Great Lakes Compact

Following approval by each of the eight member-state legislatures, the compact was signed by Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty on February 20, 2007; Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich on August 17, 2007; Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels on February 20, 2008; New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer on March 4, 2008; Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle on May 27, 2008; Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland on June 27, 2008; Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell on July 4, 2008; and Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm on July 9, 2008.{{cite web |url=http://www.cglg.org/projects/water/CompactImplementation.asp |title=Great Lakes–St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact Implementation |publisher=Council of Great Lakes Governors |accessdate=2010-06-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100626144835/http://www.cglg.org/projects/water/CompactImplementation.asp |archive-date=2010-06-26 |url-status=dead }} The U.S. Senate passed the compact on August 1, 2008, and the U.S. House of Representatives followed on September 23, 2008. President George W. Bush signed it on October 3, 2008. The compact became state and federal law on December 8, 2008.[https://www.glslregionalbody.org/compact-agreement/implementation/ "Implementation"], Great Lakes–St. Lawrence River Water Resources Regional Body, Retrieved October 7, 2020.

Due to the United States Supreme Court ruling in Wisconsin v. Illinois, the State of Illinois is not subject to certain provisions of the compact pertaining to new or increased withdrawals or diversions from the Great Lakes.{{Cite web|url= http://www.glslcompactcouncil.org/Docs/Agreements/Great%20Lakes-St%20Lawrence%20River%20Basin%20Water%20Resources%20Compact.pdf |title= Great Lakes—St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact |date= December 13, 2005 |accessdate= March 9, 2021 |publisher= Great Lakes—St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Council |page= 20 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190308114840/http://www.glslcompactcouncil.org/Docs/Agreements/Great%20Lakes-St%20Lawrence%20River%20Basin%20Water%20Resources%20Compact.pdf| archive-date=8 March 2019| url-status=live}}

In 2013, the city of Waukesha, Wisconsin, applied for permission from the State of Wisconsin to withdraw water from Lake Michigan.{{cite web |url=http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/wateruse/waukeshadiversionapp.html |title=City of Waukesha Water Diversion application |publisher=Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources |accessdate=2013-11-19}} City water historically drawn from an aquifer reached radium levels exceeding federal standards. After protest and later negotiation with state officials, Waukesha became obligated to find a new source of water by 2018. The city's limits lay 1.5 miles outside of the Lake Michigan drainage boundary; however, the county in which it resides straddles the watersheds of both the Mississippi (via the Fox River, which runs through Waukesha) and the Great Lakes.{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB125772053509137145 |title=City's Water Problems Test Great Lakes Agreement |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |date=9 November 2009 |accessdate=2013-11-19|last1=Barrett |first1=Joe }}

In 2015, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) preliminarily determined that the proposal was approvable in its Draft Technical Review and also released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement.{{cite web |url=http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/waterUse/documents/waukesha/draftWaukeshaTechnicalReview.pdf |title= DRAFT Technical Review for the City of Waukesha's Proposed Diversion of Great Lakes Water for Public Water Supply with Return Flow to Lake Michigan}} The public comment period on the Draft Technical Review and Draft Environmental Impact Statement ended on August 28, 2015.

On January 7, 2016, the DNR forwarded the submission to the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Water Resources Regional Body for review and the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Water Resources Council for review and decision.{{cite web |url=http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/wateruse/waukeshadiversionapp.html |title= Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources "City of Waukesha Water Diversion application."}} Several environmental groups argued the proposal as presented did not comply with Compact requirements and demanded a thorough review.{{Cite web |date=August 17, 2017 |title=City of Waukesha Proposal for a Diversion--Record of Decision |url=https://www.dropbox.com/s/y0572332073np5s/Waukesha%208-17-17.7z?dl=0%3Fdocid%3D15e3269d319d14deaa170e5fe4b3ffc76&authkey=AQMx06616cYILPIpjKDMjBU |access-date=April 11, 2024 |website=Great Lakes St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Council}} The application was approved with conditions by the Compact Council on June 21, 2016.{{cite web |date=June 21, 2016 |title=Final Decision of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Council in the Matter of the Application by the City of Waukesha, Wisconsin for a Diversion of Great Lakes Water from Lake Michigan and an Exception to Allow the Diversion |url=https://www.glslcompactcouncil.org/media/wdlchfw4/waukesha-final-decision-of-compact-council-6-21-16.pdf |access-date=April 11, 2024 |website=Great Lakes St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Council}}

• Canada–United States border
• Canada–United States relations

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.glslcompactcouncil.org/ Great Lakes–St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Council]
• [http://www.glslregionalbody.org/ Great Lakes–St. Lawrence River Water Resources Regional Body]
• Navigating Wisconsin's Obligations Under the Public Trust Doctrine [http://epublications.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1034&context=mulr_forthcoming]{{dead link|date=October 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

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Category:Great Lakes

Category:United States interstate compacts

Category:Acts of the 110th United States Congress

Category:Water law in the United States