Environment and Climate Change Canada is the department of the Government of Canada responsible for coordinating environmental policies and programs. 

We completed a multi-jurisdictional review of existing regulatory and voluntary policies, programs and legislation related to reducing phosphorus inputs to Lake Erie from urban and rural communities within the watershed.

We documented policies, programs and legislation from Great Lakes jurisdictions in both Canada and the United States, which addressed management of the following:

• Urban sanitary systems
• Urban stormwater
• Residential unsewered systems
• Watersheds in general, including urban watersheds (dust & fertilizer)
• Regional municipal sources
• Combined sewer overflows
• Low impact development

Our analysis resulted in recommendations on forward-looking tools to assist in future phosphorus management.

Environment Canada subsequently contracted us to investigate barriers to phosphorus management in Lake Erie, coupling literature review and discussions with phosphorus policy experts from all levels of government, academia, non-government organizations and the private sector in Canada and the United States.

Ultimately, we helped Environment and Climate Change Canada identify:

• Policies that indirectly create barriers to reducing phosphorus.
• Policies which may result in increased phosphorus loadings to Lake Erie.
• Socioeconomic and technological trends that might increase phosphorus loadings to Lake Erie.