A Call-Out To All Great Lakes region residents from the Canada/U.S. International Joint Commission
Posted August 25th, 2025 on Niagara At Large
The International Joint Commission (IJC) is seeking public input on the recently released Draft (https://ourniagarariver.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6018de2e58c91f7fdfeb183e4&id=fafbb65133&e=b41ace0bbf) 2025 Review of the International Joint Commission’s Report on the “Protection of the Waters of the Great Lakes (https://ourniagarariver.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6018de2e58c91f7fdfeb183e4&id=4961cbf898&e=b41ace0bbf) “. (https://ourniagarariver.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6018de2e58c91f7fdfeb183e4&id=572fc6d84b&e=b41ace0bbf)
The report is the second 10-year review on the consumption, diversion and removal of water from the Great Lakes, and includes evaluation of recommendations provided by the IJC in 2015, as well as proposing new recommendations to be submitted to the Canadian and American governments.
The public is encouraged to review the draft report and share feedback by the deadline of August 31st, 2025. Comments can be submitted either by email or mail. The IJC also hosted and recorded a webinar on August, 14, 2025, that provides an overview of the preliminary findings of the draft report.
The email address/mailing addresses for comment submission, as well as the webinar recording, can be found on the page linked below:
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE (https://ourniagarariver.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6018de2e58c91f7fdfeb183e4&id=bac2ab102a&e=b41ace0bbf)
What is the International Joint Commission?
Many waterways, including the Niagara River and Great Lakes, flow between the borders of Canada and the United States. Upon recognition that use of the water will ultimately affect the other, Canada and the United states signed the 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty and created the International Joint Commission, an independent international organization with representatives from both countries.
The IJC has two main functions: issuing orders of approval to projects that will affect water flow across bi-national waters, and studying transboundary issues and providing recommendations, also called references, to each government when requested.
One reference led to the formation of the 1972 Great Lakes Water Quality Act, one of the guiding documents for Remedial Action Plans working to address identified Areas of Concern along the Great Lakes. The IJC continues to play a role in engagement and research that helps inform government programs and meet agreement goals and objectives of the GLWQA.
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