Specific Implications for Beneficial Uses

4.0

SPECIFIC IMPLICATIONS FOR BENEFICIAL USES

IDENTIFIED IN THE GREAT LAKES WATER QUALITY

AGREEMENT

Environmentally sensitive areas became an issue for policy makers in the Canadian and United

States governments in the early 1970s (IJC, 2002).  As outlined by the International Joint

Commission (IJC) (2002), water pollution problems led to the development of the Great Lakes

Water Quality Agreement.  This document was an accord between Canada and the United States

to study and restore the health of the Great Lakes freshwater resource shared by both countries.  

Over time, this agreement has been modified.  In 1978, there was a call to end the discharge of

toxic substances (such as PCBs) into the lakes.  In 1987, another revision was added for the

cleanup and restoration of areas impacted by one or more of the 14 beneficial uses impairments

identified in the Great Lakes.  An impaired beneficial use occurs when there is a change in the

chemical, physical, or biological integrity of the Great Lakes system, causing use impairments

or other related issues, such as the microbial objective for waters used for body contact

recreational activities (IJC, 1991).

Environmental restoration of environmentally sensitive areas is long-term activity that could be

impeded by a changing climate and an altered hydrological regime (Rhodes et al., 1993). For the

white paper, 12 of the 14 beneficial uses were identified as having a potential vulnerability to

climate change. They are listed in Table 4-1 in italics.

Table 4 -1. Beneficial use impairments.

Loss of fish and wildlife habitat

Degradation of aesthetics

Degradation of phytoplankton and

Degradation of fish and wildlife populations

zooplankton populations

Added costs to agriculture or industry

Restrictions on drinking water consumption, or

taste and odour problems

Eutrophication or undesirable algae

Restrictions on dredging activities

Degradation of benthos

Tainting of fish and wildlife flavour

Restrictions on fish and wildlife

Beach closings

consumption

Fish tumors or other deformities

Bird or animal deformities or reproductive

problems

Source: IJC, 1991

An area where one or more beneficial uses are impaired has been termed an Area of Concern

(AOC).  Annex 2 of the 1987 Protocol to the Agreement defines an AOC as "É a geographic

area that fails to meet the General or Specific Objectives of the Agreement where such failure

has caused or is likely to cause impairment of beneficial use or of the area’s ability to support

aquatic life”.  For each AOC, a Remedial Action Plan (RAP) is to be developed and

implemented to restore and protect the beneficial uses.  For open lake waters, Lakewide

Management Plans (LaMPs) were developed to distinguish pollutants that could affect humans

or aquatic life and to restore beneficial uses that were impaired.  There are currently 41 AOCs

(there were 43) (Figure 4-1).  Collingwood Harbour (IJC, 1991) and Severn Sound (Kirschner,

2003) have been delisted.

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