STSO 422 Great Lakes: Government Resources

Depending your topic you may find it valuable to search for resources from a particular government agency.  For instance, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may have resources of interest for your project.

You can find government sites by adding site:.gov to your Google search or you can use the search function on the USA.gov site listed below:

• Environmental Protection Agency: Great Lakes Division

"The Great Lakes form the largest surface freshwater system on Earth. More than 30 million people live in the Great Lakes basin, and the impact of their daily activities, from the water consumed to the waste returned, directly affects the Great Lakes environment. EPA leads U.S. efforts to restore and maintain the quality and ecosystems of the Great Lakes watershed."

• New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

"New York's waters (lakes, rivers and streams) fall within one of 17 major watersheds, or drainage basins. A watershed is an area of land that drains water into a specific body of water. Watersheds include networks of rivers, streams, and lakes and the land area surrounding them. Watersheds are separated by high elevation geographic features (mountains, hills, ridges)."

• NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory

"Researches the dynamic environments and ecosystems of the Great Lakes and coastal regions to provide information for resource use and management decisions that lead to safe and sustainable ecosystems, ecosystem services, and human communities."

• Great Lakes Commission

The Great Lakes Commission designates program areas and establishes a wide variety of projects. The GLC also works with the U.S. Congress and federal agencies to promote policies that benefit the Great Lakes. 

• USGS Great Lakes Science Center

"Scientists working in the Great Lakes region and other parts of the country to meet the nation’s need for scientific information used by resource managers to restore, enhance, manage, and protect the living resources and habitats in the Great Lakes basin."