Lawmakers pass Great Lakes - St. Lawrence River Basin Compact

Lawmakers pass Great Lakes
- St. Lawrence River Basin Compact

The New York State Senate moved to protect the integrity of the Great Lakes for present and future generations by passing the Great Lakes Compact on July 16. With growing threats to export Great Lakes water out of the Basin, New York senators unanimously passed the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact.

The Compact is the culmination of a five-year process of negotiations among the eight Great Lakes States and two Canadian Provinces. In order to take effect, the Compact must be adopted by all eight Great Lakes States, and ratified by the U.S. Congress.

"The Compact guarantees the long-term protection and sound management of Great Lakes water. It ensures that the water will be available for the people and wildlife that depend on it and will remain protected for generations to come," Molly Flanagan, Great Lakes Water Resources Advocate for the National Wildlife Federation, stated in a press release.

"The Great Lakes are an irreplaceable public resource for New York, and not only for the cities and towns along its shores. Lake Erie and Lake Ontario provide drinking water for millions of New Yorkers, as well as jobs, power and tourist dollars. The Great Lakes Compact is integral to safeguarding the health of the Lakes," said Katherine Nadeau, Water and Natural Resources program associate, Environmental Advocates of New York.

"Senate approval of the Compact is important for New York because only eastern Ontario and Quebec are farther downstream," said Great Lakes United Executive Director Derek Stack. "The state suffers more than any other from the effects of Great Lakes diversions and other abuses, so it badly needs the protections offered by the compact."

The waters of the Great Lakes support an incredible diversity of birds and other wildlife, and contribute millions to the regional economy through ecotourism. However, increased water withdrawals threaten the long term stability of this incredible ecosystem, according to the press release.

The Compact will institute protections for the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence River ecosystem. It would protect the Great Lakes from harm by implementing an effective water management plan, including protections against water diversions out of the basin and the promotion of water conservation measures throughout the basin.

The Great Lakes are the world's single largest source of fresh surface water. They represent 95 percent of the fresh surface water of the United States. The water of the Great Lakes represents a critical resource for New York, providing drinking water for millions of people in the region, numerous industrial and agricultural uses, navigation, hydroelectric power and energy production, recreation and tourism, and important fish and wildlife habitat. Although seemingly abundant, less than one percent of the Great Lakes water is renewed each year, leaving the Lakes vulnerable to depletion.