy Issues Work Group on the topic of how watershed management plans should be used to manage nutrient pollution in Lake Erie.
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This report presents the recommendations of the Great Lakes Water Quality Board’s Legacy Issues Work Group on the topic of how watershed management plans should be used to manage nutrient pollution in Lake Erie. The work group has identified several key success factors necessary for watershed...
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The IJC identified a suite of 16 ecosystem indicators composed of 41 metrics to assess progress towards achieving the objectives of the 2012 GLWQA. In April 2014, the IJC asked the SAB - Science Priority Committee (SPC) to identify a smaller set of indicators and metrics from this existing set that...
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Oraclepoll Research Limited was commissioned by the International Joint Commission’s (IJC) Great Lakes Water Quality Board (WQB) to conduct a telephone survey of residents living in the Great Lakes basin catchment area. The survey was intended to establish baseline data across an array of...
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This report provides the recommendations of the Water Quality Board's Legacy Issues Work Group, with regard to the development of a strategy by the governments of Canada and the United States to address polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the Great Lakes.
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When the International Joint Commission (IJC) submitted its report on Protection of the Great Lakes on February 22, 2001, the two federal governments authorized the Commission to review its recommendations after three years and at 10-year intervals thereafter. 2014 marks the 10th year since the...
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This report summarizes work done by the Nearshore Framework Work Group as part of the 2009-2011 Priority Cycle to assess the application of Adaptive Management (AM) in a nearshore context, summarize recent science activities in the nearshore, identify potential gaps that should be addressed, and...
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For the 2009-2011 priority cycle, the Nuisance and Harmful Algae Work Group (NHAWG) created a three-part work plan consisting of scientific, management, and communication components to assess the causes of nuisance algal growth and to prioritize implementation actions in an adaptive management...
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For the 2009-2011 priority cycle, the Chemicals of Emerging Concern Work Group assessed the performance of wastewater treatment plans for removal of chemicals of emerging concern and assessed human and ecological health effects from exposure to these chemicals.
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