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Draft Report on Recommendations for Implementing the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact

Our Great Lakes Water Resources
Conserving and Protecting Our Water Today for Use Tomorrow

This report was prepared by the Great Lakes Basin Advisory Council (GLBAC) in response to the directive issued to the Council by the New York State Legislature in approving the ratifying legislation of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact (the Compact) in 2008. Also, it is the GLBAC's desire that this report stimulate new dialogue within the State regarding how our water resources can best be managed, in light of the growing need for renewable energy, threats from climate change and to guarantee sustainable resources for future generations of New Yorkers, along with the fish, birds, animals, and plants that make up a healthy ecosystem.

The GLBAC convened a business meeting on June 18, 2008 to commence project planning and, over the last year, has worked together with other agency representatives to produce this report. Recognizing the complexity of the Compact and the issues the GLBAC was charged to consider, an approach was defined to develop recommendations consistent with the following guiding principles and public input. Those guiding principles included:

• The Council would rely on input from relevant State agencies and non-governmental organizations to the greatest extent possible.
• The report's contents should serve as an initial and continuing source of guidance to the State Legislature in considering future State legislation on water resources.
• The production of this report is an opportunity for the Council to highlight key management and scientific information needs that will promote more effective water conservation and projection of future supply needs.

Public recommendations on the report are being accepted until August 14, 2009. Comments can be submitted via email to glakes@gw.dec.state.ny.us or by regular mail to:

In addition, written comments and recommendations will be accepted at each of the public input sessions listed below.

For Further Information on the Compact and other States/Provincial Programs, please visit the Council of Great Lakes Governors website using the offsite link in the right column.

View the Draft Report

Main body of report (833 KB PDF)
Appendices A - C (1,456 KB PDF)
Appendices D - F (1,529 KB PDF)

The Compact is contained in New York Environmental Conservation Law Article 21, Title 10 (116 KB PDF).

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