Honoring the American History of the Great Lakes and Renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America

What it does

• •Directs the Secretary of the Interior to rename Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' within 30 days.
• •Requires the Board on Geographic Names to update the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) to reflect the renaming and remove all references to Lake Ontario.
• •Instructs federal agencies to update all references to the lake on maps, contracts, and other documents to use the new name.

Why it matters

• •The order asserts that the United States is the primary protector and economic beneficiary of the Great Lakes, citing U.S. Coast Guard ice-breaking operations and approximately $4 billion in ecosystem investments over the past decade.
• •The order recognizes the lake's historical and ongoing significance to American commerce, shipping, power generation, and drinking water supply across multiple states and industries.

Who is affected

• •The Secretary of the Interior and the Board on Geographic Names, which must implement the renaming.
• •Federal agencies that maintain maps, contracts, and documents referencing the body of water.
• •States bordering the lake, maritime industries, shipping operations, and communities dependent on the lake for commerce and drinking water.

What happens next

The Secretary of the Interior and Board on Geographic Names have 30 days from the order's date (August 27, 2026) to complete the renaming and update federal geographic databases and references.