The Governments of Canada and the United States are pleased to release the 2019 State of the Great Lakes reports, which provide an overview of the status and trends of the Great Lakes ecosystem. Overall, Great Lakes water quality is assessed as “fair and unchanging.” While progress to restore and protect the Great Lakes has occurred, including the reduction of toxic chemicals, challenges cited in the report include invasive species and excess nutrients that contribute to toxic and nuisance algae.
Pursuant to the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, Canada and the United States, together with their many partners, have established a suite of 9 indicators of ecosystem health to assess the state of the Great Lakes. The assessment is made based on indicators such as drinking water, fish consumption, and beach closures. Over 180 government and non-government Great Lakes scientists and other experts worked to assemble available data and prepare the report.
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Highlights Report PDF (4.76 MB)
Technical Report PDF (27.5 MB)