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Go jump in the lakes
The Macomb Daily (9/10)
Rosco the Clown and Clarol the Clown embark on Great Lakes adventure to promote water preservation and education. The event document will be brought together into an aquatic educational presentation for school-aged children.

Residents learn about water quality at Port of Rochester
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (9/8)
The 60-foot-tall sailboat "Earth Voyager" brought many people to the port to discuss Great Lakes pollution and drew advocates who fought against using the waterway as a dumping ground.

Photo of local lighthouse makes swell beer coaster
The Grand Rapids Press (9/8)
People visiting the Great Lakes may notice the work of Grand Rapids photographer Steven Huyser-Honig on beer coasters in nearby bars and restaurants.

Cleanups planned for Coastweeks
The News-Messenger (9/2)
Ohio's 2008 Coastweeks observance will again focus on the preservation and protection of Lake Erie and its watershed through a variety of cleanup events along the shoreline and throughout its watershed.

The Environmental Association for Great Lakes Education (EAGLE)
GLIN's September 2008 Site of the Month (9/1)
The Environmental Association for Great Lakes Education is a nonprofit organization empowering local communities to protect the Great Lakes Ecosystem.

TEACH Calendar of Events
What's going on in your neighborhood this month? Meet other people and learn together at recreational and educational events! Our new dynamic calendar is updated daily with current educational events.
TEACH Questions & Answers

Which two of the Great Lakes are the most polluted?
from Shelley in Ontario, Canada, Age 14

Lakes Erie and Ontario are sometimes considered to be the most polluted Great Lakes because they are by far the smallest of the lakes, have many people living around them, and are the last lakes in the system of basins. This means that they receive a portion of the contaminants from each of the other lakes. Phosphorous, bacterial contamination (by E. coli and others), and persistant organic pollutants (POPs) are particularly hazardous forms of water pollution in the Great Lakes as well as other water supplies around the world.

Each of the Lakes are polluted to some degree, which is why many agencies and organizations try to focus on cleaning up the most polluted areas first in an attempt to improve the overall quality of water in the Great Lakes. The United States and Canada use tools like Remedial Action Plans (RAPs) to clean up the worst of these areas, and then use Lakewide Management Plan (LaMPs) to help keep them clean.

Related references:
TEACH: Water Pollution in the Great Lakes
GLIN: Pollution Prevention in the Great Lakes
TEACH: Great Lakes Areas of Concern
EPA: Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs)

Thank you for your question!


Answered on June 25, 2001

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