Collaborative Efforts in Great Lakes Sediment Management

1. Collaborative Efforts Addressing Sediment Management, Dredging and Restoration Challenges in the Great Lakes Thomas R. Crane Deputy Director Great Lakes Commission August 31, 2016 Cleveland, OH

2. Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Regional Governance Structure • Two Federal Governments • Eight States • Two Provinces • Three Commissions (GLC, IJC, GLFC) • First Nations/Tribal Organizations • Binational and Regional Nongovernmental Organizations

3. Great Lakes Commission • Interstate compact agency • Established in 1955 (Great Lakes Basin Compact) • Members: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin • Ontario and Québec joined in 1999 as associate members • 3-5 Commissioners are appointed from each state and province • “promotes the orderly, integrated and comprehensive development, • use and conservation of the water resources of the Great Lakes basin” • (Article I, Section 1, Great Lakes Basin Compact)

4. GLC Core Services and Program Priorities Invasive Species Water Quality and Ecosystem Health Communication Education Info Integration Reporting Facilitation Consensus Building Policy Coordination Advocacy Habitat and Coastal Management Clean Energyand Climate Water Dependent Economy and Infrastructure Water Resource Management

5. Great Lakes Commission Observers and GLERL Partnerships GLC Observers • 8 U.S. federal agencies; (including NOAA – GLERL, OCRM and Sea Grant) • Canadian Government; (Global Affairs Canada) • 3 Commissions;(GLFC, IJC and the Helsinki Commission) • Conference of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers; • Coastal States Organization; • Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative; • Chippewa Ottawa Resource Authority (tribal); • Other Nongovernmental Regional Organizations (representing environmental, conservation, business/industry and education interests) GLERL Partnership Statement The Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) maintains a diverse list of research partnerships. These include participating universities, municipalities, State, Federal, and international agencies, non-governmental institutions, and many others. These partnerships foster mutually beneficial research and collaboration, promote efficient information exchange and dissemination, and help identify and take advantage of shared resources and expertise.

6. Examples of Regional Collaboration in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River basin Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (Annex Working Groups) Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS) Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) Collaboratory Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Water Resources Compact and Sustainable Water Resources Agreement Great Lakes Dredging Team

7. NOAA Services and Productsthat support Great Lakes management and restoration NOAA’s research, services and products are foundational to Great Lakes restoration efforts. “Integrated around physical, chemical and biological interactions—NOAA (GLERL) research serves as a framework to address the complex environmental challenges posed by a large-lake system and serves as a model for other freshwater and coastal ecosystems.” (from GLERL Strategic Plan) • Observing Systems – navigation, water quality, nearshore health • Ecosystem Dynamics/ Ecological Monitoring – HABs and nearshore health • Water level monitoring network – navigation, dredging, water resources management

8. Great Lakes Harmful Algal Blooms Collaborative Regional Partnership (involving NOAA) co-led by the GLC and USGS Enables science-based information sharing among scientists, as well as between scientists and decisions makers working on Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in the Great Lakes Provides a network for developing a common knowledge basis of current science and science needs and strategies for transmitting key science to managers.

9. Great Lakes – St. Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement and Water Resources Compact • Binding regional water management agreements signed by the Great Lakes Governors (Compact) and Premiers (Agreement) • Detail how the States and Provinces will manage and protect the basin’s water resources and provide a framework for each State and Province to enact measures for its protection Provisions requiring scientific support include: • Sec. 1.4 Collaborative Science Strategy • Sec 4.15 Assessment of Cumulative Impacts

10. Great Lakes Dredging Team Forum for state, federal and industry partners to discuss the region’s dredging needs and support timely, cost-effective and environmentally sustainable dredging practices throughout the Great Lakes, connecting channels and tributaries Team Priorities: • Sustainable dredged material management • Beneficial use of dredged material • Evaluation of open water placement • Environmental windows • Use of science to inform policy and management

11. Opportunities For NOAA to Expand Services and Products to Support Great Lakes Restoration • Update Environmental Sensitivity Index Maps • Information about coastal shoreline sensitivity, biological resources and human resources • Last updated in the Great in the early 1990s • Maintain in-basin presence of Navigation Team staff in the Great Lakes • Maintain real-time flow meters in Maumee, Cuyahoga and St. Clair Rivers

12. Final Thoughts • Make sure Great Lakes receive same attention as ocean coasts • Make sure GLRI funding does not supplant base funding necessary to support programs • Make sure programs are coordinated across • different branches of NOAA • NOAA should have a stronger nearshore program in the Great Lakes • Build upon successes of GLRI • Coordinate more closely with NCCOS

13. Questions? Thomas R. Crane Deputy Director Great Lakes Commission 2805. S. Industrial Hwy., Suite 100 Ann Arbor, MI 48104 www.glc.org tcrane@glc.org Phone: 734-971-9135 ext. 123 Fax: 734-971-9150