The 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement includes a commitment under the Groundwater Annex to “publish an initial report on the relevant and available groundwater science, and update this report at least once every six years.” The first report, Groundwater science relevant to the Great Lakes Water Quality: A status report, was released in 2016. The aims of the 2024 update report are to (1) identify and describe any new or emerging issues, (2) describe advancements made towards meeting the science needs outlined in the 2016 report, (3) update the science needs if necessary, and (4) identify any potential opportunities generated from new knowledge or technical advancements. As with the initial 2016 report, the update report focuses on groundwater science relevant to the Great Lakes Basin along six topic areas:
- Groundwater/surface water interactions;
- Influence of groundwater contaminants;
- Groundwater and nutrients;
- Groundwater and aquatic habitats;
- Effects of urban development on groundwater;
- Climate change effects on groundwater.
These two reports serve as a reference source for governments, policy makers, academia, industry, and the general public.
Groundwater Science Relevant to the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement: An Updated Status Report (2024) (PDF, 3 MB)