The Great Lakes are incredible. They provide drinking water for 35 million people, world-class recreation, and 1.5 million jobs. But the sediment in Great Lakes tributaries is a storehouse for decades of pollution that harms wildlife and leaves water unsafe for people. Fortunately, those habitats hit hardest by pollution are now being cleaned up and restored through the Great Lakes Legacy Act by local, state, federal, and private organizations. In 2017, the Great Lakes Legacy Act celebrated its 15th year of cleaning up contaminated sediment and restoring habitat in the Great Lakes. 

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