Our Great Lakes

How Are The Lakes Doing

By most measures, the Great Lakes are much healthier than they were a generation ago, particularly when it comes to chemical pollution. The answers to six key questions give a snapshot of how the lakes are doing:

Can we drink the water?
The Great Lakes are one of the world’s finest sources of water. Treated drinking water from the lakes and the surrounding watershed is safe. We need to keep contaminants, especially bacteria, parasites, and viruses, out of drinking water sources.

Can we swim at the beach?
Most Great Lakes beaches are safe for swimming most of the time. Some beaches, however, are at times unfit for swimming because of high bacteria levels in the water. In some areas, particularly around cities and areas of intensive agriculture, beaches may be posted as unfit for swimming. Work to keep human and animal wastes out of the the waters is continuing, and better monitoring is providing people with more timely and detailed information about beach conditions.

Can we eat the fish?
Pollution levels in Great Lakes fish have been dropping for 30 years due to controls on chemicals, and now more fish are safe to eat. However, a significant proportion of fish are still contaminated enough that they should be eaten in limited amounts or not at all.

How are the fish doing?
Some Great Lakes fish species, such as the lake trout, are showing signs of recovery in Lake Superior and parts of Lake Huron, while other species, such as the Lake Erie walleye, have been declining in recent years. Many smaller species that play an important role in the food chain are being affected negatively by non-native species.

How is the wildlife doing?
Due to reductions in the use of chemicals that damage their ability to reproduce, bald eagles once again soar over most Great Lakes shorelines. A number of other species are also recovering; in contrast, the black tern, American coot, marsh wren, and other species are declining, largely because of loss of wetlands and other important habitat

How are non-native species affecting the Great Lakes?
More than 160 non-native species live in the Great Lakes, and more continue to arrive. Some are causing serious disruptions among native species, as well as economic damage. The impacts of non-native species range from increased competition for food to habitat destruction to basic changes in the way the lake ecosystems function.

The cleanup and protection of our Great Lakes is an environmental success story even though many challenges remain. In recent decades, governments, businesses and industries, Tribes and First Nations, non-governmental organizations, teachers, and many other concerned individuals have combined their efforts in teams, task forces, and volunteer groups. They have made commitments, passed environmental regulations, reduced pollution, protected valuable wildlife habitat, educated millions of people about the lakes, rehabilitated polluted areas, and worked to keep invasive species out of the region. The job is not finished. Everyone who lives in and benefits from the Great Lakes basin can help protect this unique ecological system. The sections below provide more details about what is happening in the Great Lakes and what has been done so far to improve the situation, as well as some ideas about how you can help make our lakes cleaner and healthier.