Great Lakes
RESTORATION
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Report to
Congress and the President
Fiscal Year 2016
fKESffo.
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1|G L RI FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
CONTENTS
Message from the Chair of the Great Lakes Interagency Task Force 2
Section 1 - Executive Summary 3
Section 2 - Program Accomplishments 5
Focus Area 1: Toxic Substances and Areas of Concern 5
Focus Area 2: Invasive Species 9
Focus Area 3: Nonpoint Source Pollution Impacts on Nearshore Health 13
Focus Area 4: Habitat and Species 17
Focus Area 5: Foundations for Future Restoration Actions 21
Section 3 - Financial Reporting 25
Appendix A - GLRI Action Plan II: Measures of Progress 29
About This Report
This report presents an overview of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative progress. It includes information
on funding, project accomplishments and success stories, and performance on Action Plan Measures of
Progress through Fiscal Year 2016. Data on direct spending is taken from the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency financial systems. Information on Great Lakes Restoration Initiative projects and activities is
available at http://glri.us.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is required by the 2010 Appropriations Conference Report, 111-
316, to submit this report to Congress on behalf of the Great Lakes Interagency Task Force. The Conference
Report directs the Agency to provide detailed yearly program accomplishments and compare specific
funding levels allocated for participating federal agencies from fiscal year to fiscal year.
The report also satisfies the Action Plan II Measure of Progress for issuance of annual GLRI reports to
Congress and the President.
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2|G L RI FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR OF THE GREAT LAKES
INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE
As we now understand more than ever, we do not have to
choose between the health of our environment and the
health of our economy. We can and should have both.
I am proud that through the Great Lakes Restoration
Initiative (GLRI)—helping to protect and restore the
system that comprises more than 80 percent of the fresh
water in the U.S. and Canada—we are fulfilling our
mission to restore the health of the water that so many of
our communities depend on.
Thanks to resounding bipartisan support, 11 federal
departments and their partners from states, tribes,
municipalities, businesses, citizens' organizations,
academia and others are breaking through to restore the Great Lakes. These GLRI investments—approximately
$2.3 billion supporting more than 3,500 projects—are making a tremendous difference from Isle Royale
National Park to the mouth of the St. Lawrence River and points in between.
As this Progress Report to Congress and the President shows, the GLRI is responsible for cleaning up
contaminated sites — areas that, once restored, will increase property values and property tax bases. This
program is also preventing the introduction of silver and bighead carp, species that could do irreparable harm to
the region's economy and ecology if they enter the lakes. And GLRI is reducing nutrient runoff to our most
sensitive waterways, such as Lake Erie, Saginaw Bay, and Green Bay.
The GLRI is protecting public health in the Great Lakes more than any other coordinated interagency effort in
U.S. history, and helping to ensure that our children and their children live in safer, healthier communities.
Scott Pruitt
Chair, Great Lakes Interagency Task Force
Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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3|G L RI FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Projects from FY 2010
- FY 2016
Cleaning up toxics
Combating invasive species
Promoting nearshore health
Restoring wetlands and other habitats
Tracking progress and working with strategic partners
Multiple focus areas
Section 1 -Executive Summary
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, or the GLRI, was launched in 2010 to accelerate efforts to protect and restore the
largest system of fresh surface water in the world, the Great Lakes. The GLRI is critical to addressing the most persistent
and challenging environmental problems facing this important ecosystem.
The GLRI has been a catalyst for unparalleled federal agency coordination - through both the Interagency Task Force
(IATF) and the Regional Working Group (RWG), which are led by the EPA. This coordination has produced
unprecedented results. GLRI resources have supplemented agency base budgets that have funded over 3,500 projects that
improve water quality, protect and restore native habitats and species, prevent and control invasive species, and address
other additional Great Lakes environmental problems.
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan II, released in September of 2014
(http://greatlakesrestoration.us/actionplan/pdfs/glri-action-plan-2.pd , identifies the most significant ecosystem problems
that exist in the Great Lakes Basin, and identifies ways to solve them. This report provides an overview of progress during
FY 2016 for each Focus Area. It also includes select success stories, detailed information on funding, and performance
information for Action Plan II Measures of Progress.
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4|G L RI FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
GLRI Action Plan II Focus Areas
Toxic Substances and Areas of Concern
In FY 2016, federal agencies and their partners finished all the management actions needed to delist the St. Clair River
Area of Concern (AOC) in Michigan. During FY 2016, substantial progress was made towards the completion of
management actions needed to delist four other AOCs, including St. Mary's River (MI), Lower Menominee River (MI),
River Raisin (MI), and Rochester Embayment (NY). All management actions in these AOCs are expected to be completed
in FY 2017.
Invasive Species
During FY 2016, federal agencies and their partners continued efforts to prevent the introduction of new invasive species
and control existing invasive species populations throughout the Great Lakes ecosystem. Ongoing work in the Chicago, IL
Area Waterway System and new efforts in Eagle Marsh, IN are stopping the upward migration of silverhead and bighead
carps and preventing them from becoming established in the Great Lakes. Federal agencies and their community partners
expanded control activities in FY 2016 by over 14,000 acres. Since the inception of the GLRI, federal agencies and their
partners have taken actions to control invasive species on over 115,000 acres.
Nonpoint Source Pollution Impacts on Nearshore Health
The GLRI implemented focused conservation activities to reduce sources of phosphorus loadings that threaten the Great
Lakes nearshore regions. During FY 2016, federal agencies and their partners worked collaboratively to reduce nonpoint
sources of phosphorus runoff that contribute to harmful algal blooms around the Great Lakes in priority watersheds such
as Lake Erie, Saginaw Bay, and Green Bay. Federal agencies project that over 402,000 pounds of phosphorus has been
prevented from entering the Great Lakes cumulatively as a result of GLRI funded projects.
Habitat and Species
During FY 2016, federal agencies and their partners protected, restored and enhanced habitats and native species
throughout the Great Lakes basin, implementing a total of 45 projects. These efforts add to the more than 920 habitat and
species projects undertaken over the course of the GLRI. Federal agencies and their partners protected, restored and
enhanced 642 miles of Great Lakes shoreline and riparian corridors and 17,500 acres of coastal wetlands through FY
2016. Since the start of the GLRI, more than 180,000 acres of habitat have been protected, restored, or enhanced.
Foundations for Future Restoration Actions
In order to improve transparency and fiscal stewardship, the GLRI has established accountability mechanisms,
management practices, and third party oversight for effective management. During FY 2016 the GLRI educated people
residing in the Great Lakes basin, reaching over 400 educators who then incorporated Great Lakes specific material into
their broader environmental education curricula. More than 27,000 people are estimated to have been educated as a result
of this curriculum in FY 2016.
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5|G L RI FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
Section 2 - Program Accomplishments
Great Lakes Areas of Concern
Status
~ Delisted before GLRI
~ Delisted through FY2016
A Management Actions Completed GLRI I
~ Management Actions Completed GLRI II
~ Management Actions Targeted GLRI II
# Remaining Areas of Concern
Torch Lake
St. Louis River
~
Deer Lake
St. Marys River
Manistique River ~ „
Wf-t A
Menominee River
Jf
St. Lawrence River
/
Fox River/Green Bay
Saginaw River & Bay
Sheboygan River
A White Lake £
^ ^ St. Clair River Niagara River^"
Milwaukee Estuat MuSkeg°n Lake Clinton River A \
m a
Detroit River
Eighteenmile Creek
-jlr Oswego River
Rochester Embayment
Buffalo River
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Waukegan Harbo? Kalamazoo River ® Rouge River -&PresqueJsle_Bay_
River Rsisin ^
"^Ashtabula River
Grand Calumet River Maumee River * ® Cuyahoga River
Black River
FOCUS AREA 1: Toxic Substances and Areas of Concern
Defined in the 1987 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, AOCs are the areas of the Great Lakes basin that are most
heavily contaminated with legacy pollutants and show signs of environmental degradation such as habitat loss and fish
consumption advisories. Federal agencies and their partners have completed all management actions required to delist
seven AOCs in the Great Lakes Basin.
In FY 2016, federal agencies and
their partners finished the
management actions needed to
delist the St. Clair River AOC in
Michigan. One of the habitat
projects at St. Clair River,
Marysville Living Shoreline, is
shown here. During FY 2016,
substantial progress was made
toward completion of
management actions needed to
delist four other AOCs, including
St. Mary's River (MI), Lower
Menominee River (MI), River
Raisin (MI), and Rochester
Embayment (NY). Management
actions in these AOCs are
expected to be completed in 2017.
St. Clair River, Michigan (Cleanup Complete)
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6|GLRI FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
In FY 2016, federal agencies and their partners removed five Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) at five AOCs in three
states, bringing the cumulative total BUI removals since the start of the GLRI to 65, more than five times the total
removed in the preceding 22 years. BUIs are the benchmarks of environmental harm and characterize the AOC. Once an
AOC's BUIs are removed, the area becomes known as an area in recovery until monitoring shows it can be formally
delisted.
During FY 2016, federal agencies and their partners implemented 7 projects to protect human health from contaminants in
Great Lakes fish. Federal agencies and their partners updated fish consumption advisories and provided public
information on the health risks as well as the benefits of Great Lakes fish consumption.
Beneficial Use Impairments Removed
Since the 1987 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement
100
During FY 2016, federal agencies and their partners provided advice to over 200,000 people regarding the risks and
benefits of Great Lakes fish consumption. Federal agencies and their partners focused on populations with the highest risk
of contaminant exposure, including:
• Women of child bearing age
• Children
• Urban anglers
• Tribal communities
• Others who rely on Great Lakes fish as a significant part of their diet
Federal agencies and their partners continue to characterize and assess the risks posed from emerging contaminants on the
health of Great Lakes fish and wildlife. Through this multi-agency effort, GLRI partners have gained a better
understanding of how the presence and distribution of emerging contaminants (such as Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs)
and Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)), can affect potential routes of exposure and have potential health impacts
on fish and wildlife populations.
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7|G L RI FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
Focus Area 1 Success Stories
Grand Calumet River AOC Restoration
During FY 2016, the GLRI conducted
sediment remediation and habitat restoration
in the Grand Calumet River AOC (IN). EPA
and its project partners have removed
approximately 15,000 cubic yards of
sediments contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
(PAHs), heavy metals, and other legacy pollutants from the river
and have begun installing a multilayer active cap over this 1/2-
mile stretch of the river. This project has contributed to the
improvement of the shoreline by removing invasive plants,
improving fish and wildlife habitats, providing better food and
shelter for native species, and enhancing the landscape
aesthetics. Restoration of nearly three miles of the West Branch
of the Grand Calumet River to the Indiana/Illinois state line has
been completed.
Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Sturgeon Blood
hi FY 2016, a team of U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (USFWS) biologists
coordinated non-lethal sampling to
measure Contaminants of Emerging
Concern in sturgeon blood. This was
done on a regional scale at sites in major rivers across the
lower Great Lakes. The field team drew on the collective
experience and skills of USFWS staff and partners to help
understand how such contaminants may be accumulating in
lake sturgeon, and in turn, how these chemicals may be
impacting their health. The Lake Sturgeon Project is just one
example of how the USFWS is using GLRI funding to
support cross-programmatic, mter-agency, and other
collaborations to find efficiencies while achieving project
goals.
Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission Mercury Program
In FY 2016, the Great Lakes Indian Fish &
Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC), with support
from the GLRI, empowered tribal members in
the Lake Superior region to make informed
decisions regarding safe fish consumption. In
2010 the GLRI began funding the GLIFWC"s
Mercury Program. During that time, 2,500 fish have been collected
from Lake Superior and nearby inland lakes and tested for mercury,
with a focus on tribally important species and harvest locations. The
data is used to generate and update the GLIFWC's Mercury Maps,
which display color-coded, and lake-specific fish consumption advice
for over 300 lakes. This data provides strategies for continuing to
harvest and consume fish, a vital part of the tribal way of life, while
minimizing mercury exposure.
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SjGLRI FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
Focus Area 1 Success Stories
Menominee River AOC Restoration
In FY 2016, with GLRI funding, the City of
Marinette, WI along with the Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), has
continued restoration efforts at Menekaunee
c Harbor, WI. Habitat restoration began with
invasive species plant control, native plantings, and the installation of
fish and wildlife habitat structures. Project partners removed 27,000
cubic yards of contaminated sediments along with failing wooden
seawalls, treated phragmites, and commenced commenced monitoring.
The city and WDNR share a vision for the harbor that includes: better
public access, improved economic and recreational opportunities,
healthier environment, and improved fish and wildlife habitat.
Rochester Bay AOC Restoration
During FY 2016, GLRI partners began
work to protect and restore Braddock
Bay, a 340-acre coastal embayment on
Lake Ontario consisting of expansive
emergent wetlands and aquatic beds. The
work within the bay is designed to improve habitat diversity of
the cattail-dominated wetlands and reduce erosion, which in
the past century has resulted in over 100 acres of wetland loss.
In spring, channels and potholes were excavated in the existing
wetland in order to increase the diversity of emergent wetlands
and to improve connectivity to remnant sedge meadow habitat.
A barrier beach is under construction in the bay mouth to
protect the wetlands from further erosion and allow for the
restoration of an additional three acres of wetlands historically
lost to erosion. Together these activities protect and improve
habitat for a wide range of flora and fauna including the
northern pike and the New York state endangered black tern.
Maumee River AOC Sampling
During FY 2016, federal partners worked to define the
presence and magnitude of chemical contaminants
within Great Lakes tributaries and watersheds, in order
to understand their impacts on fish and wildlife. This
was accomplished through an intensive sampling effort
that took place within the Maumee River watershed, one of the most
agriculturally influenced rivers in the entire Great Lakes basin, that includes
corn, soybean, and wheat crops as well as some confined animal feeding
operations. Sampling took place along a land use gradient ranging from
agricultural to urban/industrial influenced, and was timed to coincide with
summer pesticide runoff. Along with chemical analyses in various media and
biota, a variety of biological organisms were collected for evaluation of
biological effects. Partners are developing relationships between watershed
attributes, such as land use and industrial point sources, and prioritizing
watersheds by their likelihood of adverse biological impacts.
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9|G L RI FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Invasive Species Control Projects
(FY 2010-FY 2016)
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FOCUS AREA 2: Invasive Species
During FY 2016, federal agencies and their partners continued efforts to prevent the introduction of new invasive species
and control existing invasive species populations in the Great Lakes ecosystem.
Federal agencies and their partners conducted early detection monitoring exercises and trained for rapid responses. During
FY 2016, the GLR1 funded three early detection monitoring activities that enhance the ability to detect and respond to
new invasive species introductions. Federal agencies and their partners also completed a total of 11 exercises and
responses, exceeding their target of eight rapid responses and exercises in FY 2016.
Federal agencies and their partners have further reduced the nsk of invasive species entering the Great Lakes watershed
by funding 14 projects that help block the pathways of introduction. These pathways include: canals and water ways,
recreational boating, commercial shipping, illegal trade of banned species, release of aquarium species, and release of live
bait.
Protecting the Great Lakes from Asian Carp
The GLRI provides support to the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee,
which has implemented the Asian Carp Action Plan - including surveillance, response
actions, and testing of new control technologies. More information about the ARCC is
available at httir/Avww -i si an carp, us.
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10 | G L RI FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
During FY 2016, federal agencies and their
partners restored sites degraded by aquatic,
wetland, and terrestrial invasive species.
Federal agencies also supported community
efforts to control and reduce the spread of
invasive species. These projects were
implemented with partners who are
expected to continue maintenance and
stewardship beyond the duration of the
federally funded projects lifespan. In
addition, federal agencies directly
implemented control projects in national
forests, parks, and wildlife refuges. In FY
2016, federal agencies and their partners
managed and funded projects that protected
over 14,000 aquatic/terrestrial acres from
invasive species for a cumulative total of
more than 115,000 acres.
During FY 2016, federal agencies and their
partners developed and refined invasive
species control technologies and
management techniques while effectively
minimizing harm to other non-invasive fish
species. The GLRI supports invasive species
control technologies with proven potential
but require additional testing. During FY
2016, in order to evaluate their effectiveness
in controlling invasive species in the Great
Lakes basin, federal agencies and their
partners field tested three technologies and
methods, including two new ballast water
management systems.
In FY 2016, federal agencies and their
partners continued to support and enhance a
total of four species-specific
"'collaboratives.'' which help communicate
the latest control technologies and
management techniques. Collaboratives are
ongoing for the following species: Asian
carp, phragmites, invasive mussels, and
monoecious hydrilla. These collaboratives
are actively involved in the protection and
control efforts occurring under the other
invasive species objectives.
Supporting Sustainable Invasive Species Control Through
Community Projects
The GLRI is actively building the capability of Great Lakes
communities to manage invasive species through funding on-the-
ground and in-the-water control projects by supporting step 3 of this
nrocess.
Identify project site
Develop plans for short-term control and long-
term stewardship
Step 3
Provide funding for initial control activities and
the assessment of project effectiveness. Project
implementation also provides opportunities for
communities to:
• Create volunteer stewardship program
• Provide job skills training
• Provide employment opportunities, including
the use of "civilian conservation corps"
initiatives
Community stewardship maintains the
significantly improved site
Protecting the Great Lakes from Sea Lamprey
The GLRI provides support to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission's Sea Lamprey Control
Program. The GLFC lias successfully implemented control techniques that returned Lake
Huron and Lake Michigan sea lamprey populations to historic lows, and put Lake Ontario
populations at target levels. Lake Superior and Lake Erie sea lamprey populations are both
above target levels, but each continues to show a five-year downward trend in adult sea
lamprey populations. The GLRI is supporting research that enhances sea lamprey control,
including cutting-edge work on pheromones that attract and repel sea lamprey.
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11 | G L RI FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
Focus Area 2 Success Stories
Closing Asian Carp Pathways
During FY 2016, the USDA Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS),
working closely with the Asian Carp
Regional Coordinating Committee and
the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE),
completed a barrier installation project at Eagle Marsh Nature
Preserve in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This barrier is located on a
NRCS Wetland Reserve Program easement and helps to keep
Asian carp from transferring between the watersheds of the
Wabash River in Indiana and the Lake Erie watershed in Ohio.
The berm is 1.7 miles long and averages 7.5 feet high.
Construction took three months and used 177,000 cubic yards
of compacted fill. The project used Wetland Reserve Program
funds from NRCS to construct the berm on the easement and
GLRI funds for completing the effective barrier beyond the
boundary of the easement site.
Preventing Potential New Invasive Species
During FY 2016, the USFWS developed the 11 Species Rule,
listing the crucian carp, Prussian carp, Eurasian minnow, roach,
stone moroko, Nile perch, Amur sleeper, European perch,
zander, Wels catfish and the common yabby, as "injurious
wildlife." The multi-species injurious listing sets anew
precedent for preventative action to stop animal invaders before
they enter the country. These 11 species are native to one or
more of the continents of Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia
and have the potential to become invasive and highly
detrimental to U.S. native wildlife and habitats. The USFWS
selected animals for the multi-species injurious listing using a
process called Ecological Risk Screening Summaries. Since
2010, to examine potential invaders, the GLRI has supported
more than 1,400 risk assessments.
Cooperative Weed Management at Milwaukee County Zoo
In FY 2016, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS)
partnered with the Southeastern Wisconsin
Invasive Species Consortium (SEWISC) to
control invasive plants at the Milwaukee
County Zoo with support from GLRI funding.
The Forest Service, with the help of the
Student Conservation Association and the Milwaukee County
House of Corrections, exposed and treated the bare ground layer
after removing a dense thicket of glossy buckthorn and garlic
mustard at the two-acre site adjacent to Lake Evinrude. In May, the
Zoo hosted "Party for the Planet," a weekend of activities focusing
on conservation, where trees were planted at the site and Zoo
visitors learned about the importance of preserving native
vegetation and protecting vital habitat.
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12 | G L RI FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
Focus Area 2 Success Stories
Unifed Fishing Method
During FY 2016, the GLRI, to further
reduce Asian carp abundance in the upper
Illinois River, planned and executed a
pilot project that deployed the "Unified
Fishing Method"' in a 500-acre lake in
Morris, Illinois. In March of 2016, Illinois Department of
Natural Resources (IDNR) worked with contracted fishers to
implement the pilot project. The contracted fishers, along with
IDNR, deployed nets that were lifted and reset, funneling and
blocking the fish to continually concentrate the fish into the
east end of the lake over a two-week time period. The
fisherman used boat movement, electrofishing boats, motors,
and additional sound. In all, the project captured or removed
nearly 100,000 pounds of bighead and silver carp.
Mobile Boat Washing in Michigan
During FY 2016, using GLRI funding,
USFS along with the help of volunteers,
- prevented aquatic invasive species from
' inadvertently being transported between
lakes in Michigan. Aquatic Invasive Species
have a tendency to attach themselves to the outside of boats.
Using a mobile boat washing unit, project staff coordinate
educational boat washings at boating access sites and boater
related events throughout the summer. Results from the 2016
season outpaced those of the first two years thanks to acquisition
of a second mobile boat washing unit and a second team. The
messages shared through boat cleaning events have a lasting
impact on people, and the ecosystem. Every boater, angler and
recreational user has the potential to spread the vital message of
"Clean, Drain & Dry" to thwart the spread of invasive species.
Five Year Invasive Cleanup Complete at Times Beach
hi FY 2016, USACE transformed Times
Beach in Buffalo, NY into a healthy nature
preserve supporting native vegetation and
providing critical habitat for a wide range
of bird species. Times Beach, a turn-of-the-
century era recreational beach, was re-designated as a
contained disposal facility for river and harbor dredged
material in the 1930's due to industrial contamination. The
contained disposal facility was decommissioned in 2005 and
became a nature preserve with one of the most valuable bird
and pollinator conservation sites in the Great Lakes. However,
like many Great Lakes systems it was plagued with invasive
plant species. USACE used GLRI funding to enhance the
nature preserve through a five-year program that removed
invasive species, such as phragmites.
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S^yinaw River Water shed
Maumee River Watershed
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Priority Watersheds during FY 2010-FY 2016
Lower Fox River
Watershed
j Harmful and nuisance algal blooms
adjacent to priority watersheds
FOCUS AREA 3: Nonpoint Source Pollution Impacts on Nearshore Health
During FY 2016, federal agencies and their partners reduced nutrient loads into the Great Lakes. The GLRJ implemented
focused conservation activities to reduce sources of phosphorus loadings that threaten the Great Lakes nearshore regions,
and projects have been undertaken in selected agricultural priority watersheds. The largest nonpoint source of phosphorus
loadings that threaten the Great Lakes nearshore areas is the nutrient runoff from agricultural lands.
Excess phosphorus loadings threaten the Great Lakes ecosystem by contributing to harmful algal blooms that cause
human health effects, drinking water impairments, exacerbate dead zones, and cause beach closures that result in loss of
recreational opportunities. The GLRI agencies project that over 402,000 pounds of phosphorus was prevented from
entering the Great Lakes as a result of GLRI funded projects in FY 2016.
GLRI Funding Increased Acreage Enrolled in Agricultural
Conservation Programs in
Priority Watersheds through FY2016
Maumee
Saginaw
Fox
0 50,000 100,000 150,000 200,000 250,000 300,000
¦ Non-GLRI Funding ¦ GLRI Funding
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14 | G L RI FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
During FY 2016, federal agencies and their partners funded nutrient and sediment reduction projects on over 89,000 acres
of targeted watershed in the Great Lakes Basin using GLRI funding.
During FY 2016, federal agencies and their partners reported projections on urban runoff projects that are anticipated to
capture an average annual volume of more than 79 million gallons of untreated urban runoff per year. These projects
reduce flooding, increase green space m urban areas, and return vacant properties to productive use dunng FY 2016.
Federal agencies and their partners funded 36 urban watershed management projects in FY 2016 to implement best
management practices that address nonpoint source pollution in urban areas. The practices implemented include:
Tree plantings
Constructed wetlands
• Bioswales • Bioretention ponds
• Rain gardens • Porous pavement
In FY 2016, the GLRI also funded green infrastructure projects in the following 13 Great Lakes shoreline cities:
• Huron, OF! • Duluth, MN • Ashland, WI • Two Rivers, WI
• Sandusky, OH • Evans, NY • Manitowoc, WI
• Cleveland, OH • Vermillion, OH • Algoma, WI • Wind Point, WI
• East Chicago, IN
• Ashtabula, OH
Projects in these shoreline cities will treat, slow, or capture untreated stormwater runoff, helping to improve water quality
conditions withm the Great Lakes basin.
GLRI Funding Reduces Urban Runoff in Great Lakes Shoreline Cities
Great Lakes Shoreline City Grant Recipient
• FY2016 Recipients
• FY2014-15 Recipients
"c/
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15 | G L RI FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
Focus Area 3 Success Stories
Riparian Reforestation in Highland Hills, OH
In FY 2016. the USFS
collaborated with the West Creek
Conservancy, the Ohio DNR, and
local volunteers to plant 6,000
native trees and live stakes over
eleven acres in order to improve stormwater flow on
Mill Creek located in Highland Hills, Ohio. Each one
of these trees and shrubs will filter out pollutants
before they can enter into the waterways and help
reduce erosion along the shoreline. As part of this
2,900-foot stream restoration project, the USFS will
conduct ten additional planting events over the next
two years.
Near Shore Water Quality in the Windy City
Large ring-billed gull populations
contribute to poor water quality in the
nearshore waters/swim beaches of Lake
Michigan in the Chicago, IL region .
Results of tests for Escherichia coli (E.
coli) in Chicago lakefront beach water have led to the
frequent issuance of swim advisories. Through an adaptive
water quality improvement program, the Chicago Park
District, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's)
Wildlife Services program, and the EPA collaborated to
improve these conditions in FY 2016. Components of this
program included reducing the population of ring-billed gull
chicks in Chicago, efforts to educate beach-users on their
role in fostering clean beach water quality, improving waste
disposal on beaches, and numerous other water quality
improvement strategies.
Green Infrastructure in Gary, IN
During FY 2016, the GLRI funded green
infrastructure at City Hall in Gary,
Indiana. Stormwater reduction strategies
and green infrastructure were installed at a
plaza just south of City Hall. The
construction of the plaza included removal
of impervious cover, repair of a failed subsurface drainage
system, and redirection of stormwater from parking lot drains
to a rain garden to enhance infiltration of stormwater.
Monitoring started in spring of 2016 and will continue through
2017. Final products from these efforts will include hydrologic
comparisons of stormwater reduction in different settings.
Information gathered by these projects will be used to design
future stormwater control measures in urban projects around
the Great Lakes and m other parts of the nation.
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16 | G L RI FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
Focus Area 3 Success Stories
NOAA GLERL Analyzes Lake Erie HAB Toxins
In FY 2016, the National Oceanic
Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA)
Great Lakes Environmental Research
Laboratory (GLERL) deployed the first
Environmental Sample Processor (ESP)
in a freshwater system thanks to GLRI
funding. An ESP is an autonomous robotic instrument that
works as a 'lab in a can' in aquatic environments to collect
water samples and analyze them for algal toxins. This allows for
near real-time detection of Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB) and
their toxins. The GLERL deployed the ESP in September 2016
near the Toledo Water intake to detect concentrations of toxins
as a drinking water early warning system. This provides
drinking water managers with data on harmful-algal toxicity in
near real-time before the water reaches municipal water intakes.
The ESP is part of a suite of 17 ESPs used globally.
Modern Water Quality Trade Agreement in WI
In FY 2016, NRCS, and the Great Lakes
Commission (GLC) announced the signing of
the first modern water quality trade agreement
between a crop farmer and a waste-water
treatment facility on the U.S. side of the Great
Lakes basin. The trade agreement, signed in the Fox River basin,
near Green Bay, WI, was brokered by the GLC and is the
culmination of a multi-year project known as Fox P Trade. During
that time, the GLC worked with key stakeholders across the Lower
Fox River watershed to test water quality trading as a potential tool
to help reduce nutrient loadings into the Lower Fox River, which
drains into Green Bay. The Brown and Outagamie county land
conservation departments partnered to connect the project with
local farmers.
Green Infrastructure at Former Brownfield Site
In FY 2016, using GLRI funding, the City of
Oak Creek, WI began revitalizing a 250-acre
former industrial area located on a bluff
overlooking the shore of Lake Michigan. As
part of a brownfield clean up, approximately
114 acres of this formerly contaminated land is being converted to a
coastal greenfield. This green infrastructure project focuses on
installing pervious pavers to capture untreated stormwater runoff
from the parking area and constructing over 2.5 acres of wetlands.
These green infrastructure installations will remove sediment and
other nutrients from the stormwater runoff, cleaning it before it
enters Lake Michigan. As a result of this work, the residents in the
Oak Creek community will have public access to the Lake Michigan
shore for the first time in 80 years.
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17 | G L R I FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Habitat Restoration and Species Protection Projects
(FY 2010-FY 2016)
* ^
EL •»*»
(• %*\k\\ v
FOCUS AREA 4: Habitat and Species
During FY 2016, federal agencies and their partners protected, restored and enhanced habitats and native species
throughout the Great Lakes basin. In FY 2016, GLRI agencies and their partners implemented 45 habitat and native
species projects adding to the more than
920 habitat and native species projects
underway or completed by federal
agencies and their partners since the
inception of the GLRI.
Through FY 2016, federal agencies and
their partners, implemented protection,
restoration, and enhancement projects
that have reopened over 4,600 miles of
Great Lakes tributaries, and increased
aquatic connectivity for numerous fish
species. In FY 2016, GLRI partners
protected, restored, and enhanced more
than 20,000 acres of non-coastal wetland
habitats in order to sustain Great Lakes
habitats and species populations.
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
GLRI Reopened Fish Passage in the Great Lakes
Basin
Miles of Great Lakes
Tributaries Reopened
- ¦
2011
2012
I
2013
2014
2015
2016
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18 | G L RI FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan II identified a measure to protect, restore and enhance coastal
wetlands. The Great Lakes coastal wetlands are ecologically significant in part because more than 80 species of fish rely
directly on coastal wetland habitats during some part of their life cycles and over 50 separate species depend entirely on
coastal wetland habitats. Through FY 2016, federal agencies and their partners have protected, restored and enhanced over
660 miles of Great Lakes shoreline and riparian corridors and protected, restored and enhanced over 17,500 acres of Great
Lakes coastal wetlands.
Coastal
Great Lakes
Wetlands Inventory and Assessment Completed
Coastal Wetland Restoration/Protection Underway
• FY2016 Supported Projects
FY2010-15 Supported Projects
As a result of GLRI efforts, Great Lakes aquatic and terrestrial habitats are better integrated and the species that depend
on coastal habitats can now use them to their full capacity. Projects focusing on the Great Lakes aquatic and terrestrial
species are leading to the recovery of federally endangered species such as:
• Eastern prairie fringed • Chittenango ovate amber • Mitchell's satyr butterfly
orchid snail • Piping plover
• Houghton's goldenrod • Snuffbox mussel
In FY 2016, projects implemented in the Great Lakes Basin were directed towards protecting, restoring and enhancing
piping plover populations. Great Lakes Piping Plover numbers are at the highest point they have been in decades. This
season there were approximately 150 breeding plovers, an additional 50 non-breeders and we will fledge somewhere in
the vicinity of 130 chicks. Currently, there are 75 documented pairs of piping plover in the Great Lakes basin.
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19 | G L RI FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
Focus Area 4 Success Stories
Horner Park Restoration
In FY 2016, GLRI funds restored a 10-acre parcel
of underutilized park and river bank called Homer
Park in Chicago, IL. Six hundred thousand citizens
\ * MUKP within three miles of the site now have access to a
restored habitat and shoreline. Restoration
included regrading the steep banks to a gradual slope reducing erosion,
recreating a seasonal wetland for amphibians, restoring 2,600 feet of
the Chicago River streambank, and restoring an Oak Savanna. Invasive
species were removed and native species were increased by installing
over 100 species of native grasses, forbs, wildflowers, and trees with
over 35,000 plants. This restoration provides critial habitat for over
300 species of birds including over five million migrating song birds
that travel along the globally significant Lake Michigan shoreline.
Wetland Restoration at Maankiki Marsh
In FY 2016, using GLRI funding and
working with Ducks Unlimited, the USFWS
restored 1,000 acres of wetlands that are
part of Shiawassee National Wildlife
Refuge in Michigan. An essential piece of
Michigan's largest freshwater estuary, the project returned the
highly-altered agricultural landscape to its natural state and
reconnected rivers long separated. To honor the first
inhabitants of the area, refuge staff reached out to the Saginaw
Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan to help craft the project
site's name. In the traditional language of the Chippewa, also
known as Ojibwa or Ojibwe, >mannkiki is Anishinaabemowin
for marsh or marshland of any size. Now known as Maankiki
Marsh, the newly restored land will provide food and shelter
for migrating ducks, geese and shorebirds, improve the fishery
at Saginaw Bay, and enhance water filtration and better flood
protection to local residents.
Recovering the State Endangered American Marten
In FY 2016, GLRI funding made it possible to
expand a camera survey in the Apostle Islands
National Lakeshore to 18 islands, providing
important information on distribution and relative
abundance of the American marten. The
American marten is state endangered in
Wisconsin. It was thought to have been extirpated from the state in
the 1920's - until its recent discovery within Apostle Islands National
Lakeshore and the Red Cliff Reservation, WL Remote cameras and
DNA analysis verified the occurrence of the marten in the islands
during a carnivore research project. Preliminary DNA evidence
suggests that the marten have been on the islands for a long time.
Interagency and tribal resource managers will use the results of this
project to assist in statewide protection and recovery of the marten.
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20 | G L RI FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
Focus Area 4 Success Stories
Restoring Native Fish Populations
As of FY 2016, the GLRI has funded 21
native fish passage projects for: walleye,
lake trout, Atlantic salmon, bloater, lake
whitefish, and cisco. Six of these projects
are now complete. In addition, research
results in 15 peer-reviewed publications and 21 presentations
have been distributed to scientists, managers, and to the public.
Evidence of sound production by lake trout associated with
spawning, represents the first evidence of sound production by
a salmonid. These results inform our understanding of lake
trout reproduction, which remains an impediment to re-
establishment. Information generated through the native fish
restoration grant program is transferred to fishery managers via
the Commission s Science Transfer Program where it can be
put to work restoring native fishes throughout the basin.
Wild Rice Returns to the Pine Creek Indian Reservation
In FY 2016, using GLRI funding, the
Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi
Environmental Program transplanted over 1,100
VI wild rice root masses to the Pine Creek Indian
Reservation. Utilizing traditional ecological
knowledge, a half-acre of wild rice was restored in Rice Pond and
two miles were restored on Pine Creek. Tribal members assisted
restoration efforts working from stream shallows and canoes to
harvest seed and transplant wild rice shoots. This marked a
significant phase for the project as it moved beyond an investigative
and monitoring phase to return wild rice, a culturally important food
the Tribe had depended on for centuries, back to the Reservation. In
addition, over 50 miles of potential habitat for future wild rice donor
and receiving beds were assessed in the Kalamazoo River and St.
Joseph River watersheds of the Lake Michigan basin.
Improved Fish Passage in Spring Brook, Finger Lakes, NY
During FY 2016, using GLRI funding, the USFS
replaced a stream culvert with an aluminum arch
structure that will allow all species and sizes of
aquatic organism to move freely upstream of
Spring Brook in Hector, NY. Of particular
interest are the wild trout that populate the lower reaches of Spring
Brook, which is the only state-designated trout stream in the Finger
Lakes National Forest. Spring Brook and the nearby Finger Lakes
communities are a vital part of this ecosystem. As a result, aquatic
organisms have no more difficulty moving through the stream
crossing structure than the nearby section of stream. The increased
size of the crossing structure, equal to the width of the natural stream,
will also make it more flood resilient by effectively passing larger
flood flows as well as sediment and debris moving down the stream.
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21 | G L RI FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Trained Educators across the Great Lakes FY 2016
FOCUS AREA 5: Foundations for Future Restoration Actions
In order to improve transparency and fiscal stewardship, federal agencies have established accountability mechanisms,
management practices, and third party oversight to effectively manage the GLRI.
The GLRI Action Plan II laid out steps for agencies to develop and incorporate climate resiliency criteria in project
selection, planning, and implementation. During FY 2016, federal agencies and their partners finalized a standardized set
of climate resiliency criteria to help GLRI funded projects be more resilient to the effects of more frequent and intense
storms and shifts in ranges of particular species.
The GLRI continues to promote Great Lakes-based ecosystem education and stewardship. During FY 2016, federal
agencies and their partners trained 407 educators through the Center for Great Lakes Literacy (CGLL) a Great Lakes Sea
Grant led program, and National Park Service interpretive programs. These programs provide hands-on experiences,
educational resources, and networking opportunities to promote Great Lakes literacy among an engaged community of
educators, scientists, and citizens. It is estimated that over 43,000 students will benefit each year from the training of these
educators.
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22 | G L RI FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
During FY 2016, federal agencies and their partner's educated over 27,000 people about the Great Lakes ecosystem
through place based experiential learning activities on federally managed lands primarily through interpretative programs
at national parks and lakeshores.
During FY 2016, federal agencies and their partners conducted comprehensive monitoring to assess the status and trends
of environmental indicators in of the Great Lakes ecosystem. The monitoring data is used to prioritize future GLRI-
funding decisions by identifying the most significant ongoing and emerging problems in the ecosystem.
During FY 2016, federal agencies and their partners continued to evaluate the effectiveness of GLRI-funded projects. The
GLRI agencies utilized the accountability system, Environmental Accomplishments in the Great Lakes (EAGL), to track
the effectiveness of GLRI-funded projects in meeting the Measures of Progress defined in the GLRI Action Plan II. The
EPA also completed an EAGL Implementation Manual to improve data management and quality assurance throughout the
EAGL system. The GLRI agencies also continued assessment efforts designed to evaluate the effectiveness of GLRI-
funded projects.
The GLRI agencies and partners identified watersheds, habitats, and species to be targeted for potential additional
restoration activities using monitoring data, assessments, models, and other decision support tools. The Great Lakes
Advisoiy Board, states, tribes, and other stakeholders also provided input to the GLRI agencies on how to best use GLRI
resources.
The GLRI Action Plan II incorporates a science-based adaptive management framework that is designed to guide
restoration and protection actions by using the best available science and lessons learned from past and ongoing GLRI
investments. During FY 2016, federal agencies and their partners finalized a conceptual framework that supplements the
science-based adaptive management approach presented in the GLRI Action Plan II. The federal agencies also began a
Pilot Project in the western basin of Lake Erie to test the implementation of the conceptual adaptive management
framework. Below is a graphic that displays the spatial scales of project assessments and the estimated ecosystem
recovery time at the given spatial scale.
Spatial Scales of Estimated Ecosystem
Assessments Recovery Time at this
Scale
Greater than 5
years from
actions
3 to 7 years
from
actions
1 to 3 years
from actions
Basinwide
l-afcewidc/
Multiple
W.Hef shecK
Watershed /
Sub Lake/
Multiple
Projects
Project /
Local
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23 | G L RI FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
Focus Area 5 Success Stories
Great Lakes Native Preyfish Restoration
In FY 2016, the GLRI funded a new, multi-agency, coregonid
restoration program based on adaptive management. With lake
trout populations on the rise and changes in the availability of
prey across the Great Lakes, there is a need for more forage
species, such as native coregonids. The multi-agency program
is identifying and addressing key science needs and
capabilities to support basin-wide restoration of coregonid
species across the Great Lakes. The USFWS collected two
million deepwater cisco eggs from Lake Michigan. The eggs
were delivered to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Tunison
Laboratory in Cortland, NY to help meet science and fish
stocking goals for restoration in Lake Ontario. This
collaborative effort between USFWS and USGS led to
establishing and rearing 16 different families produced from
cisco gametes taken from northern Lake Huron.
Hyperspectral Camera for HABs
During FY 2016, NOAA's Great Lakes
Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL)
used an airplane mounted with a hyperspectral
camera to capture images that improve harmful
algal bloom (HAB) forecasts. Hyperspectral
cameras capture information on FIAB location and extent when
satellites cannot due to cloudy conditions. There were many
instances in FY 2016 where the camera was able to detect important
algal scum features under clouds or nearshore, which satellites were
unable to do detect. The hyperspectral camera images were
converted to the cyanobacteria index (CI) and were overlaid on the
NOAA Lake Erie HAB bulletin image using the same color table.
The cyanobacteria index provides an important resource for the
bulletin and also for water intake managers in the region.
Innovative Selective Fish Passage Project
In FY 2016, the innovative Selective Fish
Passage Project was initiated to provide bi-
directional movement of desired fishes while
restricting movement of undesirable species
through adaptive management. The Great Lakes
Fishery Commission, the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and
Chippewa Indians, USACE, the USFWS, the Michigan Department
of Natural Resources, and the City of Traverse City, Michigan forged
strong partnerships working on this project. On September 6th, 2016,
the Traverse City Commission unanimously endorsed the Boardman
River Union Street Dam as the project site. The project will match
physical and behavioral attributes of fishes with technology and
engineering to selectively pass desirable species and exclude invasive
species at the Union Street Dam site to truly reconnect this watershed
to the Great Lakes and apply lessons learned to other watersheds.
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24 | G L RI FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
Focus Area 5 Success Stories
GLRI Sponsors Great Lakes Awarness Day
In FY 2016, GLRI partners led Great Lakes
Awareness Day to share Great Lakes science with
basin citizens through projects developed by
CGLL-trained teachers and students. This year in
Pennsylvania the event was the culmination of a
yearlong, student driven effort in ten schools to develop and implement
water-quality-related science learning projects. Students from the
Fairview School District used science based protocol to determine the
amount of micro plastics at their local beach. They recorded their data
using NO A As Debris Tracker App. The opportunity to share their
work with 177 other students and 386 members of the general public
was a chance for students to become the educators. CGLL teachers
identified this as the highlight for the students participating.
Nearshore monitoring of Historic Lake Superior Flood
.. In FY 2016, with funding from the GLRI, the
National Park Service (NPS) and partners from
the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's
School of Freshwater Sciences monitored
tributary and nearshore conditions before and
after an extreme rainfall event in northern Wisconsin. This event
resulted in a greater than 500-year flood event on several Lake
Superior tributaries, damaging roads and infrastructure, and
tragically leaving three people dead. The flooding affected Lake
Superior waters, producing notable sediment plumes that extended
well into the lake. The team characterized the effects of the flood
plume on nearshore waters, and picked up a rare bloom of blue-
green algae in the weeks following the event. Through analysis of
satellite imagery and historical data, the team found that sediment
plumes from south shore tributaries are reaching Apostle Islands
National Lakeshore more frequently in recent years, resulting in
declines in Lake Superior's celebrated water clarity.
New Reporting System: Harmful Algal Blooms
In June of FY 2016, U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) launched the One
Health Harmful Algal Bloom System (OHHABS),
a voluntary reporting system available to Great
Lakes and other state agencies to report human and
animal cases of illnesses from HAB-associated exposures, as well as
environmental data about HABs. The goal of OHHABS is to collect
information to support the understanding and prevention of HABs and
HAB-associated illnesses. CDC developed the OHHABS as part of the
comprehensive GLRI approach to nutrient reduction and HAB
mitigation in the Great Lakes. CDC concurrently launched the HAB-
associated illnesses website (www.cdc.gov/habs) as a platform to
educate the public about HABs and to provide HAB resources to public
health professionals about this growing public health concern.
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25 | G L RI FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
Section 3 - Financial Reporting
From FY 2010 to FY 2016, the USEPA has been appropriated approximately $2.26 billion in GLRI funds. In order to
support effective project implementation, agencies that receive GLRI funds use multiple funding mechanisms, including
interagency agreements, fund transfers, competitive grants, and capacity-building grants to states and tribes.
Table 1 and Chart 1 provide information on FY 2010 - FY 2016 GLRI funding by focus area. Table 2 provides summary
information for FY 2010 - FY 2015 GLRI funding by agency (more detailed information for these years can be found in
previous Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Reports to Congress and the President for FY 2010-FY 2015). Table 3
provides more detailed information for FY 2016 by agency.
Table 1 - GLRI FY2010 - FY 2016 Focus Area Allocations as of October 6, 2016 (Dollars in Thousands)
Focus Area
FY 2010
FY 2011
FY 2012
FY 2013
FY 2014
FY 2015
FY 2016
Toxic Substances and Areas of
Concern
$146,946
$100,400
$107,500
$111,000
$104,600
$117,000
$108,000
Invasive Species
$60,265
$57,500
$56,900
$45,000
$54,600
$53,000
$57,000
Nonpoint Source Pollution
Impacts on Nearshore Healthw
$97,331
$49,250
$54,300
$45,000
$59,700
$55,000
$49,000
Habitat and Species[bl
$105,262
$63,000
$57,200
$65,500
$60,600
$46,000
$51,000
Foundations for Future
Restoration Actions^1
$65,196
$29,250
$23,500
$17,000
$20,500
$29,000
$35,000
TOTAL
$475,000
$299,400
$299,500
$283,500
$300,000
$300,000
$300,000
Chart 1 - Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Fiscal Years 2010-2016 Focus Area
Allocations
(as of October 1, 2016)
50%
45%
19%19%
Toxic Substances and Invasive Species Nonpoint Source Pollution Habitat and Species[b] Foundations for Future
Areas of Concern Impacts on Nearshore Restoration Actions[c]
Health [a]
¦ FY 2010 ¦ FY 2011 ¦ FY 2012 ¦ FY 2013 ¦ FY 2014 I FY 2015 I FY 2016
[a] Nearshore Health and Nonpoint Source Pollution in FY 2010-FY 2014.
[b] Habitat and Wildlife Protection and Restoration in FY 2010-FY 2014.
[c] Accountability, Education Monitoring, Evaluation, Communication, and Partnerships in FY 2010 - FY 2014.
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26|GLRI FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
Table 2 - FY 2010 - FY 2015 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Funding by Agency
(as of October 6, 2016)
Agency1
Obligations2
FY 2010
FY 2011
FY 2012
FY 2013
FY 2014
FY 2015
Total
DHS-USCG
$6,144,359
$1,617,774
$2,512,533
$2,450,986
$1,278,326
$2,006,364
$16,010,342
DOC-NOAA
$30,536,774
$18,289,090
$16,242,588
$25,504,538
$35,170,162
$24,817,678
$150,560,830
DOD-
USACE
$49,272,025
$30,663,366
$35,408,903
$31,597,882
$28,503,609
$48,389,326
$223,835,111
DOI-BIA
$3,416,000
$6,316,027
$4,718,837
$3,985,077
$3,949,629
$4,749,710
$27,135,280
DOI-NPS
$10,479,525
$4,861,269
$3,527,109
$3,012,927
$3,176,525
$3,142,389
$28,199,744
DOI-USFWS
$69,348,690
$48,690,188
$45,699,986
$40,000,560
$49,037,576
$41,393,402
$294,170,402
DOI-USGS
$23,717,195
$14,531,602
$13,051,766
$12,661,690
$19,832,266
$23,432,650
$107,227,169
DOT-FHWA
$2,500,000
$1,218,000
$1,221,000
$973,156
$964,500
$0
$6,876,656
DOT-
MARAD
$4,000,000
$2,694,600
$2,446,927
$2,311,345
$1,790,785
$1,290,832
$14,534,489
HHS-
ATSDR/CDC
$5,500,000
$2,195,661
$2,200,000
$1,415,500
$1,739,134
$1,737,873
$14,788,168
USDA-
APHIS
$1,884,727
$598,389
$1,134,000
$870,986
$1,245,775
$1,245,794
$6,979,672
USDA-NRCS
$34,092,000
$16,787,976
$25,603,174
$19,253,462
$24,280,233
$23,280,505
$143,297,350
USDA-USFS
$15,458,000
$8,889,772
$6,718,080
$5,928,545
$6,401,390
$6,289,519
$49,685,306
IA Totals:
$256,349,296
$157,353,715
$160,484,902
$149,966,654
$177,369,910
$181,776,042
$1,083,300,519
EPA, GLFC,
IJC, and
Misc IAs
$213,361,970
$135,426,023
$135,461,807
$131,076,241
$121,801,295
$118,043,321
$855,170,657
Total
Obligated
$469,711,266
$292,779,738
$295,946,709
$281,042,896
$299,171,204
$299,819,363
$1,938,471,176
Returned3
$5,288,734
$6,620,262
$3,573,291
$2,655,104
$828,796
$180,637
$19,146,824
GLRI Grand
Totals:
$475,000,000
$299,400,000
$299,520,000
$283,698,000
$300,000,000
$300,000,000
$1,957,618,000
1 Individual Agency allocations from each appropriation can be found in previous Reports to Congress and the President.
2 Obligations are the amount of orders placed; interagency agreements, contracts or grants awarded; and similar
transactions by EPA. The amount reflects deobligations. Deobligation generally results from completing a project under
budget, contract termination, changes in project scope or focus, or other unforeseeable circumstances.
3 Returned funds are determined by subtracting obligations as of October 6, 2016 from appropriated funds. Returned funds
generally result from deobligating funds as a result of completing a project under budget, contract termination, changes in
project scope or focus, or other unforeseeable circumstances.
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27 | G L RI FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
Table 3 - Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Fiscal Year 2016 Funding by Agency
(as of October 6, 2016)
Agency
FY 2016 Initial
Allocation w
FY 2016 Actual
Allocation[bl
FY2016 Total
Obligations
DHS-USCG
$2,053,193.00
$1,274,434.00
$1,274,434.00
DOC-NOAA
$16,173,635.00
$15,173,635.00
$15,173,635.00
DOD-USACE
$26,416,169.00
$32,322,840.00
$32,322,840.00
DOI-BIA
$4,473,031.00
$6,203,031.00
$6,203,031.00
DOI-NPS
$3,749,310.00
$3,749,310.00
$3,749,310.00
DOI-USFWS
$37,525,929.00
$44,245,929.00
$44,245,929.00
DOI-USGS
$19,182,271.00
$22,018,882.00
$22,018,882.00
DOT-MARAD
$2,105,892.00
$2,105,892.00
$2,105,892.00
HHS-ATSDR/CDC
$1,692,394.00
$1,692,394.00
$1,692,394.00
USD A-APHIS
$1,088,649.00
$1,088,649.00
$1,088,649.00
USDA-NRCS
$19,297,877.00
$19,286,877.00
$18,879,852.00
USDA-USFS
$10,257,831.00
$10,257,831.00
$10,257,831.00
LA Totals:
$144,016,181.00
$159,419,704.00
$159,012,679.00
EPA, GLFC, and Misc. IAs
$155,983,819.00
$140,580,296.00
$67,589,041.23'°'
GLRL Grand Totals:
$300,000,000.00
$300,000,000.00
$226,601,720.23[D1
[a] Based on allocations to each Agency approved by the Interagency Task Force in April 2016.
|h Federal agencies work collaboratively to ensure that funding is used for the highest priority Great Lakes projects. The
"Actual Allocations" (funding provided to each agency) reflect adjustments made to address emerging priorities (e.g.,
keep Asian carp from becoming established in the Great Lakes) and to maximize environmental outcomes.
[c] Components are: (i) grants totaling$38,301,336 (including funding for the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, an
organization identified in the President's Budget); (ii) Great Lakes National Program Office support costs (payroll,
travel, general expenses, and working capital) totaling $12,959,833; and (iii) contracts and miscellaneous interagency
agreements (each less than $1 million) totaling $16,327,872.
[D} EPA expects to award funding under existing request for applications, invitations to States and Tribes, and identified
AOC restoration projects for outstanding unobligated funding.
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28|GLRI FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
APPENDIX A - GLRI ACTION PLAN II: MEASURES OF PROGRESS
The table below provides an overview of the results achieved for each of the 34 Measures of Progress in the Great Lakes
Restoration Initiative Action Plan II. Targets for Measures of Progress were established under assumptions contained in
Action Plan II. Ten Measures of Progress have annual targets. The remaining Measures of Progress will be reported
annually to track progress towards long term goals that will take more than five years to reach. Detailed information is
provided in the following pages. In the table below red indicates the target was not met, green indicates the target was
met, and gray indicates that only results will be provided since a target does not apply.
Focus Area
GLRI Action Plan II Measures
Result/Target
FY 2015
FY2016
Toxic Substances 1.1.1 AOC Management Actions (Cumulative)
1.1.2 BUI's (Cumulative)
1.2.1 People Provided Fish Consumption Information
1.2.2 Fish/Wildlife Emerging Contaminant Projects
7/8
8/9
60/60
65/65
220,843
207,953
14
7
Invasive Species 2.1.1 Rapid Response Exercises
2.1.2 Projects Blocking Pathways
2.1.3 Early Detection Activities
2.2.1 Aquatic /Terrestrial Acres (Cumulative)
2.2.2 Invasive Tributary Miles
2.3.1 Invasive Technologies (Cumulative)
2.3.2 Invasive Collaboratives (Cumulative)
21/8
11/8
8
14
15
3
101,392/94,500
115,889/110,000
0
0
62
65
4
4
Nonpoint Source 3.1.1 Agricultural Phosphorus Reduction Projected (Cumulative)
Pollution Impacts on 3.1.2 Nutrient/Sediment Ag. Acres
Nearshore Health 3.1.3 Nutrient/Sediment Reduction (Cumulative)
3.2.1 Urban Runoff Projected (Cumulative)
3.2.2 Urban Runoff Projects
3.2.3 Urban Runoff Captured of Treated (Cumulative)
160,117/130,000
402,943/310,000
101,574
89,211
NA
NA
37/30
116/70
18
36
NA
NA
Habitats and Species 4.1.1 Habitat Tributary Miles (Cumulative)
4.1.2 Shoreline Miles
4.1.3 Coastal Wetland Acres (Cumulative)
4.1.4 Other Habitat (Cumulative)
4.2.1 Federally-Listed Species Projects
4.2.2 Self-Sustaining Species Projects
3,855/2,200
4,615/4,200
313/75
662/350
7,033/7,000
17,540/15,000
146,815/127,000
167,218/167,000
10
17
47
28
Foundations for 5.1.1 Climate Resiliency Criteria Developed (2016)
Future Restoration 5.1.2 Climate Resiliency Criteria Incorporated (2017)
Actions 5.2.1 Trained Educators
5.2.2 People Educated
5.3.1 Evaluations
5.3.2 Annual Monitoring
5.3.3 Targeted Watersheds, Habitats, Species to prioritize Funding
5.3.4 Annual GLRI Reports
5.3.5 Triennial GLWQA Reports
5.3.6 Triennial State of the Lakes Report
5.3.7 Online Information
NA
Developed
NA
NA
331
407
24,785
27,989
Completed
Completed
Conducted
Conducted
Identified
Identified
Issued
Issued
NA
NA
NA
NA
Updated
Updated
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29 | G L RI FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
GLRI Action Plan II Measures of Progress - Detailed Information
Measure
Target
Result
Explanation/Additional Information
1.1.1
Areas of Concern in
the Great Lakes
where all
management actions
necessary for
delisting have been
implemented
(cumulative)1
FY 16: 9
FY 15: 8
Baseline: 7
FY 16: 8
FY 15: 7
AOC Management Actions were
completed at the St. Clair River AOC. In
addition, the program completed
Management Actions at the River Raisin
AOC at the end of the calendar year 2016.
The completed Management Actions in
the River Raisin AOC, were originally
delayed due to the complexity of the
sediment cleanup.
1.1.2
Area of Concern
Beneficial Use
Impairments
Removed
(cumulative)1
FY 16: 65
FY 15: 60
Baseline: 52
FY 16: 65
FY 15: 60
Sheboygan (WI) - Eutrophication.
11/24/15.
Niagara R (NY). Fish Tumors and other
deformities. 1/28/16
Rochester (NY), Degradation of
Phytoplankton and Zooplankton. 5/9/2016
St. Clair River (MI), Beach Closings.
4/13/16
St. Mary's River (MI) - Beach Closing.
7/27/2016
1.2.1
Number of people
provided information
on the risks and
benefits of Great
Lakes fish
consumption by
GLRI-fUnded
projects
NA
FY 16: 207,953
FY 15: 220,843
Information was provided by HHS-
ATSDR and EPA.
1.2.2
Number of GLRI-
fiinded projects that
identify and/or assess
impacts of emerging
contaminants on
Great Lakes fish and
wildlife
NA
FY 16: 7
FY 15: 14
Projects were funded by EPA, BIA, and
DOI-USGS.
2.1.1
Number of GLRI-
fiinded Great Lakes
rapid responses or
exercises conducted
FY 16: 8
FY 15: 8
Baseline: NA
FY 16: 11
FY 15: 21
The 8 Great Lakes States have committed
to conducting annual training exercises,
but prioritize activities to respond to
detections of new invasive species. In FY
2016 multiple state agencies and others
completed 11 actual responses.
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30 | G L RI FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
2.1.2
Number of GLRI-
funded projects that
block pathways
through which
aquatic invasive
species can be
introduced to the
Great Lakes
ecosystem
NA
FY 16:
FY 15:
14
8
Projects included work to reduce the
spread of invasive species by hunters,
anglers, and the recreational boat
pathways.
2.1.3
Number of GLRI-
funded early
detection monitoring
activities conducted
NA
FY 16:
FY 15:
3
15
Early detection activities were conducted
in FY 2016. Activities included both
conventional monitoring techniques (nets,
traps, electroshocking) as well as
environmental DNA sampling.
2.2.1
Number of
aquatic/terrestrial
acres controlled by
GLRI-funded
projects (cumulative)
FY 16: 110,0002
FY 15: 94,5002
Baseline: 36,000
FY 16:
FY 15:
115,889
101,392
Target was previously raised to 94,500
during FY 2016 budget development
because the FY 2014 end-of-year result
exceeded the previously set cumulative
target for FY 2016.
2.2.2
Number of tributary
miles protected by
GLRI-funded
projects
NA
FY 16:
FY 15:
0
0
Protected tributary miles are reported once
a project is complete and the barrier is in
use.
2.3.1
Number of
technologies and
methods field tested
by GLRI-funded
projects
NA
FY 16:
FY 15:
65
62
Technologies were field tested by federal
agencies and their partners. Technologies
included ballast water management
systems and a tool for detecting Asian
carp.
2.3.2
Number of
collaboratives
developed or
enhanced with GLRI
funding
NA
FY 16:
FY 15:
4
4
Invasive species collaboratives counted
under this Measure include the Asian Carp
Regional Coordinating Committee lead by
USFWS, the Monoecious Hydrilla
Collaborative lead by USACE, the
Mussels Collaborative lead by USGS, and
the Phragmites Collaborative also lead by
USGS.
3.1.1
Projected phosphorus
reductions from
GLRI-funded
projects in targeted
watersheds
(measured in
pounds) (cumulative)
FY 16: 310,000
FY 15: 130,000
Baseline: NA
FY 16: 402,943
FY 15: 160,117
Projected phosphorus reductions are from
USEPA and NRCS (Farm Bill Programs
for Reducing Ag Nonpoint Source
Loading). Projects were implemented in
the following watersheds: Genesee, Green
Bay-Lower Fox, Saginaw Bay-Saginaw,
Western Lake Erie-Maumee, Lake
Michigan-Wisconsin, Blanchard, Black-
Macatwa, Kawkawlin-Pin, Sandusky,
Western Lake Erie, Lower Maumee, and
Lower Fox.
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31 | G L R I FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
3.1.2
Number of GLRI-
funded nutrient and
sediment reduction
projects in targeted
watersheds
(measured in acres)
NA
FY 16:
FY 15:
89,211
101,574
Contributing agencies: NRCS, EPA, and
USACE. Practices planned or
implemented in FY 2016 include: cover
crops, conservation tillage, filter strips,
drainage water management, nutrient
management, constructed wetlands, waste
storage facilities, contour buffer strips.
3.1.3
Measured nutrient
and sediment
reductions from
monitored, GLRI-
funded projects in
targeted watersheds
(measured in
pounds)
NA
FY 16:
FY 15:
NA
NA
Results are reported for this measure after
a reduction has been measured and
quantified through the implementation of
standardized USGS monitoring and
statistical designs. As quantification of
these results requires long-term
monitoring, preliminary results are not
anticipated until FY2017 at the earliest.
3.2.1
Projected volume of
untreated urban
runoff captured or
treated by GLRI-
funded projects
(measured in
millions of gallons)
(cumulative)
FY 16: 70
FY 15: 30
Baseline: NA
FY 16:
FY 15:
116
37
Result includes USEPA Shoreline cities
grants in: East Chicago, IN, Ashtabula,
OH, Cleveland, OH, Huron, OH,
Sandusky, OH, Vermillion, OH, Duluth,
MN, Evans, NY, Algoma, WI, Ashland,
WI, Manitowoc, WI, Two Rivers, WI, and
Wind Point, WI.
3.2.2
Number of GLRI-
funded projects
implemented to
reduce the impacts of
untreated urban run-
off on the Great
Lakes (cumulative)
NA
FY 16: 36
FY 15:18
Practices planned or implemented in FY
2016 include: bioretention ponds, storm
water trees, drainage water management,
porous pavement, bio-swales, constructed
wetlands, rain gardens, and greenways.
3.2.3
Measured volume of
untreated urban
runoff captured or
treated by monitored
GLRI-funded
projects
NA
FY 16:
FY 15:
NA
NA
Results for this measure are reported after
a measured reduction has been quantified
through USGS monitoring and statistical
designs. As monitoring and statistical
designs are still under development by
USGS, results are not anticipated until FY
2017 at the earliest.
4.1.1
Number of miles of
Great Lakes
tributaries reopened
by GLRI-funded
projects (cumulative)
FY 16: 4,2002
FY 15: 2,200
Baseline: 1,900
FY 16: 4,615
FY 15: 3,855
Projects to remove dams and impediments
to fish passage. Projects were completed
in FY 2016 and contributed to surpassing
the target of tributary miles reopened.
4.1.2
Number of miles of
Great Lakes
shoreline and
riparian corridors
protected, restored
and enhanced by
GLRI-funded
projects (cumulative)
FY 16: 3502
FY 15: 75
Baseline: 0
FY 16:
FY 15:
662
313
In FY 2016 agencies continued to
accelerate projects to protect, restore,
and/or enhance targeted coastal habitats
and key river corridors in the Great Lakes.
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32|GLRI FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
4.1.3
Number of acres of
Great Lakes coastal
wetlands protected,
restored and enhanced
by GLRI-funded
projects (cumulative)
FY 16: 15,000
FY 15: 7,000
Baseline: 0
FY 16: 17,540
FY 15: 7,033
Results represent the significant projects
done by federal agencies as well as
targeted actions by individual Great
Lakes states.
4.1.4
Number of acres of
other habitats in the
Great Lakes basin
protected, restored
and enhanced by
GLRI -funded
projects (cumulative)
FY 16: 167,0002
FY 15: 127,000
Baseline: 117,000
FY 16: 167,218
FY 15: 146,815
In FY 2016 federal agencies completed
work in terrestrial and aquatic Great Lakes
systems as well as targeted actions on
federal and state protected lands.
4.2.1
Number of GLRI-
funded projects that
promote recovery of
federally-listed
endangered,
threatened, and
candidate species
(cumulative)
NA
FY 16: 17
FY 15: 10
In FY 2016 continued significant progress
was made on the recovery of piping
plover. Federal agencies reprioritized
actions for an additional seven federally
listed species.
4.2.2
Number of GLRI-
funded projects that
promote populations
of native non-
threatened and non-
endangered species
self-sustaining in the
wild
NA
FY 16: 28
FY 15: 47
Projects focused efforts on protecting lake
sturgeon, lake trout, and deep water
coregonid. New federal agency
collaborations were initiated to increase
efficiencies for this measure.
5.1.1
By 2016, a
standardized set of
climate resiliency
criteria will be
developed for GLRI
projects
FY 16: Complete
FY 15: NA
FY 16: Complete
FY 15: NA
Federal agencies have developed climate
resiliency criteria.
5.1.2
Starting in 2017,
projects will include
climate resiliency
criteria in planning
and implementation
FY 16: Complete
FY 15: NA
FY 16: Complete
FY 15: NA
Development of climate resiliency criteria
is completed.
5.2.1
Number of educators
trained through
GLRI-funded
projects
NA
FY 16: 407
FY 15: 331
GLRI funding helped train 407 educators
in FY 2016.
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33 | G L RI FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
5.2.2
Number of people
educated on the
Great Lakes
ecosystem through
GLRI-funded place-
based experiential
learning activities
NA
FY 16: 27,989
FY 15: 24,785
GLRI educated over 27,000 people on the
Great Lakes ecosystem through GLRI-
funded place-based experiential learning
activities through National Park Service
interpretative programs.
5.3.1
Project evaluations
completed and used
to prioritize GLRI
funding decisions
each year
NA
FY 16: Completed
and used
FY 15: Completed
and used
GLRI-funded projects were routinely
evaluated to ensure that they will be
implemented as proposed. Progress in
achieving objectives for existing projects
was used to prioritize GLRI-funding
decisions. A new accountability system
(the Environmental Accomplishments in
the Great Lakes system) was implemented
in FY 2015 to track the progress of GLRI-
funded projects in meeting the Measures
of Progress in the GLRI Action Plan II.
5.3.2
Annual Great Lakes
monitoring
conducted and used
to prioritize GLRI
funding decisions
each year
NA
FY 16: Completed
and used
FY 15: Completed
and used
Federal agencies and partners conducted
comprehensive monitoring to assess the
status and trends of the Great Lakes
ecosystem. Long-term monitoring of
coastal wetlands, contaminants, nutrients,
zooplankton, phytoplankton, harmful algal
blooms, benthic communities, and prey
fish among many other components was
conducted throughout the basin. The
monitoring data and information from
previous years was used to identify the
most significant Great Lakes problems
and prioritize funding decisions to address
those problems.
5.3.3
GLRI-targeted
watersheds, habitats
and species
identified and used to
prioritize GLRI
funding decisions
NA
FY 16: Identified
and used
FY 15: Identified
and used
GLRI agencies and partners identified
watersheds, habitats, and species to be
targeted in FY 2016 and beyond. The
Great Lakes Advisory Board, states,
tribes, and other stakeholders provided
input to the agencies on how best to target
GLRI resources. As part of efforts in all
five focus areas, GLRI continues to
prioritize work to accelerate the cleanup
of Areas of Concern, reduce harmful
algae, and prevent the introduction of new
invasive species.
5.3.4
Issue Annual GLRI
Reports to Congress
and the President
NA
FY 16: Issued
FY 15: Issued
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
Report to Congress and the President is
issued annually.
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34 | G L RI FY 2016 Report to Congress and the President
5.3.5
Issue Great Lakes
Water Quality
Agreement Triennial
Progress Reports of
the Parties
NA
FY 16: Issued
The Great Lakes Water Quality
Agreement Triennial Progress Reports of
the Parties was issued in September of
2016.
5.3.6
Issue triennial State
of the Lakes reports
NA
FY 16: Issued
The first Triennial State of the Lakes
Report under the 2012 Great Lakes Water
Quality Agreement was issued in FY
2016."
5.3.7
Periodically update
publicly available
online information
about the GLRI
NA
FY 16: Updated
FY 15: Updated
Updates included: publication of the FY
2010-FY 2015 GLRI Report to Congress
and the President; project updates; Great
Lake Advisory Board information: and
links to information from other agencies.
[1] Results from this Action Plan measure are achieved through GLRI funding as well as other non-GLRI federal and/or
state funding.
[2] This target has been adjusted from the Action Plan
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