Great Lakes Areas of Concern

ISS-43 the Great Lakes of North America

Great Lakes Areas of Concern

The Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs) are specific locations within the Great Lakes Basin that have experienced significant environmental degradation. These areas are designated under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) between the United States and Canada. The primary goal of identifying AOCs is to focus remediation efforts on the most severely impacted areas to restore and protect the Great Lakes ecosystem.

History

The concept of Areas of Concern was introduced in the 1987 Protocol to the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The agreement identified 43 AOCs, 26 located entirely within the United States, 12 in Canada, and 5 shared between the two countries. These areas were selected based on the presence of Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs), which are specific problems that prevent the full use of the water body for activities such as swimming, fishing, and supporting aquatic life.

Beneficial Use Impairments

Beneficial Use Impairments are the criteria used to determine the status of an AOC. There are 14 BUIs, including:

• Restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption
• Tainting of fish and wildlife flavor
• Degradation of fish and wildlife populations
• Fish tumors or other deformities
• Bird or animal deformities or reproductive problems
• Degradation of benthos
• Restrictions on dredging activities
• Eutrophication or undesirable algae
• Restrictions on drinking water consumption, or taste and odor problems
• Beach closings
• Degradation of aesthetics
• Added costs to agriculture or industry
• Degradation of phytoplankton and zooplankton populations
• Loss of fish and wildlife habitat

Remedial Action Plans

Each AOC is required to develop a Remedial Action Plan (RAP) to address the specific BUIs affecting the area. The RAP process involves three stages:

• Stage 1: Identifying the causes and sources of pollution
• Stage 2: Developing and implementing actions to restore the area
• Stage 3: Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the actions taken

Notable Areas of Concern

Some of the notable AOCs include:

• Cuyahoga River (Ohio, USA)
• Hamilton Harbour (Ontario, Canada)
• Rochester Embayment (New York, USA)
• St. Louis River (Minnesota/Wisconsin, USA)
• Detroit River (Michigan, USA/Ontario, Canada)

Progress and Delisting

Significant progress has been made in many AOCs through the implementation of RAPs. Some areas have been delisted or are in the process of being delisted as BUIs are addressed and environmental conditions improve. For example, the Collingwood Harbour in Ontario was the first AOC to be delisted in 1994.

Challenges

Despite the progress, several challenges remain, including:

• Ongoing pollution from industrial and agricultural sources
• Invasive species
• Climate change impacts
• Funding and resource limitations

See Also

• Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
• Environmental Protection Agency
• International Joint Commission
• Water pollution