The Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs) are environmentally degraded areas within the Great Lakes basin. Visit Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes Watershed for information on how AOCs are identified. You can also explore a map that shows the status of each AOC.
The Great Lakes are an amazing natural resource. People visit the lakes to fish, swim, and play. We depend on the Great Lakes for transportation. And many communities rely on the Great Lakes for drinking water. The Great Lakes are also home to diverse wild animals---from timber wolves to water fleas.
But for years, people have also used the Great Lakes as waste disposal sites. As you learn more about AOCs, you might notice patterns. Most of the AOCs have a long history of environmental degradation. Some of them have ongoing pollution concerns. Most AOCs are:
- Located on a tributary or in a bay or harbor that experienced rapid urban development
- Located on the site of a historic mine, industrial plant, or pulp/paper mill
- Located near wetlands and estuaries that have been filled in or altered so that they no longer filter water, act as a sponge, or help control flooding
- Located on the site of industries that discharged oils, heavy metals, and PCBs into the water
- Located near improperly capped and leaking landfills
- Impacted by rapid urban development without adequate sewer treatment plants
- Impacted by the loss of natural shorelines through development
- Impacted by runoff from agricultural land
- Impacted by atmospheric pollution from industry
- Impacted by runoff from urban and suburban areas
To find out more about the types of pollutants found in Great Lakes Areas of Concern, visit Pollution in the Great Lakes.
