Ann Arbor, Mich. – The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) published a report today detailing the uses of Great Lakes waters. The 2017 Annual Report of the Great Lakes Regional Water Use Database includes information on withdrawals, diversions and consumptive uses by each of the eight Great Lakes states and two Canadian provinces. The report shows that overall water use and consumption in each jurisdiction has generally decreased or remained steady over the past five years.

“In our role as regional information leader, the Great Lakes Commission is proud to support our member states and provinces by releasing the 2017 Report of the Great Lakes Water Use Database,” said John Linc Stine, commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and chair of the GLC. The Commission has served as repository for the database for more than 30 years. “Accomplishing our mutual goals of conserving water resources while responsibly developing the economy of the Great Lakes requires thorough accounting of water uses in the basin.”

The Great Lakes Water Use Database supports the implementation of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact and the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement. The Great Lakes Commission collects data and publishes the report under the authorities of the Great Lakes Basin Compact of 1955. The 2017 report was presented during the annual meeting of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Water Resources Regional Body and the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Compact Council on December 6.

Chris Smith, who serves as designated chair of the Regional Body for Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, says the database and report serve an important role in informing the decision-making process under the Compact and Agreement.

“The water use database and publication of the corresponding report allow decision-makers around the region to responsibly manage our freshwater resources,” Smith said. “We are grateful to the water use managers and agency officials in the Great Lakes who come together each year to ensure we fulfill an essential function of the Compact and Agreement.”

To read the report, visit waterusedata.glc.org.

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The Great Lakes Commission, led by chair John Linc Stine, commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, is an interstate compact agency established under state and U.S. federal law and dedicated to promoting a strong economy, healthy environment and high quality of life for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region and its residents. The Commission consists of governors’ appointees, state legislators, and agency officials from its eight member states. Associate membership for Ontario and Québec was established through the signing of a “Declaration of Partnership.” The Commission maintains a formal Observer program involving U.S. and Canadian federal agencies, tribal authorities, binational agencies and other regional interests. The Commission office is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Learn more at www.glc.org.