Science and Research
The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers are working together to strengthen the scientific basis for water management decision making.
The Regional Body and Compact Council have jointly adopted a Science Strategy that describes their scientific research priorities. They continually seek the best science and data, and each year host a session at the International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) meeting to share ideas and information.
Regional Body and Compact Council Science Strategy
The science strategy of the Regional Body and Compact Council includes a focus area for each of the next five years.
2025: Agricultural water use and water efficiency
2026: Quantifying Groundwater resources in the Great Lakes St. Lawrence River Basin
2027: Projecting water demands and cumulative impacts by water use sector
2028: Tools for identifying drought and triggering drought response
2029: Updates to the Science Strategy
The Regional Body and Compact Council encourage researchers to consider this science strategy as they pursue their research agendas, and share findings with the secretariat at gsgp@gsgp.org.
June 12, 2024
The New Great Lakes Water Use Database (Slides)
Speaker:
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James Polidori; Program Specialist, Great Lakes Commission
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June 12, 2024
Modeling Groundwater Surface Water Interactions in Wisconsin to Support Management Decisions (Slides)
Speaker:
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Mike Fienen; Research Hydrologist, Upper Midwest Science Center, USGS
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June 11, 2024
2023 Flash Drought: Hydrologic Response & Water Use Trends (Slides)
Speaker:
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Adam Freihoefer; Water Use Section Chief, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
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June 11, 2024
U.S. Mexico Water Management--The Rio Grande/Bravo (Slides)
Speaker:
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- Vianey "V" Rueda; PhD Candidate, University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability, Global Center for Transboundary Water Research
January 24, 2024
Presentation on Canada1Water (Slides)
Speaker:
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Hazen Russell, Sedimentologist, Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada
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January 24, 2024
Global Center for Understanding Climate Change Impacts on Transboundary Waters (Slides)
Speaker:
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- Professor Drew Gronewold; University of Michigan; Lead Investigator
January 24, 2024
Comparison of Wisconsin Water Withdrawals to USGS National Water Use Estimates from 2011 to 2020 (Slides--Revised 2/7/24)
Speaker:
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William Dougherty, Hydrogeologist, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
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January 24, 2024
USGS National Activities
Speakers:
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- Ken Belitz; Research Hydrologist, Water Mission Area--National hydrogeologic Framework
- Paul Stackelberg; Hydrologist, Water Mission Area--Nationwide Groundwater Quality Prediction (Slides)
- Bruce Lindsey; Groundwater Status and Trends Coordinator, Water Mission Area--National groundwater monitoring activities related to PFAS (Slides)
June 14, 2023
Update on the IJC Science Advisory Group's Science Strategy
Speaker:
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Matthew Child, Physical Scientist, International Joint Commission
June 13, 2023
Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission Study Update
Speakers:
- Esteban Chiriboga; Environmental Specialist, Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission
June 13, 2023
USGS Presentation and Discussion on water use study; Bottled Water Study
Speaker:
- Kurt McCoy; Chief--Water Budget Branch, US Geological Survey
December 15, 2022
U.S. Geological Survey--Enhanced Water Use Information (Slides)
Speakers:
- Jaime Painter; Geographer, Water Use Program Manager, and Water Budget Program Manager, U.S. Geological Survey
December 14, 2022
About the Alliance for Water Efficiency, the Importance of Water Efficiency in the Great Lakes Region, and the Role of States and Provinces
Speaker:
- Ron Burke; CEO, Alliance for Water Efficiency
December 14, 2022
Assessing Drivers of Municipal Water Use Trends in the Great Lakes Region (Slides)
Speakers:
- Hannah Paulson; J. Phillip Keillor Fellow, University of Wisconsin Sea Grant;
- James Polidori, Program Specialist, Great Lakes Commission
June 14, 2022
American Water Works Association Water Audits Overview
Speaker:
- John H. Van Arsdel, Vice President, M.E. Simpson Company, Inc.; Illinois AWWA Board of Directors (2020-2023) (Slides)
December 8, 2021
Webinars on USGS and Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Activities
Speakers:
- Jaime Painter, Geographer, Water Use Program Manager, and Water Budget Program Manager, U.S. Geological Survey (Slides)
- Jen Vanator, Great Lakes Program Coordinator, Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission
April 6, 2021
Webinar on Water Quantity and Water Budgets.
Speakers:
- Richard Niswonger, Research Hydrologist – U.S. Geological Survey
- Martha Nielson, Hydrologist, Groundwater and watershed modeling team U.S. Geological Survey--Upper Midwest Water Science Center
- Alain N. Rousseau, Professor at Québec’s National Institute for Scientific Research (Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, INRS)
December 15, 2020
Webinar on Consumptive Uses - View Recording
Speaker:
- Esteban Chiriboga, Environmental Specialist – Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission
November 4, 2020
Webinar on Consumptive Uses - View Recording
Speakers:
- Paul Martin, President, Aqua Insight, Inc. (Ontario).
- John Balay, Manager, Planning and Operations, Susquehanna River Basin Commission.
- Silivio José Gumiere, Professor, Laval University, Agriculture and Food Dept.
- Robert Smail, Socio-Economic Research Scientist, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
The Regional Body and Compact Council have created a Science Team of State and Provincial experts. The team meets twice a year to discuss Science Strategy implementation and share best practices.
At least every five years the Regional Body and Compact Council perform a comprehensive cumulative impact assessment of withdrawals, diversions and consumptive uses. 
Cumulative Impact Assessment 2016-2020 (June 15, 2023)
Cumulative Impact Assessment 2011-2015 (December 8, 2017)
Cumulative Impact Assessment 2006-2010 (December 4, 2013)
Additional assessments may be performed from time to time, and can be found at the end of the annual water use reports created by the Great Lakes Commission, which can be found at https://waterusedata.glc.org/annualreports.php
The Regional Body and Compact Council periodically commission reports to improve the understanding of Basin waters and how they are used.
The Regional Body regularly hosts a session at the annual conference of the International Association for Great Lakes Research. An overview of presentations made at past sessions can be found here.