Protection of the Waters of the Great Lakes (PWGL) - summary

February 10, 1999: Reference letter from Governments sent to the International Joint Commission (IJC), initiating a series of reports entitled the Protection of the Waters of the Great Lakes (PWGL)

The letter is a reference (117r) to examine and report on how the consumptive use and removal of water, diversions, and management and policies regarding water resources affect the levels, flows, and sustainability of water supplies in transboundary basins.

August 10, 1999: an interim report is published, addressing the issues raised by the Reference letter from the Governments

This interim report addresses the issues raised by the Reference letter from the Governments. Immediately after receiving the Reference, the IJC established a binational, interdisciplinary study team to carry out the required investigations. An equal number of members from each country were appointed to the team. The IJC carried out a broad public consultation process and made information related to work on this Reference as widely available as practicable. Extensive additional public-consultation initiatives were planned for the next phase of work under the Reference.

February 22, 2000: the final report is published

This final report incorporates and where appropriate updates the IJC’s Interim Report of August 10, 1999. It also extends and, in some cases, modifies the conclusions reached and recommendations made in the Interim Report. Twelve public hearings were held in September and October 1999. The IJC consulted government officials and experts on climate change, cumulative impacts, and international trade and water law.

March 15, 2000: an associated news release is published

November 8, 2002: a task force publishes a related report to assist in the PWGL three-year review

The International Water Uses Review Task Force was appointed in July of 2002 to assist the IJC in its three-year review of activities related to its report on Protection of the Waters of the Great Lakes, released in February of 2000. The Task Force was specifically requested to provide status reports on legislative, policy, information gathering and other management programs concerning removals of Great Lakes waters or major new or increased consumptive uses. The eight chapters in this report cover eight key topics, namely: decision making considerations; legal and policy considerations; and six chapters dealing with related technical considerations.

August 2004: the three-year review report is published

The IJC concluded that removals of water from the basin reduce the resilience of the system and its capacity to cope with unpredictable stresses, such as climate change. The IJC therefore recommended that governments take specific measures to ensure that removals of water from the basin and consumptive uses in the basin will not endanger the integrity of the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem. The body of this report includes a review of each recommendation in the 2000 report. This report reflects the input of more than 50 non-governmental organizations, citizens, and government representatives at public hearings on water use in the Great Lakes Basin.

May 19, 2015: a contractor report is published as part of the ten-year review

Two contractors, one American and one Canadian, were retained by the IJC to assist it by conducting a collaborative content review of the 2000 report and developments since its release. This draft represents the preliminary findings of the contractors. Following IJC review and revisions as necessary, this report formed the basis for subsequent public consultations.

December 2015: the IJC publishes its first ten-year review of the PWGL report

This report summarizes the IJC’s findings and recommendations on the protection of the waters of the Great Lakes from potentially harmful consumptive uses and diversions. This report is based off the May 2015 contractor report, reviewing the original 2000 PWGL publication. The consultants’ findings and recommendations, along with a substantive number of submissions received during the subsequent public consultation in May and June of 2015 were considered in this report. The IJC reiterates in this report its commitment to conduct reviews every 10 years of the progress to protect the waters of the Great Lakes.

July 31, 2025: a draft report is published as part of the second ten-year review

The IJC retained two contractors, one American and one Canadian, to review the 2015 report and developments since its release. The contractors, in collaboration with IJC staff, undertook almost 40 focused interviews with key stakeholders and subject-matter experts to inform the draft report. Following the public comment period and revisions as necessary, this draft report will form the basis for a final report.