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Great Lakes Today was created to highlight issues affecting the lakes. The main partners are WBFO (Buffalo), ideastream (Cleveland) and WXXI (Rochester).Browse more coverage here. Major funding for Great Lakes Today is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American People. Additional funding comes from the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District.

Video: How Can We Clean Up Polluted Watersheds?

The US Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes region

There are 43  Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes region.  Five of them – the St. Mary’s River, Muskegon Lake, Clint River, Maumee River, and the Buffalo River –are the focus of a partnership between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Great Lakes Commission.

Great Lakes Today’s Elizabeth Miller spoke with the commission’s Eric Ellis during the Healing Our Waters conference in Buffalo.

What’s an area of concern (AOC)?

An area of concern is designated such by the U.S. EPA – it’s usually a watershed or group of watershed with a history of pollution or degradation impacting water quality, fish and wildlife habitat, among other things.

What’s a beneficial use impairment (BUI)?

A beneficial use impairment is a specific issue that needs to be addressed in those areas.  For example: beach closures, restoring fish and wildlife populations.

What AOCs are a part of the NOAA/GLC  partnership?

·        St. Mary’s River (Michigan)

·        Muskegon Lake (Michigan)

·        Clint River (Michigan)

·        Maumee River (Ohio)

·        Buffalo River (New York)