Groundwater (Annex 8)

Through the Groundwater Annex of the 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, Canada and the United States have committed to:

“… contribute to the achievement of the General and Specific Objectives of this Agreement by coordinating groundwater science and management actions.”

Key Commitments

The United States and Canada agree to:

• By 2015, report on relevant and available groundwater science (completed – “Groundwater science relevant to the Great Lakes Water Quality: A status report”); and update this report at least once every six years (completed – “Groundwater Science Relevant to the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement: An Updated Status Report”);
• Establish science priorities and actions to manage, protect, and remediate groundwater;
• Coordinate binational groundwater activities with domestic programs to assess, protect and manage groundwater quality and understand and manage groundwater-related stresses; and
• Undertake the necessary groundwater science to:
  • identify impacts on the waters of the Great Lakes;
  • analyze contaminants, including nutrients;
  • assess information gaps and science needs; and
  • analyze other factors, such as climate change, that may affect groundwater’s impact on the Great Lakes.

For additional information on the focus of actions under this Annex, consult the current Priorities for Science and Action. The Priorities are based on an evaluation of the State of the Great Lakes, with input from the Great Lakes Executive Committee, participants at the Great Lakes Public Forum, and recommendations of the International Joint Commission.

Every six months, progress on this annex is reported at the Great Lakes Executive Committee meetings. Accomplishments will be described in the Progress Report of the Parties every three years, with the first issued in 2016.

Implementation

This annex is implemented by a subcommittee co-led by Environment and Climate Change Canada and the United States Geological Survey. Organizations represented include:

• Indiana Department of Environmental Management
• Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy
• Minnesota Department of Health
• New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
• Ohio Department of Natural Resources
• Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
• Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
• Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
• Upper Thames River Conservation Authority
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

As required, time-limited task teams can also be created to focus efforts on a priority issue or project, and will be disbanded when work is complete.