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Great Lakes Compact

Map of the Great Lakes Compact

Overview

In 2005, the Governors of the eight Great Lakes states proposed the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact, (the Great Lakes Compact) which became effective as both federal and state statute as an Interstate Compact on December 8, 2008. The Great Lakes Compact, developed through the Council of Great Lakes Governors, details how the states will manage and protect the waters and related natural resources of the Great Lakes Basin and provides a framework for each state to enact measures for this protection. Since 2008, the states have enacted additional legislation to implement commitments made in the Compact.

Also in 2005, the Premiers of Ontario and Quebec joined the Great Lakes Governors in signing the Great Lakes-S. Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement, a document in which the Canadian Great Lakes provinces joined the Great Lakes states in committing to managing and protecting the waters and related natural resources of the Great Lakes Basin. While the Agreement is non-binding, its provisions are being fulfilled by the states via the Great Lakes Compact and by the provinces via provincial legislation.

Great Lakes Compact – Recent Program Activity

  • December 2021 The Great Lakes Commission released the Annual Report of the Great Lakes Regional Water Use Database. As a condition of the of the Great Lakes – Saint Lawrence River Basin Compact, Ohio is required to report its water withdrawals, consumptive uses, and diversions annually. Ohio’s water use report for the Lake Erie Watershed can be found here: Great Lakes Regional Water Use Database | Annual Reports (glc.org)
  • June 2020: Compact Releases Public Water Supply Changes
    The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Council released a paper summarizing changes in withdrawals for public water supply from 1998-2018 in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Quebec and Wisconsin.
  • December 2017: Compact Council Releases Cumulative Impact Assessment
    The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Council held its annual meeting on Friday, December 8, 2017.  At the meeting, the Great Lakes Basin Cumulative Impact Assessment, undertaken by the Regional Body and the Compact Council, was formally released.

Great Lakes Watershed & Profile Maps

Great Lakes Watershed

Larger Version

Great Lakes Basin Profile

Larger Version

Other Compact-Related Maps

Compact Background Information

December 2010: Ohio’s Compact Advisory Board Submits Report
The Ohio Great Lakes Compact Advisory Board released its Final Report. The Advisory Board was convened in March 2009 to develop recommendations for implementing the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact within Ohio. The Report was submitted to the Governor and the Ohio General Assembly and, as a result, the Advisory Board has officially completed its work and disbanded.

December 2009: Ohio Sends Initial Great Lakes Interstate Compact Reports
Pursuant to the requirements of the Great Lakes-St Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact, the Chief of the Division of Soil & Water Resources at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources submitted Ohio’s first Water Withdrawal Management Program Report, Ohio’s first Water Conservation & Efficiency Program Report, and Ohio’s Water Withdrawal & Diversion Baseline Information.

December 2008: Great Lakes Interstate Compact Becomes Effective
On December 8th, the final state statute ratifying the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact became effective and the Compact went into effect.

October 2008: Federal Government Ratifies Great Lakes Interstate Compact
President Bush signed into law Senate Joint Resolution 45, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact, which provides approval for an interstate compact to protect the water resources of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin.

July 2008: All Great Lakes States Ratify Great Lakes Interstate Compact
All eight Great Lakes states have now ratified the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact. In a letter to Congressional leadership, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle, Chair of the Council of Great Lakes Governors, stated, “On July 9, 2008, the Great Lakes States completed their ratification of the Compact. We are now eager to work together to obtain Congressional consent and turn the Compact’s protections into law.”

June 2008: Ohio Ratifies Great Lakes Interstate Compact
Governor Ted Strickland signed Ohio’s legislation ratifying the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact, making Ohio the 6th state to ratify the Compact. Amended House Bill 416 enacted Ohio Revised Code Chapter 1522.

December 2005: Great Lakes Interstate Compact Proposed
The Great Lakes governors and premiers approved the agreements to implement Annex 2001, including the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement, a good-faith agreement among Ontario, Québec and Great Lakes states, and the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact, an agreement among the Great Lakes states proposed for enactment in state and federal law as an interstate compact.

June 2001: Great Lakes Charter Annex Signed
The Great Lakes governors and premiers signed a supplementary agreement to the Great Lakes Charter, containing six directives for the management of Great Lakes Basin water resources, including a commitment to prepare a basin-wide binding agreement for the protection, conservation, restoration, improvement, and management of the waters and water-dependent natural resources of the Great Lakes Basin. The governors also issued a resolution establishing a process for reviewing proposals that require the governors’ approval under Section 1109 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986, which had been amended in 2000.

June 1988: Great Lakes Charter Provisions Enacted in State Statute
Pursuant to commitments made in the Great Lakes Charter, Ohio enacted HB 662, which (among other things) required permits for large consumptive uses and diversions into and out of the Lake Erie Basin and established a water withdrawal facility registration and annual reporting program.

November 1986: Federal Great Lakes Diversion Statute Enacted
Congress passed the Water Resources Development Act of 1986; Section 1109 required the approval of the governors of all the Great Lakes states for any diversion of water out of the Great Lakes Basin.

February 1985: Great Lakes Charter Signed
The Great Lakes governors and premiers signed the Great Lakes Charter, a non-binding agreement outlining a set of principles to collectively manage the use of Great Lakes Basin water, including a commitment for prior notice and consultation for proposals resulting in large diversions out of the Great Lakes Basin as well as large in-basin consumptive uses.

July 1968: Great Lakes Basin Compact Ratified by Congress
The Great Lakes Basin Compact was ratified by Congress via the passage of PL 90-149, achieving full force and effect as an Interstate Compact. The Compact created an agency of the Great Lakes states known as The Great Lakes Commission, authorized to collect, correlate, interpret and report on water resource and water use data and prepare and publish reports, bulletins, and publications; recommend methods, policies, laws, and regulations for water resource development, use, and conservation; consider the need and desirability of water resource public works and improvements; consider means of improving and maintaining fisheries, navigation, and port facilities; and cooperate with the Great Lakes states in the development of agreements supplementary to the Compact and with the governments of the United States and Canada in the negotiation and formulation of treaties or mutual legislative arrangements.

Great Lakes Water Use Fact Sheet

The Great Lakes Water Use Fact Sheet for 2019 provides a breakdown of water withdrawal from the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin.  

Additional information on water withdrawals, diversions and consumptive uses can be obtained by going to the Great Lake Regional Water Use Database.  

Water Conservation & Efficiency Program

Authority for Program, Goals & Objectives

Ohio’s Water Conservation & Efficiency Program is required by Section 4.2.2 of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact (codified in 1522.01 of the Ohio Revised Code), which requires each of the Great Lakes states to “develop its own water conservation and efficiency goals and objectives consistent with the basin-wide goals and objectives” and to “develop and implement a water conservation and efficiency program, either voluntary or mandatory, within its jurisdiction.”

Section 4.2.4 of the Compact requires that each of the Great Lakes states “commit to promote environmentally sound and economically feasible water conservation measures such as (a) measures that promote efficient use of water; (b) identification and sharing of best management practices and state of the art conservation and efficiency technologies; (c) application of sound planning principles; (d) demand-side and supply-side measures or incentives; and (e) development, transfer, and application of science and research.

Section 4.2.5 of the Compact requires that each of the Great Lakes states implement “a voluntary or mandatory water conservation program for all, including existing, basin water users.” In 1522.05 of the Ohio Revised Code, the Chief of the Division of Water Resources within the Ohio Department of Natural Resources is required to “adopt voluntary watershed-wide goals, objectives, and standards for water conservation and efficiency consistent with Section 4.2 of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact.” Consistent with this statutory provision, Ohio’s water conservation and efficiency program is a voluntary program.

While the statute requires the water conservation and efficiency program only in the Lake Erie Basin portion of Ohio, water users in the Ohio River Basin portion of the state may find the information included herein useful, and are encouraged to consult it when developing voluntary water conservation plans and practices. And while this is a voluntary program, applicants for water withdrawal and consumptive use permits pursuant to Ohio Revised Code 1521.23.33 and Ohio Revised Code 1522.12 may find the information included herein useful, and are encouraged to consult it when developing their applications.

Goals

  • Ohio’s Lake Erie Basin Water Conservation & Efficiency Goals are provided by the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact:
    • Ensure the improvement of the Basin’s waters & water dependent natural resources;
    • Protect and restore the hydrologic and ecosystem integrity of the Basin;
    • Retain the quantity of surface water and ground water in the Basin;
    • Ensure the sustainable use of the waters of the Basin;
    • Promote the efficiency of use and reduce loss and waste of water in the Basin.

Objectives

  • Consistent with Ohio Revised Code 1522.05, Ohio’s Lake Erie Basin Water Conservation & Efficiency Objectives do not entail the implementation of any mandatory program governing water conservation and efficiency, and do not include mandatory water conservation requirements for any water users.
  • Promote the efficient use and conservation of water
    • Develop a mechanism to communicate the importance of water use efficiency and conservation practices.
    • Identify and promote supply, demand, and mitigation best management practices for the various categories of water use.
    • Identify incentive programs to encourage water conservation and pursue their implementation.
    • Promote appropriate innovative technology for water reuse.
    • Promote the conservation of existing water supplies to delay or prevent the need for developing additional supply sources.
    • Promote investment in and maintenance of efficient water infrastructure.
    • Coordinate state agency and local government water use efficiency and conservation programs.
  • Guide programs toward long-term sustainable water use
    • Develop and maintain water management plans for sustaining the quantity and quality of the waters of the Basin, including the inventorying and assessment of ground and surface water resources, the analysis of water use trends and formulation of long-term water use forecasts, and the development of strategies to incorporate water conservation practices.
    • Use adaptive programs that are goal-based, accountable, and measurable and that build upon existing efforts by considering practices and experiences from other jurisdictions.
    • Engage stakeholders and the public and coordinate with state and federal agencies and local government officials in the development and implementation of voluntary water management and conservation programs.
    • Develop administrative rules for regulating new and increased diversions allowable under the exceptions provisions of the Compact.
    • Develop programs or, if necessary, administrative rules to direct state agencies in the implementation of the voluntary Lake Erie Basin water conservation and efficiency program.
    • Develop a process for maintaining and improving the understanding, communicating, planning, and promoting of the waters of the Basin.
  • Develop water conservation education programs and information sharing
    • Emphasize educating school children, businesses, citizens, and government officials on the economic, societal, and ecological values of water, including sustainability.
    • Encourage and increase training opportunities in collaboration with professional or other organizations in order to increase water conservation and efficiency practices and technological applications.
    • Promote the cost-saving aspect of water conservation and efficiency for economic sustainability.
    • Disseminate information regarding identified best management practices for different categories of water use, including evaluation and results achieved.
    • Compile published information on specific water conservation efforts in Ohio and elsewhere and make it available to the public so that all are aware of how water can be used and conserved.
    • Ensure public access to water conservation and efficiency tools and information; ensure that voluntary conservation programs are transparent and that information is readily available.
    • Contribute to regional information sharing; share conservation and efficiency experiences, including successes and lessons learned across the Basin.
  • Develop science, technology, and research
    • Encourage the development of water-related industries and technologies to position Ohio as a global industry leader.
    • Identify research and monitoring needs related to the interaction of ground water and surface water, and strategies for managing and protecting water resources.
    • Use scientific data and modeling to improve conservation and efficiency.
    • Promote the development of systems and tools for an integrated approach to ground water and surface water management that would predict the effects of water withdrawal and conservation practices within the Basin and strengthen scientific understanding of the linkages between water conservation practices and ecological responses.
    • Leverage the resources of Ohio’s research institutions to focus on problems affecting the human and natural communities of the Great Lakes, including analyzing barriers to sustainable water use.
    • Foster cooperation and sharing of resources and information among all federal, tribal, state, and local agencies as well as with international partners.
    • Encourage research, development, and implementation of state-of-the-art water conservation technologies, including the identification and sharing of innovative management practices.
  • Improve monitoring and standardize data reporting among state & provincial water conservation & efficiency programs
    • Collect, analyze, and report water use information for registered withdrawals in the various categories of water use.
    • Make information readily available to the public, including information about the waters of the state and water use, on a state website.
    • Monitor the implementation of best management practices for water conservation.
    • Improve the measurement and evaluation of water conservation practices; identify and encourage measures to monitor, account for, and minimize water loss.
    • Track and report program progress and effectiveness.
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