Lake Ontario Waterkeeper

Great Lakes-Basin (1263 articles)

There are five Great Lakes: Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Lake Ontario. The Great Lakes system includes the St. Clair River (which links Lake Huron to Lake St. Clair), the Detroit River (which links Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie), the Niagara River (which links Lake Erie to Lake Ontario), and the Upper St. Lawrence River (which flows to the Atlantic Ocean). About 37-million people live in the Great Lakes Basin.

TheSpec – Invasive shipping rules could put jobs at risk

October 19th, 2011

The Canadian shipping industry is complaining about new U.S. rules designed to protect the Great Lakes from invasive species. You can learn more about the industry's perspective in this recent Hamilton Spectator article. As you read, you should also remember that invasive species cost the Great Lakes region upwards of $200-million per year (see www.glu.org): At the heart of... (more)

(0 comments) Environmental Law Fish Great Lakes-Basin Shipping, boating & navigation

U.S. plan to treat fracking water could be risky, group warns – St. Catharines Standard, Niagara Region, Sun Media – Ontario, CA

October 14th, 2011

The board of a Niagara Falls, N.Y. wastewater plant is being accused of "environmental classism" after hatching a plan to treat chemical-laced water used in a controverial gas drilling operation.Emma Lui, a water campaign manager for the Council of Canadians, said a plan by the Niagara Falls Water Board to treat "fracking water" puts the already economically depressed... (more)

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Waterkeeper comments on latest effort to update Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement

September 20th, 2011

The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between Canada and the United States was established to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the Great Lakes basin ecosystem.Established in 1972, revised in 1978, and last amended in 1987, the agreement has met with mixed success. Recognizing the need for updated goals and effective implementation... (more)

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The Lake Ontario crossing that almost wasn’t

September 20th, 2011

This is the third and final story in a series about swimming in Lake Ontario. We hope you enjoyed this year’s swimming season!In August, Melanie Price and her support team embarked on an epic journey: a swim across Lake Ontario. After months of training, Melanie’s goal was about to become a reality...or was it?Melanie’s 40-kilometre swim began at midnight in... (more)

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ENVIRONMENT: Ballast water brouhaha – News Blog – Rochester City Newspaper

September 15th, 2011

Three governors in the Midwest want New York to loosen its new boat-ballast water regulations because, they say, it could cut-off shipping to the other Great Lakes.A story on the Watertown Daily Times website says Ohio Governor John Kasich, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker wrote New York Governor Andrew Cuomo last week. It includes this... (more)

(0 comments) Environmental Law Fish Great Lakes-Basin Industrial Emissions Shipping, boating & navigation Waste Management

Beautiful Toronto Islands offer serenity in the city – The Globe and Mail

September 8th, 2011

The best daily commute I ever had was by row boat on the Toronto Islands. I was about 20 years old and teaching sailing at an island marina. For convenience, I was staying at the Queen City Yacht Club, where my family kept a sailboat. I slept in our equipment locker, which had a cot pushed against one wall. A family friend had lent us a beautiful wooden rowing skiff, of... (more)

(0 comments) Development & Land Use Environmental Law Fish Great Lakes-Basin Sewers & Urban Runoff Shipping, boating & navigation Swim Waste Management

Canada’s top four beaches

August 30th, 2011

Swim Guide highlights Canada’s top beaches just in time for the long weekend!There’s one week of summer left, which means you have one last chance to create the warm summertime memories that will carry you through the chilly fall and winter months.Swim Guide has Canada’s top beaches just in time for you to hit the sand one last time this summer.Here’s... (more)

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Volunteers clean local beach as part of national effort | Democrat and Chronicle | democratandchronicle.com

August 30th, 2011

It was a vibrant scene Saturday at Ontario Beach Park, with younger children splashing in the water and older kids playing volleyball in the sand.The Alliance for the Great Lakes, through its Adopt-a-Beach program, wants to make sure these activities can continue. The program launched in New York with four beach cleanup events on lakes Erie and Ontario.Locally, more... (more)

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Blue-green algae is a very serious, very solvable problem

August 17th, 2011

Cyanobacteria in our Lakes and Rivers across Canada and the US (better know as blue-green algae) is a very serious problem. It also a fairly common problem this time of year. Warm, still, stagnant water with too much nutrient will result in blue-green algae. There is a solution: make blue-green algae less common. How do you do this? Enforce environmental laws.Blue-green... (more)

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Pump helps clear Ontario Beach of algae

August 16th, 2011

The whitecaps were blackish-green at Ontario Beach on Wednesday morning, and the water had a familiar bouquet.Algae, the bane of swimmers at local Lake Ontario beaches, were thick enough that the area was closed to swimming for the day.But for a small crew of workers who gathered at the beach’s east end, the algae were almost a welcome sight — for it provided one... (more)

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