2017 IJC Annual Activities Report

The report covers all of the agreement’s objectives, from nutrients entering the lakes and chemical pollutants to invasive species and wetland health, among other topics. The report’s release follows several public meetings within the Great Lakes basin, collecting public comments online, and research and discussions between Commission staff, its Great Lakes advisory boards, and Commissioners. From start to finish, 2017 was a busy year for the Commission across the transboundary region. In the Great Lakes basin, the Commission developed its First Triennial Assessment Report under the 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, putting out a draft for public comment in January followed by the final report in November. The report looks at all that Canada and the United States have accomplished in reaching the goals of that agreement through 2016, recognizing successes and providing recommendations on where the two nations could do more.