Volume 23, Issue 2, 1998 July/August 1998

The International Joint Commission is an independent international organization established under the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909. Its purpose is to help prevent disputes over use of waters shared by Canada and the United States and to provide advice on questions of mutual concern when requested by the two federal governments. Three members are appointed by the President of the United States, with advice and approval of the Senate, and three by the Governor-in-Council of Canada, on the advice of Prime Minister.

Features Encouraging Progress and Resolution: Commission Issues Ninth Biennial Report Encourager les progrès et la résolution des problèmes : les enjeux de la Commission Research Fleet Needs to Prepare for Future IJC Calls for Regular Government Inspection and Oversight of Dams Getting Ready for the Next Red River Flood Et si l'herbe était plus verte dans l'enclos d'un voisin? So What if the Grass Really is Greener in the Neighbor's Garden? SOLEC 98: Working toward Development of Great Lakes Indicators Oldest Active Commercial Ship Still Works in Great Lakes Columns Briefs RAPSHEET Bookshelf Events

Restoring Our Waters People want clean lakes without persistent toxic substances. This simple concept is at the heart of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, the purpose of which is "to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the waters of the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem." Tremendous gains have been made toward achieving the purpose of the Agreement, yet despite decades of effort, society has not gone far enough. There is overwhelming evidence that certain persistent toxic substances impair human intellectual capacity, change behavior, damage the immune system and compromise reproductive capacity. Yet most communities in the Areas of Concern do not have the support they need to address the largest local source of these substances: contaminated sediments. Atmospheric transport, agricultural runoff and other sources and pathways of persistent toxic substances must also be addressed. To focus attention on what remains to be done, IJC's Ninth Biennial Report on Great Lakes Water Quality recommends a series of specific actions to achieve specific results. These recommendations, when implemented, will allow the Commission to measure progress toward the Agreement's purpose: restoring our waters.