Great Lakes Round-up

Lake Erie Environmental Forum3/19/2019

84% of Surface

freshwater in

North America

1/5 of the

Surface

freshwater

in the

world.

8 degrees

of latitude

N to S, 750

miles East

To West4,530

miles of

U.S.

coastline

– the most

in U.S!

Region is

World’s 3th

Largest

economy

Home to 30

million

people

The Laurentian Great Lakes

Or

The Great Lakes of North America

Largest

Trade

Partners

- 77 miles of coastline.- 2% of the total Great Lakes watershed area.

Great Lakes Governance

2018 Election changed the political landscape of the Great Lakes. This will change the representation on Great Lakes governance bodies.

Five new Governors were elected. Both Canadian Premiers are new also.

State or Province

New Gov. or Premier

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz

Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine

Ontario Prem. Doug Ford

Quebec Prem. Francois Legault

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers

Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement Update

Annex 2: Lakewide Management◦ 2013 Lake Erie Planning Year, 2014 Field Year (Cooperative

SMI), 2015 Lab Analysis, 2016 Data Analysis, 2017 - Lake Erie Report and Outreach, 2018 - Creation of Lake Erie LAMP.

◦ The Lake Erie LAMP will: Establish Lakewide Ecosystem Objectives (LEOs)

Provide a “State of the Lake”

Identify science priorities.

Prioritize protection and restoration actions.

Integrate nutrient issues from Annex 4.

◦ The Lake Erie LAMP Partnership Work Group (DEP Jim Grazio is member) is assisting in the writing of the LAMP.

◦ Nearshore Framework was finalized in late September 2017.

Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement Update

Annex 4: Nutrients◦ Adopted new phosphorus reduction

targets in February 2016.

◦ US and Canada each developed and finalized Domestic Action Plans Feb 2018. Available on www.binational.net PA Domestic Action Plan finalized in

September 2017. Available on PA DEP Great Lakes Program webpage.

◦ Great Lakes Commission developed and adding functionality to ErieSTAT tracking website. https://www.blueaccounting.org/issue/eriestat

Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement Update

Annex 4: Nutrients – Pennsylvania Actions for Lake Erie Completed file reviews of

assessments/studies/existing data.

Summer 2019 report out quality of data found and justification for future needs.

Continuing programs that help with nutrient reductions:◦ Erie County Conservation District – PA

VinES

◦ Erie County Dept. of Health – Small Flow Treatment Facilities

◦ Erie County Dept. of Planning – Municipal Stormwater Assistance Program

Participating in loading calculations and modeling for the Basin.

Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement Update

Lake Erie Lakewide Action and Management Plan & Cooperative Science and Monitoring Initiative 5-Year Rotation

◦ 2013 Lake Erie Planning Year,

◦ 2014 Field Year (CSMI),

◦ 2015 Lab Analysis,

◦ 2016 Data Analysis, 2017 - Lake Erie Report and Outreach,

◦ 2018 - Creation of Lake Erie LAMP.

LAMP is expected in 2019. Currently being drafted through a binational and interstate/provincial team of scientists and policy experts.

2019 CSMI – what is it?

Pennsylvania participation and role.

Governs water use and diversions within the Great Lakes Basin. Designed to protect the resource and reduce conflict between political jurisdictions.

Compact is signed between the states, ratified by Congress, implemented by states.

Agreement is between states AND provinces. Has same language as the compact.

Both were formalized in 2008.

Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact and Agreement

Created Water Resources Council (Compact Council) and the Regional Body.

Pennsylvania maintains two alternates and designees of Governor Wolf.

Each state must implement a water resources inventory, registration and reporting program.

Each state must implement a water conservation and efficiency program.

Compact and Agreement Provisions

All new or increased withdrawals must meet criteria.

BAN on all new or increased diversions from the basin (with 3 specific exceptions).

Established Regional Review process for evaluating withdrawals and diversion exceptions.

Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact and Agreement

December 2018 Adoption of Procedures Update

and Rules Package

2019 Activities Update of Science Strategy

Update of Conservation and Efficiency Objectives

5-Year Conservation and Efficiency Program Evaluation

Second Round of Rulemaking

Compact and Agreement: Current Events

New methods of funding PA activities through the GLRI in FY 2019-22. TOTAL - $1.37 Million for PA

State Capacity funding for LAMP implementation activities increased to $825,000. 2019 Presque Isle Bay Bulk Sediment Sampling and Analysis

2019 Fish Tumor and Histopathology Sampling and Analysis

2020 Presque Isle Bay Watershed Monitoring for Habitat, Fish, Benthos, Water Quality and Tributary Sediments

Erie Co. Planning – MSAP - $100,000

Regional Science Consortium – HAB Monitoring - $91,200

Phosphorus Reduction DAP Funds - $552,453 ECCD - PA VinES - $243,000

ECDH – SFTF - $309,453

Great Lakes Restoration Initiative –2019-22 PA LAMP Implementation and DAP

Commission is in the process of new appointments for the new Governors and Premiers.

Completing a Organizational Analysis and examining Compact.

Continuing to focus on projects such as Blue Accounting, Water Asset and Infrastructure Management, ErieSTAT (nutrients).

Prominent role in near future on Ballast Water. Vessel Incidental Discharge Act and the Great Lakes Discharge Commission.

March 2019 Board Meeting in D.C., May Semi-Annual Meeting in Ann Arbor, MI

Great Lakes Commission

The Plan is a non-prescriptive, non-regulatory, non-binding policy and guidance document related to the water resources of the Commonwealth.

Discusses how much water we have, how much we use, and how much we need.

Process was delayed, appointments are yet to be made by Governor’s Office.

Plan is accomplished through 7 regional water resources committees. GL Committee will be staffed by Tim Bruno.

Timetable being developed by DEP Central Office.

PA State Water Plan

Thank you!

Timothy J. Bruno | Chief, Office of the Great Lakes

Department of Environmental Protection | Interstate Waters Office

Tom Ridge Environmental Center

301 Peninsula Drive, Suite 4

Erie, PA 16505

Phone: 814.835.1477 | Fax: 814.833.0266

www.depweb.state.pa.us