2026 SAG Award Winners

International Joint Commission

Project Goal

The International Joint Commission (IJC) is responsible for helping the United States and Canada prevent and resolve disputes over shared waters. Managing these complex transboundary systems requires integrating environmental monitoring data, hydrologic information, and scientific analysis from dozens of agencies operating across two countries.

To strengthen its ability to support science-based governance, the Commission modernized its Geospatial Program, establishing a unified platform for integrating spatial data, analytical tools, and visualization products across multiple transboundary watersheds.

Built on ArcGIS Online, the program now provides a centralized environment where authoritative geospatial datasets can be curated, documented, and shared across the organization. The platform supports interactive web maps, dashboards, basin atlases, and StoryMaps that allow the Commission’s Boards, scientists, and partner agencies to analyze environmental conditions and communicate
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Business Problem Solved

The International Joint Commission operates in one of the most complex water governance environments in the world. Its work spans multiple transboundary watersheds and requires collaboration among federal agencies, state and provincial governments, Tribal Nations and Indigenous governments, regional organizations, and scientific institutions in both the United States and Canada.

Historically, spatial information supporting this work was dispersed across numerous organizations and systems. Hydrologic datasets, monitoring networks, infrastructure information, and environmental data were often maintained independently by partner agencies using different spatial frameworks and documentation standards. As a result, Commission staff and Technical Working Groups frequently spent significant time locating data, reconciling inconsistent datasets, and assembling spatial information needed to support studies and Board activities.

This fragmentation limited the Commission’s ability to effici

Technology Implemented

The Commission leverages the ArcGIS platform, including ArcGIS Online and the ArcGIS Pro suite, to host spatial data, manage geospatial services, and deliver interactive applications to staff, Boards, and the public. Within this environment, the International Joint Commission maintains authoritative feature layers representing watershed boundaries, hydrologic networks, monitoring stations, infrastructure, and environmental datasets. ArcGIS Pro is used to develop, manage, and curate these datasets, supporting advanced spatial analysis, data preparation, and cartographic production prior to publication to ArcGIS Online. ArcGIS Online supports a range of applications that advance Commission work, including interactive web maps used by Technical Working Groups for analysis and data integration, dashboards that visualize hydrologic conditions and environmental indicators, and StoryMaps that communicate basin conditions and Commission initiatives to governments and stakeholders. Basin Atlas

Development Team Biography

The modernization of the International Joint Commission’s geospatial program was led by Michael Thomas Laitta, Senior Physical Scientist and Director of the Commission’s Geospatial Program.
Michael joined the Commission in 2005 on detail from the U.S. Geological Survey, where he led the development of several national geospatial datasets supporting hydrologic analysis and water resource management. Drawing on a background in civil engineering and geomatics, he has spent nearly two decades advancing the use of geospatial technologies to support the Commission’s transboundary water governance mission.
At the Commission, Michael has led the development of a modern geospatial framework that integrates environmental monitoring data, watershed boundaries, hydrologic networks, and analytical tools across multiple international basins. His work focuses on improving the Commission’s ability to synthesize scientific information, support its Boards and Studies, and communicate complex water res

Company Overview

The International Joint Commission (IJC) is a binational and bilingual organization established by the 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty between the United States and Canada. Its mandate is to help prevent and resolve disputes over the use and quality of shared waters along the international boundary. The Commission is often triggered by both governments to investigate, identify, and help resolve emerging transboundary water issues through formal References and technical studies.

The Commission is composed of six Commissioners—three appointed by each country—who act independently in the common interest of both nations. Through Orders of Approval, References from governments, and independent studies, the Commission addresses issues related to water levels, water quality, ecosystem health, and transboundary watershed management.

The IJC carries out its work through a network of binational Boards and Study Boards composed of scientists, engineers, government officials, Indigenous representati

Return on Investment

The International Joint Commission’s Geospatial Program has transformed how the Commission manages, analyzes, and communicates information about shared waters between the United States and Canada.

By establishing a centralized geospatial environment using ArcGIS Online, the Commission replaced fragmented workflows and externally managed datasets with a unified platform for managing authoritative spatial information. This shift significantly improved data discoverability, reduced duplication of effort, and enabled staff and Technical Working Groups to work from a consistent, well-documented spatial framework across multiple transboundary watersheds.

The Geospatial Program also strengthened collaboration among the Commission’s Boards and partner agencies. Scientists, engineers, and policy experts from federal, state, provincial, and Indigenous organizations can now access shared datasets and visualization tools that support coordinated analysis of complex water management issues affect