Water Use and Diversions

Council of Great Lakes Governor’s Priority:
“Ensure the sustainable use of our water resources while confirming that the States retain authority over water use and diversion of Great Lakes waters.”

The Great Lakes contain 20% of the world’s fresh surface water supply. This vast resource is critical for Great Lake states and provinces economic well being, strongly tied to manufacturing, shipping, and tourism industries. Water quantity is also critical for Great Lakes fish and wildlife habitat. With the benefits the Great Lakes region receives from these lakes comes a responsibility to manage and protect Great Lakes water quantity. While we often focus on the bounty of Great Lakes water as a surface water resource, groundwater in the Great Lakes basin is also important to protect. Groundwater is a critical source of clean and consistent water for the Great Lakes tributaries that provide necessary fish spawning habitat.

The Council of Great Lakes Governors, working in cooperation with Ontario and Quebec’s premiers, has embarked on a multi-year process to develop a “Great Lakes Water Quantity Agreement.” This process is also know as “Annex 2001,” referring to a pledge made by Great Lakes Governors in 2001 to address problems with current regulations on Great Lakes water quantity. The purpose of this agreement to create a basin wide management plan that safeguards Great Lakes water for future generations and the fish and wildlife that depend on it.

For more information on the Water Quantity Agreement and other water quantity issues specific to the Great Lakes see the links provided below.

• Annex 2001
• Wisconsin DNR Drinking and Groundwater Program
• Great Lakes Commission - Water Use in the Great Lakes
• Council of Great Lakes Govenors
• Wisconsin Public Service Commission
• Groundwater in the Lake Michigan Basin, US Geological Survey