Great Lakes General

Wetlands

The Great Lakes are North America’s freshwater centrepiece

The home of some 40 million Canadian and U.S citizens and the source of an important part of the GNP of both countries, the Great Lakes are North America’s freshwater centrepiece. A number of government agencies and charities focus on Great Lakes issues. Georgian Bay Great Lakes Foundation specializes in those matters affecting Georgian Bay in the context of all the Great Lakes plus Lake St. Clair, and their connecting channels.

Our work in this important area is to add to our understanding of wetland habitat loss under excessively low or high water levels and to propose solutions for the next  25-50 years.

The study by W.H. Baird & Associates, discussed under Research and various other sections on this website, fits well with the wetlands work described above because it will allow the wetlands researchers to forecast the likely future threats to the health of wetlands.

In 2019, record high levels are being established on most of the Great Lakes. It is important to note that the viable functioning of the Port of Montreal is a major factor in determining how much to control the level of Lake Ontario. With regard to Georgian Bay, the flow through the St. Marys River from Lake Superior, the flow from the Long-Lac-Ogoki Diversion into Lake Superior, and the fact that the range of levels (4 feet for Superior and 6.5  feet for Georgian Bay) is so different,  require serious study by the IJC and subsequent action by the two federal governments. In order to establish a just approach to the distribution of water on the Great Lakes and to the Port of Montreal, a single Control Board is needed.