Restrictions on dredging as an impaired beneficial use under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement

As part of the commitments made by the governments of Canada and the United States in the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, Remedial Action Plans (RAPs) are being developed and implemented at Great Lakes Areas of Concern. The Areas of Concern are specific places around the Great Lakes basin ecosystem where environmental quality is degraded to the point that certain beneficial uses (the ability of fish, wildlife and humans to thrive) are impaired. Many communities are struggling to determine at what point in time ecological conditions are such that the geographic Area of Concern can be considered no longer degraded. Due to semantics and lack of clarity, one example of which is called “restrictions on dredging,” many communities continue to debate approaches without learning from the discussions in other communities. This paper outlines how to develop a delisting target for this particular Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement impairment.