St. Clair River Area of Concern

St. Clair River Area of Concern An Area of Concern (AOC) is a location where environmental quality is degraded compared to other areas in the Great Lake Basin resulting in the impairment of beneficial uses. A total of 43 AOCs were identified as a result of Annex 2 of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA).The Canada-United States GLWQA identifies 14 beneficial uses that must be restored in order to remove the designation as an Area of Concern. A beneficial use is defined as the ability of living organisms (including humans) to use the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem without adverse consequences. A Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI) is a condition that interferes with the enjoyment of a water use. Each BUI has a set of locally-defined delisting criteria that are specific, measurable, achievable, and scientifically-defensible. The Remedial Action Plan (RAP) is administered locally in accordance with the Canada-U.S. Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) and the Canada-Ontario Agreement (COA). The RAP is an ongoing collaborative effort implemented by federal, provincial, and local governments as well as industry and public partners. There are 3 key stages of the RAP: Stage 1 is a detailed description of the environmental problem; Stage 2 identifies remedial actions and options; Stage 3 is the final document providing evidence that the beneficial uses have been restored and the AOC can be “delisted”. The St. Clair River, a key shipping channel in the Great Lakes Seaway system, flows 64 kilometers from Lake Huron to Lake St. Clair. The St. Clair River is one of five binational AOCs under the Canada – United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (1987). Approximately 170 000 people live in the AOC, particularly in the urban centers of Sarnia, Ontario and Port Huron, Michigan. The St. Clair River has greatly contributed to Ontario's and Michigan's industrial, commercial, and municipal development, and as a result it has been severely degraded due to the improper wastewater management, frequent dredging, and both point and non-point sources of contamination. For more information, visit: https://www.friendsofstclair.ca/www/rap/index.html 2024-06-09 Environment and Climate Change Canada enviroinfo@ec.gc.ca Nature and EnvironmentPolicy View ECCC Data Mart (English)HTML https://data-donnees.ec.gc.ca/data/sites/areainterest/st.-clair-river-area-of-concern/ View ECCC Data Mart (French)HTML https://data-donnees.ec.gc.ca/data/sites/areainterest/st.-clair-river-area-of-concern/?lang=fr

An Area of Concern (AOC) is a location where environmental quality is degraded compared to other areas in the Great Lake Basin resulting in the impairment of beneficial uses. A total of 43 AOCs were identified as a result of Annex 2 of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA).The Canada-United States GLWQA identifies 14 beneficial uses that must be restored in order to remove the designation as an Area of Concern. A beneficial use is defined as the ability of living organisms (including humans) to use the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem without adverse consequences. A Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI) is a condition that interferes with the enjoyment of a water use. Each BUI has a set of locally-defined delisting criteria that are specific, measurable, achievable, and scientifically-defensible.

The Remedial Action Plan (RAP) is administered locally in accordance with the Canada-U.S. Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) and the Canada-Ontario Agreement (COA). The RAP is an ongoing collaborative effort implemented by federal, provincial, and local governments as well as industry and public partners. There are 3 key stages of the RAP: Stage 1 is a detailed description of the environmental problem; Stage 2 identifies remedial actions and options; Stage 3 is the final document providing evidence that the beneficial uses have been restored and the AOC can be “delisted”.

The St. Clair River, a key shipping channel in the Great Lakes Seaway system, flows 64 kilometers from Lake Huron to Lake St. Clair. The St. Clair River is one of five binational AOCs under the Canada – United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (1987). Approximately 170 000 people live in the AOC, particularly in the urban centers of Sarnia, Ontario and Port Huron, Michigan. The St. Clair River has greatly contributed to Ontario's and Michigan's industrial, commercial, and municipal development, and as a result it has been severely degraded due to the improper wastewater management, frequent dredging, and both point and non-point sources of contamination. For more information, visit: https://www.friendsofstclair.ca/www/rap/index.html

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