Ontario 2022 Wooly Adelgid

Hemlock populations are dwindling 

Ontario 2022 Wetlands

Restoration project aims to restore wildlife by Summer 2023

Ontario 2021 waterlevels

Water levels fluctuate dramatically, disrupting the entire ecosystem

Ontario 2020 Loon

Acid rain, pollution, and mercury contamination affects the entire food chain

Ontario 2017 Water Levels Rising

Climate change is causing water levels to rise

Ontario 2017 Record Flood

"the worst sustained shoreline flooding in modern history"

Ontario 2015 Envirronmental Stress

Lake Ontario considered the most environmentally stressed of all the Great Lakes

Ontario 2010 collapse

Fish populations at severe risk of collapse

Ontario 2007 botulism

Botulism causes waterfowl die-off in Lake Ontario

Ontario 2004 lakemeantnothing

The Lake meant nothing to people

Ontario 2001 cormorants

Double-crested Cormorants return to Lake Ontario

Ontario 1996 Invasive Species Act

The Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act

Ontario 1986 waste

Highest concentration of hazardous-waste in North America

Ontario 1986 Zebra Mussels

Introduction of the zebra mussel in North American waters

Ontario 1982 lakepollution

Lake pollution

Ontario 1972 Oshawa

Fight to preserve Oshawa Second Marsh

Ontario 1969 eulogy

Eulogy for the Don River tributary

Ontario 1958 stlawrence

St. Lawrence hydroelectric power project opens Ontario to the ocean

Great Lakes 1955 Great Lakes Fishery Commission

Great Lakes Fishery Commission Treaty

Michigan 1946 failtoimplement

The US and Canada fail to implement fishing regulations in an effort to eradicate the sea lamprey

Ontario 1940s BluePike

Extinction of blue pike

Ontario 1940 hamiltonharbor

Hamilton Harbor devastated by pollution

Great Lakes 1938 Sea Lamprey

Sea Lamprey invade all of the Great Lakes

Ontario 1918 WW1

World War I devastates fisheries

Ontario 1911 pollution

Sawmills and dams destroy salmon spawning ground

Pollution kills thousands of fish in Ontario tributaries

Ontario 1900 Blackfin Ciscoe

The Blachfin Ciscoe will soon be extinct

Ontario 1891 blackbass

We must save the black bass from extinction

Ontario 1891 Bird populations

Hunting laws enacted to save bird populations

Ontario 1890 Sea Lamprey

Paper mill sewage kills fish

Sea Lamprey endanger whitefish

Ontario 1913 Sawmill

Sawmill waste flows into Lake Ontario

Ontario 1881 fishing

The end of the salmon in sight

Ontario 1880s hunting

Hunting decimating mammal populations

Ontario 1877 forestgone

The forest is gone and the salmon soon to follow

Ontario 1830s deforestation

Unnatural consequences

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Salmon populations beginning to dwindle 

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Deforestation leads to rising nitrogen levels in the lake

Ontario 1830s salmon

2,000 Salmon in one night

Ontario 1815 agriculture

Agriculture contributes to the salmon decline

Ontario 1801 salmonspawning

New York prohibits obstructions to salmon spawning

Ontario 1799 Niagara

Niagara Falls

Ontario 1797 abounds

Lake Ontario abounds with fish

Ontario 1759 paradise

"Such a paradise"

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Destruction of birds

RG77 CWMF AMA 30 01

"Stillness of these forests"

Ontario 1697 Louis Hennepin

Animals in such great numbers

Ontario 1655 empties

The Otihatangue River empties into Lake Ontario

Ontario 10000BC Iroquois Niagara Falls

Cataract is voice of mighty spirit

Ontario 10000BC Ojibwe

The migration of the Ojibwe and Niagara Falls

Ontario 11000BC Glacial Lakes

The life of Lake Iroquois

Lake Ontario - Prince Edward County

Lake Ontario

Chemical Waste

Previously relaxed environmental regulations allowed nearby industrial plants and mining operations to dump their waste into the Great Lakes without any repercussions. Resultantly, sludge at the bottom of the waterways and lakes of the basin contain myriad toxic chemicals ranging from PCBs to radioactive waste.

Diminished Fisheries

Early commercial fishing operations received dangerously relaxed regulations. Fish populations were extorted year-round, and over time were not able to reproduce enough to keep the species from extinction. Seasonal regulations were eventually placed to allow for natural breeding cycles, but in some cases the damage was irrevocable. Efforts to manage fisheries have been further complicated by many accidental and purposeful species introductions, pushing out native fish. 

Invasive Species

Invasives such as the Asian carp, sea lamprey, alewife, zebra mussel, and the round goby are just a few of the species that have wreaked havoc on the Great Lakes. These invasive species decimate native populations both by lacking predators and creating low oxygen environments which trigger the production of bacteria that cause botulism.  The zebra mussel and sea lamprey were first introduced to Lake Ontario from ships arriving from the Atlantic Ocean, and gained access to the rest of the Great Lakes in 1919 when the Welland Canal was deepened. In the 1960s, Alewives made up 90% of the fish in the Great Lakes, posing a major threat to native populations.

Water Levels

Water levels frequently vary within the Great Lakes. This is in part a natural phenomenon resulting from glacial rebound, but drastic fluctuations are due to changing precipitation levels - a result of global warming - and increased water runoff from human development. Environmentalists advocate for allowing natural water level fluctuations in surrounding wetlands. Demand for drinking water, irrigation and climate change, leave many to worry about a future decline in lake levels.

Development

Starting in the nineteenth century, much of the land surrounding the Great Lakes was cleared and cultivated for industrial development. Human development in the form of building, mines, power plants, coastal roads & recreational infrastructure has been disrupting natural environments for centuries. Resulting deforestation and improper waste disposal destroyed fish spawning grounds, introduced heavy metals to the ecosystem, and triggered rapid warming of the lake waters.

Most Pressing Issues

Alliance for Great Lakes

The Alliance for Great Lakes works with scientists, policymakers, businesses, community groups and everyday citizens to protect and restore the lake.

Friends of Second Marsh

Friends of Second Marsh is dedicated to encouraging the protection of Second Marsh, other Great Lakes wetlands, our natural heritage system, and a healthy environment.


Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority

The Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority’s mandate is to undertake programs to promote the conservation, restoration, development and management of natural resources with local municipalities.

Great Lakes Information Network

The Great Lakes Information Network is a partnership that provides one place online for people to find information relating to the binational Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region of North America.

Hamilton Conservation Authority

The Hamilton Conservation Authority is the area’s largest environmental management agency, and is dedicated to the conservation of watershed lands and water resources.

How You Can Help