WINDSOR, ON – The Great Lakes Water Quality Board is seeking public opinions in a new online poll about the Great Lakes, water quality issues, and other topics related to restoring and protecting this unique freshwater system.
“We hope that people answer our poll and also share it far and wide so that we can collect views and ideas from thousands of folks throughout the Great Lakes region and beyond,” said Jon Allan, US co-chair of the International Joint Commission’s Great Lakes Water Quality Board, which is organizing the poll.
To take the poll, visit the board’s website at ijc.org/wqb/great-lakes-poll, where it will be available until March 15.
“Our past three polls clearly demonstrate the love that people have for the Great Lakes, and this year’s poll reflects that affinity with questions related to recreation, drinking water, regulations and other aspects of these waters,” said Allan, also senior adviser at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability.
The online poll is complementary to the board’s latest telephone poll, which began collecting responses earlier this month and is designed to be statistically valid and representative of public opinion in the region.
“The board expects to report the final results from both versions of the poll this summer, and they will be shared with the public, media, policymakers and other interested individuals,” said Chris McLaughlin, Canadian co-chair of the Great Lakes Water Quality Board and executive director of the Bay Area Restoration Council.
“Answering the poll questions does not need to be limited to Great Lakes-region residents. We are interested in collecting a broad and diverse set of opinions to help us understand how people view the Great Lakes.”
The 2024 poll is the board’s fourth, with prior polls conducted in 2015, 2018 and 2021. This year’s poll repeats several previous questions to track trends.
The Great Lakes Water Quality Board is the principal adviser to the International Joint Commission (IJC) under the 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The board assists the IJC by reviewing and assessing progress by the governments of Canada and the United States to implement the Agreement, identifying emerging issues and recommending strategies and approaches to prevent and resolve complex challenges facing the Great Lakes, and providing advice on the role of relevant jurisdictions to implement these strategies and approaches.
