Issues & Advocacy

In 2022 Congress enacted legislation to create the “Great Lakes Authority,” a new economic development agency for the Great Lakes Region. The authority is to be governed by a nine-member board with a federal co-chair appointed by the President, and one board member appointed by each of the eight Great Lakes...

Owned and operated by the Army Corps of Engineers, the lock complex at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan (“Soo Locks”) enables ships to navigate the St. Marys River, which connects Lake Superior to the lower four Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway. Congress has authorized construction of a new large lock at the Soo. The project...

Heavy ice threatens the reliability of Great Lakes-Seaway transportation early and late in the navigation season. The U.S. Coast Guard is responsible for breaking ice to ensure navigation and enhance safety. The agency’s Great Lakes icebreaking fleet consists of nine vessels: six 140-foot icebreaking tugs, two buoy tenders, and the heavy...

Due to years of inadequate funding, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been unable to maintain Great Lakes navigation infrastructure. Over the next five years, Great Lakes navigation channels will require $700 million of dredging to maintain authorized channel dimensions. Breakwaters and other federal navigation structures need...

In recent years, Great Lakes ports have been working to develop new business in two distinct areas: containerized cargo shipping and passenger cruise tourism. These new business sectors have presented a challenge for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The processing of shipping containers and passengers is more complicated...

The opening and closing dates of the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Seaway navigation system vary from year to year based primarily on weather conditions, ice formation, maintenance requirements, safety considerations, and operational readiness across multiple lock authorities. Historically, the Seaway has opened in late March...

U.S. law requires all foreign trade ships to employ United States and Canadian registered pilots throughout the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway. In U.S. portions of the Great Lakes, pilotage services are provided under a regulated system overseen by the U.S. Coast Guard. Pilotage is a component of safe navigation on the Great...

Constructed between 1887-1922, the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) provides a connection between the inland river navigation system and the Great Lakes, facilitating the movement of commercial maritime commerce and recreational boating. The waterway also serves an important role in the sanitation and flood control system...

The Great Lakes include 20 percent of the world’s surface freshwater and host diverse communities of aquatic and terrestrial life. Launched in 2010, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) was created to accelerate efforts to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the Great Lakes Basin...