Great Lakes Photo Showcase 

The International Joint Commission (IJC) works to engage and educate people on the issues that shape Great Lakes water quality. To support this work, the IJC is seeking photos from around the Great Lakes showing the countless ways that people interact with the Great Lakes.

Submitting photos: Entries are accepted on an ongoing basis (up to six (6) photos per person). Public voting begins in early 2026. Winners will be contacted via email.

Cast Your Vote: Great Lakes Water in Action

How voting works: Browse the gallery and tap the Like button to cast your vote. You may vote for as many photos as you wish, but only once per photo.

View the galleries for the other categories:

What’s next: Winning photos will be featured in a post card series, on the IJC’s homepage and on our social media platforms. Photos will also be incorporated into the IJC’s upcoming assessment report on Great Lakes water quality.

Looking west from the Huron pier in October 2025. Huron, Ohio. Great Lakes Water in Action. Steve Holland.
An American Lotus Flower (Nelumbo Lutea) at Sterling State Park in Monroe, Michigan. Blooms occur in late July and early August each year along the West Shore of Lake Erie. Monroe, Michigan. Great Lakes Water in Action. Richard Micka.
An American Lotus Bed on the West Shore of Lake Erie at the mouth of the Huron River. Brownstown Township in Wayne County, Michigan. Great Lakes Water in Action. Richard Micka.
Battle Island, Light House, 6 miles out of Rossport the windows are 122 feet off the high water mark. Rossport. Battle Island Light House, Ontario. Great Lakes Water in Action. Paul Turpin.
In a peaceful section of a cemetery in Buffalo, a goose family grows together in and along the Scajaquada Creek, which flows into the Niagara River. There are caring humans trying to clean up the creek and slowly reverse the historical damage to the creek’s health. Buffalo, New York. Great Lakes Water in Action. Elizabeth Oldfield.
These gulls fly and fish so close to the extreme power of the cascading water at Niagara Falls. Their remarkable strength and grace are awe-inspiring. Niagara Falls, New York. Great Lakes Water in Action. Elizabeth Oldfield.
An overpass built in and over the Scajaquada Creek in Buffalo, New York, which flows into the Niagara River. This image represents the dark side of human and economic activity including burying creeks, polluting drinking water in many ways, and altering pre-settlement landscapes to an unrecognizable state. Buffalo, New York. Great Lakes Water in Action. Elizabeth Oldfield.
The Canadian Coast Guard Ice Breaker Vincent Massey is clearing a path for the Great Lakes Freighter Algoma Intrepid carrying a load of Salt from Compass Minerals Salt mine in Goderich, The Tug Ocean SImard is following. It took about 2 hours to clear a path to open water. Goderich, Ontario. Great Lakes Water in Action. Dave Young.
Frozen moments. Etobocoke, Ontario. Great Lakes Water in Action. Jesse Godland.
Winter morning. Etobicoke, Ontario. Great Lakes Water in Action. Jesse Godland.
Arial photo of the St. Mary’s River in Sault Ste. Marie. Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Great Lakes Water in Action.Lindsay Rogers.
Blue heron hunting for food in the Bay of Quinte. Belleville, Ontario. Great Lakes Water in Action. Lindsay Rogers.