Our Great Lakes - State Of the Lakes Ecosystem Conference (SOLEC)

State Of the Lakes Ecosystem Conference (SOLEC)

The State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conferences (SOLEC) are hosted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Environment Canada on behalf of the two countries. These conferences are held regularly in response to a reporting requirement of the binational Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA). The goal of SOLEC is to report on progress towards achieving the overall purpose of the GLWQA “to restore and maintain the physical, chemical and biological integrity of the Great Lakes Basin”. The conferences are intended to report on the state of the Great Lakes ecosystem and the major factors impacting it, and to provide a forum for exchange of this information amongst Great Lakes decision-makers. These conferences are not intended to discuss the status of programs needed for protection and restoration of the Great Lakes basin, but to evaluate the effectiveness of these programs through analysis of the state of the ecosystem. Another goal of the conference is to provide information to people in all levels of government, corporate, and not-for-profit sectors that make decisions that affect the lakes.

These conferences are a culmination of gathering information from a wide variety of sources and engaging a variety of organizations. In the year following each conference, the Governments prepare a report on the state of the Great Lakes based in large part upon the conference process. These conferences were held in 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008. The next conference is planned for 2011.

The State of the Great Lakes 2009 highlights report contains an overall assessment of the state of the Great Lakes as well as indicator category assessments for Contamination, Human Health, Biotic Communities, Invasive Species, Coastal Zones and Aquatic Habitats, Resource Utilization, Land Use-Land Cover and Climate Change. It also includes Management Challenges and a summary of some positive strides being taken in the Great Lakes basin to improve environmental conditions.

State of the Great Lakes Reporting

State of the Great Lakes 2009 reports

State of the Great Lakes 2009 Highlights report

State of the Great Lakes 2007 reports

State of the Great Lakes 2005 reports

State of the Great Lakes 2005 Highlights report
State of the Great Lakes 2005 report
State of the Great Lakes 2005 Indicator Summary series

                       Overview
                       Human Health
                               Drinking Water
                               Fish Consumption
                               Beaches
                               Air Quality
                       Ecosystem Health
                               Top Predator Fish
                               Amphibians
                               Birds
                               Forests
                               Non-native Aquatic Species
                               Coastal Wetlands
                               The Food Web
                               Alvars and Cobble Beaches
                       Lakes and Rivers
                              Lake Superior
                              Lake Michigan
                              Lake Huron
                              St. Clair-Detroit River Ecosystem
                              Lake Erie
                              Lake Ontario
                              St. Lawrence River