Canada and the United States work together through the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement to keep the Great Lakes clean and healthy. Every three years, the International Joint Commission (IJC) assesses progress towards the Agreement’s goals for drinkable, fishable, swimmable Great Lakes.
The IJC solicited comments from February 3 - April 10, 2026: Thank you to everyone who shared their perspectives on Great Lakes water quality. The IJC is now in the process of considering input received as it develops its next Triennial Assessment of Progress (TAP) Report.
To view comments received, meeting recordings and other components from the comment period, visit GLperspectives.ijc.org.
- Input from the Indigenous Great Lakes Network (IGLN): Staff and Commissioners from the IJC led a half-day listening session at the IGLN's November 2025 gathering in Bawating (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario). The goal of this listening session was to gain perspectives from IGLN members about Great Lakes water quality in addition to building relationships for strengthening long-term collaboration between IJC and Great Lakes Indigenous communities. IGLN staff prepared a report summarizing the listening session, which will help inform the forthcoming Triennial Assessment of Progress Report. Read the IGLN report to the IJC.
IJC advice on draft 2026-2028 Binational Priorities for Science and Action:
Under Agreement Article 5.2(c), priorities for science and action to address current and future threats to Great Lakes water quality “shall be established based on an evaluation of the state of the Great Lakes and input received during the Great Lakes Public Forum and recommendations of the Commission.” In addition to consulting with the Great Lakes Science Advisory Board to develop advice on science priorities in accordance with Annex 10 Sections C.1 and C.2, the Commission also consulted with the Great Lakes Water Quality Board, and Health Professionals Advisory Board to offer the following advice directed at both science and action priorities in the draft 2026-2028 Binational Priorities for Science and Action.