Past Successes

Programs created by both countries in response to Annex 3: Control of Phosphorus of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement led to a sharp reduction of phosphorus entering Lake Erie during the late 1970s and the 1980s. These programs, especially those involving improved sewage treatment plants and reformulated laundry detergent, led to a reversal of the lake's eutrophication ¹ and water quality improved significantly. ² The U.S. and Canadian Governments achieved further reductions in phosphorus in subsequent years through a variety of control measures, as recommended by the Commission's Pollution From Land Use Activities Reference Group in 1978. These measures focused on direct or "point" sources of pollution - such as discharge pipes from factories and sewage treatment plants -- as well as "nonpoint" sources such as storm water runoff from farm fields or parking lots. The control of eutrophication in Lake Erie is recognized worldwide as a successful model of transboundary cooperation that linked scientific findings with monitoring, resource management, and policy formulation and application.