Backgrounder The Great Lakes Sustainability Fund Through the Great Lakes Sustainability Fund (GLSF), the Government of Canada supports projects to clean up each of Canada’s 14 remaining Areas of Concern or “degraded areas” within the Great Lakes Basin. Since 1989, the GLSF has contributed approximately $110 million to more than 900 partnered projects to improve water quality in these areas. In 2014-2015, the GLSF will provide $1.5 million for 27 projects. Areas of Concern have been designated by the Governments of Canada and the United States under the Canada-United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Of the 17 Areas of Concern identified on the Canadian side of the Great Lakes, three have been restored. In a further two, we have completed remedial actions and are monitoring environmental recovery prior to removing these sites from the list. In all other Canadian Areas of Concern, actions to restore water quality and ecosystem health are well advanced. Funded Projects in the St. Clair River Area of Concern Project: Pump Station SCADA System Proponent: The Corporation of City of Sarnia GLSF Funding: $75,000 Project Description: The Pump Station Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system project will allow real-time monitoring of the flows in and out of all 56 of Sarnia's pumping stations. This is expected to significantly reduce the volume of wastewater overflows and bypasses into the St. Clair River, as well as dramatically reduce beach closures. Project: St. Clair River Stewardship and Habitat Restoration Coordination Project Proponent: Rural Lambton Stewardship Network GLSF Funding: $90,000 Project Description: The St. Clair River Stewardship and Habitat Restoration Coordination Project will focus primarily on implementing the 2012 “Riparian Habitat Implementation Plan”. It is expected to create between 4-10 kilometres of shoreline buffers and restore 40 acres of coastal wetland in priority areas of the St. Clair River Area of Concern. Project: St. Clair River Shoreline Restoration Project Proponent: St. Clair Region Conservation Authority GLSF Funding: $110,000 Project Description: The St. Clair River Shoreline Restoration Project will allow 100 metres of a failing sheetpile wall in Cathcart Park to be replaced with natural stone and habitat pods where feasible. This will help to rehabilitate areas of public shoreline. This project will also provide Geographic Information Systems (GIS) support to the Canadian Remedial Action Plan Implementation Committee, to effectively track and report on progress related to the degradation of fish and wildlife habitat. Funded Project in the Detroit River Area of Concern Project: Detroit River Water Quality and Habitat Restoration Program Proponent: Essex Region Conservation Authority GLSF funding: $138,000 Project Description: The goal of this project is to improve water quality conditions for fish and wildlife habitat within the priority watersheds of the Detroit River Area of Concern. Habitat projects such as riparian buffers, soil erosion prevention structures and rain gardens will be selected for the Turkey Creek, Little River and Canard River watersheds.