It was quite a year across our shared transboundary basins, and the IJC’s recently published 2025 Activities Report has the story! Our 15 permanent boards certainly had their hands full navigating everything from severe droughts and extreme weather to rapidly shifting ecological pressures.
One of the biggest milestones we are celebrating is the progress of the International Elk-Kootenai/y Watershed Pollution Study. This project is a historic first for the IJC because it is the very first reference delivered to the IJC, by the Canadian and US governments, incorporating a proposal developed in partnership with the Ktunaxa Nation. Working together like this supports our ongoing commitment to weave Indigenous Science directly into how we care for our shared waters. We kept that momentum going in Ottawa in October 2025, where we hosted our second in-person Indigenous Circle meeting to discuss how the IJC can enhance its collaboration with Indigenous Nations in transboundary watersheds.
We also saw a wonderful ecosystem victory out east in the St. Croix River watershed. With the Milltown Dam fully decommissioned, we officially closed out its 1934 Order. This is good news for river health, as removing that old barrier reopens vital, historic pathways for sea-run fish to head upstream and spawn.
Further west, nature kept our local water boards moving fast. Hot, dry conditions created tough challenges, but boards in the Rainy-Lake of the Woods and Red River watersheds tackled them head-on. They used low-flow simulations to protect local habitats and introduced a new directive that adds dedicated seats for Indigenous members to the Water Levels Committee of the Rainy-Lake of the Woods. Out in the Osoyoos Lake basin, drought meant carefully balancing lake levels to ensure there was enough downstream flow to support endangered fish. Meanwhile, structural siphon failures along the St. Mary and Milk Rivers made a dry year even tougher for local irrigators. The International St. Mary and Milk Rivers Study Board is working hard on modeling structural and administrative fixes to make the system more resilient, with a final report coming later this year.
On top of all these localized efforts, we took a big-picture look at regional water security with our latest 10-year assessment, the 2025 Protection of the Waters of the Great Lakes report. This report addresses modern pressures on our water supply, offering recommendations to safeguard the basin against emerging, water-heavy industries like rapidly growing data centers. To give local communities practical support, our Great Lakes advisory boards also rolled out a climate adaptation guide for smaller towns, a new risk framework to track and manage microplastics pollution, and an assessment on how we can improve our winter science monitoring.
None of these achievements would be possible without our community. While our three dedicated offices keep the wheels turning, the real heart of our mission comes from the incredible support and expertise of more than 200 board, committee, and task force members. They provide their time generously to ensure these beautiful, shared waters thrive for generations to come.
Read the complete report here: https://ijc.org/en/ijc-2025-annual-activities-report
