Governance Reform to Secure Resilience in the Nearshore Waters of the Great Lakes Basin

Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and President Richard Nixon signed the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) in 1972 (United States and Canada 1972). This Agreement expresses the commitment of Canada and the United States to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the waters of the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem (United States and Canada 1972). The GLWQA has had substantial influence on the cleanup and restoration of the region. The progress made since 1972 is evidenced by the documentation by scientists early in the 21st century (for the first time since 1916), of the presence of spawning lake whitefish and eggs in the Detroit River, the resurgence of cormorant populations, the rediscovery of sturgeon populations, and the return of nesting and fledging bald eagles (Krantzberg 2008).