Great Lakes Atlas - 3rd Edition

Categories of Use Impairments

The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement list 14 beneficial uses that may be impaired and in need of restoration. The four general categories below contain the 14 impairments identified by number based upon the sequence in which they appear in the agreement.

Ecological Health and Reproduction

Degradation of fish and wildlife populations (3)
Degradation of benthic populations (6)
Degradation of phytoplankton and zooplankton (13)
Undesirable algae/eutrophication (which may cause low dissolved oxygen levels, which may, in turn, cause other impairments) (8)
Fish tumors and other deformities (4)
Bird or animal deformities or reproduction problems (5)

Human Health

Restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption (1)
Beach closings (bacteria) (10)

Human Use (Welfare)

Tainting of fish and fildlife flavor (2)
Restrictions on dredging (7)
Taste and odor in drinking water (9)
Degradation of aesthetics (11)
Added costs for agriculture or industry (12)

Fish and Wildlife Habitat (14)

Geographic Areas Of Concern: Impaired Uses

[ HTML Table | Text ]

	Area of Concern	Ecological Health and Reproduction						Habitat	Human Health		Human Use/Welfare
Lake Superior	Peninsula Harbour	3			6			14	1				7	9
	Jackfish Bay	3	4	5?				14	1?			6	7		11
	Nipigon Bay	3	4?		6	8		14	1		2		7		11
	Thunder Bay	3	4	5?	6		13	14	1	10			7		11	12
	St. Louis Bay/River	3	4	5?	6			14	1	10	2?		7		11
	Torch Lake				6
	Deer Lake-Carp Creek/River								1
Lake Michigan	Manistique River				6			14	1	10			7		11
	Menominee River	3			6			14	1	10			7
	Fox River/Southern Green Bay	3	4?	5	6	8	13	14	1	10	2?		7	9	11
	Sheboygan River	3	4	5	6	8	13	14	1				7
	Milwaukee Estuary	3	4	5	6	8	13	14	1	10			7		11
	Waukegan Harbor	3?		5?	6		13	14	1	10	2?		7	9?
	Grand Calumet River/Indiana Harbor Canal	3	4	5	6	8	13	14	1	10	2		7	9	11	12
	Kalamazoo River			5?				14	1
	Muskegon Lake	3		5?	6	8	13?	14	1				7	9	11
	White Lake	3		5?	6	8	13?	14	1				7	9	11
Lake Huron	Saginaw River/Bay	3		5	6	8	13	14	1	10	2		7	9	11
	Collingwood Harbour
	Severn Sound	3			6	8		14	1				7		11
	Spanish Harbour	3		5?	6?		13?	14?	1	10			7			12
Lake Erie	Clinton River	3	4		6	8	13	14	1	10			7		11
	Rouge River	3	4		6	8		14	1	10			7		11
	River Raisin				6				1				7
	Maumee River	3	4		6	8			1	10			7	9	11
	Black River	3	4	5	6	8	13?	14	1	10	2?		7		11
	Cuyahoga River	3	4	5?	6	8	13?	14	1	10	2?		7	9?	11
	Ashtabula River	3	4		6			14	1				7
	Presque Isle Bay		4		6?					10			7
	Wheatley Harbour		4?		6?	8?		14		10?			7
Lake Ontario	Buffalo River	3?	4	5?	6			14	1		2?		7
	Eighteen Mile Creek				6?			14?	1?				7?
	Rochester Embayment	3	4?	5	6	8	13	14	1	10	2?			9	11	12
	Oswego River	3	4?	5?	6?	8	13?	14	1						11?
	Bay of Quinte	3	4?		6	8	13	14	1	10			7	9	11
	Port Hope												7
	Metro Toronto	3	4?	5?	6	8	13?	14	1	10			7		11
	Hamilton Harbour	3	4	5	6	8		14	1				7		11
Connecting Channels	St. Marys River	3	4		6	8		14	1	10			7		11
	St. Clair River		4?	5	6			14	1	10	2?		7	9	11	12
	Detroit River		4		6			14	1	10			7	9	11
	Niagara River (Ontario)	3		5	6	8	13?	14	1	10			7	9
	Niagara River (New York)	3?	4	5?	6			14	1				7
	St. Lawrence River (Cornwall)	3	4	5	6	8	13?	14	1	10	2?		7	9	11	12
	St. Lawrence River (Massena)	3?	4?	5?	6?			14	1

Symbols used:

The numbers identify specific use-impairment categories used in the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.
Question marks indicate impairments being investigated.

Adapted from: Progress in Great Lakes Remedial Action Plans 1994. DF: 6/8/94

Information herein is provided by the Government of Canada. Its use and reference is unlimited, upon condition that the source is correctly attributed. Thank you. The Great Lakes Atlas is also available on line.