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 64.

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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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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 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 Kootenay Lake Board of Control (IKLBC) mandate and 1938 Order of Approval for Kootenay Lake (1938 Order) established a framework that has been used to manage Kootenay Lake for over 80 years. Many significant changes have occurred during this period, including the construction and...
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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 Health Professionals Advisory Board conducted a proof-of-concept pilot study to assess whether it is feasible to collect comparable, binational water quality and population health data for locations around the Great Lakes, and whether such data could be used to generate conclusions and examine...
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In 1913, a ground-breaking IJC monitoring study linked untreated sewage pollution to widespread disease in the Great Lakes. One hundred years later, the question remains whether nearshore fecal bacterial/microbial water quality is getting better or worse. While technology to prevent and track this...
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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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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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The IJC’s Health Professional Advisory Board (HPAB) was created to provide advice to the Commission and its Boards about current and emergent clinical and public health issues in the area of environmental health. The HPAB will be responsive to requests from the IJC and other Boards and stakeholders...
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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 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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As part of the International Joint Commission’s efforts to obtain public input on Agreement progress, public meetings were held in six communities across the Great Lakes region. Two meetings were held at the studio of WNED-WBFO public television to hear from community leaders, scientists and other...
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The International Joint Commission visited Sarnia, Ontario as part of public meetings in six communities in the spring of 2017 to gather public comment on the Canadian and US governments’ Progress Report of the Parties (PROP) and the IJC’s draft Triennial Assessment of Progress (TAP) report.
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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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As part of the International Joint Commission’s efforts to obtain public input on Agreement progress, two public meetings were held to connect with several scientists and citizens in Wisconsin who are committed to restoring and protecting their part of the Great Lakes. The afternoon roundtable at...
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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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In 2012, Canada and the United States significantly revised the GLWQA to strengthen and modernize the Agreement and included a new requirement for a Progress Report of the Parties (Report) to be issued once every three years “to document actions relating to this Agreement”. This reporting...
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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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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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All comments received by the Health Professionals Advisory Board related to their interim Recommended Human Health Indicators for Assessment of Progress on the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement report
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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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The Beaches and Recreational Water Quality Work Group looked to do the following for the 2009-2011 priority cycle: Identify problems associated with current indicators of recreational water quality; Locate, compile, and review existing information on the relationships between human health and the...
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This summary report communicates the findings and recommendations of the Binational Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Rapid Response Work Group members. It is an executive summary of the Work Group's activities from 2009 to 2011. The purpose is to inform the Commission's advice to the governments of...
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The report provides advice and recommendations of the Great Lakes Water Quality Board to the International Joint Commission on the implications and impacts of climate change on Great Lakes water quality and beneficial uses, and how address such changes.
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In late 1999, the International Joint Commission asked its Great Lakes Water Quality Board to assess progress made under the Strategy and the contribution of the Strategy toward achievement of the Agreement's virtual elimination goal. To carry out this charge, the Board convened a Progress Review...
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As part of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission charge to assess habitat alterations and recommend mitigative strategies to address concerns for aquaculture in the Great Lakes basin, a roundtable discussion of water quality impacts of Great lakes aquaculture was held on January 27-28, 1999 in...
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The International Joint Commission identified contaminated sediment as a program priority. The IJC assigned this priority to the Great Lakes Water Quality Board with the support of the Science Advisory Board and the Council of Research Managers. The Sediment Priority Action Committee was formed from...
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