Aquatic Invasive Species

Step In and Speak Out for the Great Lakes in 2019

Across the Great Lakes region, residents overwhelmingly value the lakes and everything they provide – recreationally, economically and aesthetically. In binational polls taken by an IJC board, in person, and in letters and emails, citizens have expressed a deep caring for and desire to protect the…

Great Lakes Restoration Conference Heads to Detroit

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition hosts its annual Great Lakes Conference from May 8-9 in Detroit, Michigan. The annual conference brings together more than 300 Great Lakes advocates, scientists, citizens and government leaders to discuss challenges and opportunities in the ongoing…

Hands-on Learning Leads to Great Lakes Stewards

Inland Seas Education Association (ISEA) is one of many organizations around the Great Lakes that provides educational opportunities for individuals to develop a personal relationship with the waters. From teachers and students to individuals and families, the Suttons Bay, Michigan-based nonprofit…

Looking for Ways to Fight Invasive Crayfish

Invasive crayfish have been calling the Great Lakes home for decades. Researchers are looking into ways to keep them in check, get a full account of existing populations and see what species and range expansions could be coming.

New Great Lakes Island Alliance Connects Communities

A new partnership among residents of Great Lakes island communities has launched. The concept was spearheaded by Michigan Office of the Great Lakes Director Jon W. Allan and draws inspiration from the Island Institute, a nonprofit that supports 15 off-shore islands in Maine.

Phragmites Removal Increases Property Values

A recent study out of western Michigan suggests that removing invasive Phragmites stands from waterfront properties substantially increases property values. What’s more, researchers say a long-term, consistent funding mechanism through municipal governments to treat and control Phragmites could…

FishPass: Solving One of Fishery Management’s Greatest Challenges

Flowing through the heart of Traverse City, Michigan—a popular destination in the Great Lakes region—is the Boardman (Ottaway) River. Formerly used to generate hydropower, the 28.6 miles of the Boardman River were fragmented by four dams: Brown Bridge, Boardman, Sabin and Union Street.

Teaching Teachers to Improve Invasive Species, Great Lakes Science Education

Children spend a considerable amount of time each year in school, and for those who live near the Great Lakes this region can be the perfect venue for science education. Furthermore, what better way to help improve Great Lakes education in the classroom than by teaching the teachers? That’s the…

Ten Year Review of the IJC's Report on "Protection of the Waters of the Great Lakes"

Protection of the Waters of the Great Lakes

(May 19, 2015 - June 30, 2015) 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. This…