The St. Croix River system contains a series of dams which fish that live part of their lives in the ocean, such as alewives, must navigate in order to spawn each year. An IJC-funded project aims to bring a population model for alewives online.
Earth Day is celebrated throughout the world, including in the transboundary region of Canada and the United States.
Oil production in the north-central United States and western Canada has increased rapidly since 2010. Its transport near or through the Great Lakes region via pipelines and rail has expanded as well.
Wetlands help provide habitat, mitigate flooding and filter excess nutrients and contaminants from lakes and other water bodies. But vast stretches of wetlands around Lake Erie were drained in the past 200 years for agricultural use.
Flowing through the heart of Traverse City, Michigan—a popular destination in the Great Lakes region—is the Boardman (Ottaway) River. Formerly used to generate hydropower, the 28.6 miles of the Boardman River were fragmented by four dams: Brown Bridge, Boardman, Sabin and Union Street.