Growing fears of large-scale diversions from the Great Lakes to thirsty Sunbelt and farm states sparked discussions in the 1980s, then more serious negotiations after 2000 between the state and provincial governments of the Basin to ensure that Great Lakes freshwater stays in the Great Lakes. These talks ultimately led to the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Compact, signed by all eight Great Lakes governors in 2005, which proponents called an all-encompassing agreement that freshwater resources shall (in most cases) not be diverted or exported outside the Basin. On October 3, 2008, President George W. Bush signed the federal Compact legislation. During this same time period, the eight states and Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec signed a parallel agreement that tracks the Compact.
FLOW continues to monitor implementation of the Compact and Agreement with periodic updates, and a comprehensive analysis forthcoming in 2022.
Links to FLOW's "Great Lakes Compact" Content:
REPORT: A Watershed Moment: The Great Lakes Compact After 15 Years - April 19, 2024
Will Wall Street Control Our Water in the 21st Century? –By Jim Olson, April 8, 2021
Minnesota Water Train Proposal Exposes Flaw in Great Lakes Compact –By Jim Olson, November 27, 2019
Wisconsin Judge Upholds Foxconn Decision, Undermining the ‘Compact’ Designed to Prevent Great Lakes Diversions–By Jim Olson, June 11, 2019
Waukesha’s Proposed Exemption to the Great Lakes Compact Diversion Ban–By Jim Olson, May 27, 2016
Waukesha Presses First Test of Great Lakes Water Compact–By Kaye LaFond, July 9, 2014
