What does the do?

Refreshed annually

The Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (GLS) is a subdivision of the Department of Transportation responsible for operating and maintaining the US portion of the Saint Lawrence Seaway, which runs between Montreal and Lake Erie. The agency ensures the safe and efficient movement of vessels through the seaway, conducts infrastructure maintenance, and promotes economic development in the Great Lakes region. It was established in 1954.

In FY 2025,

$32M

was spent by the Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation
In FY 2025,

<0.1%

of Dept. of Transportation spending was by the Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation

How much does the Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation spend?

The Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation spent a net total of $32 million in fiscal year (FY) 2025. This was 0.025% of the $127.6 billion spent by the Department of Transportation, which itself was 1.8% of all federal spending. The GLS ranked 9th among DOT subdivisions in net spending.
Net spending is the difference between agency spending and any financial accounts generating funds from the agency’s own activities, like fees or rent. When these funds offset all spending, net spending appears negative. Some agencies tend to operate with positive net spending while others will register negative net spending sometimes or often.

The Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation ranked 9th among Department of Transportation divisions in net spending in 2025.

DOT net spending by division, FY 2025

Like the overall federal budget, agency spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation’s federal spending has increased from -$4.3 million in 1980 to $32 million in 2025.

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The Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation’s federal spending in FY 2025 was higher than in FY 1980.

Yearly federal net spending by GLS, adjusted for inflation (2025 dollars), FYs 1980–2025

Since 1980, Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation's spending has increased 843.6%, while overall spending has increased 196.9%.
As a percentage of the overall federal budget, a positive number means agency net spending made up some positive share of total federal spending; a negative number means that net generated funds offset a portion of total spending. GLS spending grew less than overall federal spending since 1980, which means that its share of the federal budget decreased. In 2025, GLS accounted for 0.00045% of overall federal spending.
Major legislation, internal or global economic conditions, and acute events like the COVID-19 pandemic can affect spending year to year. For example, the federal budget fluctuated during the pandemic, rising from $5.3 trillion (in 2023 dollars) in 2019 to $7.7 trillion in 2020 and $7.8 trillion in 2021.

The Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation’s share of federal spending in FY 2025 was higher than in FY 1980.

Net spending by GLS as a share of federal spending, FYs 1980–2025

Most federal spending can be categorized as direct or indirect. Direct spending refers to money the federal government spends on budget items such as federal programs, employee salaries, and debt interest. Indirect spending refers to federal transfers to state and local governments.
In FY 2025, all of the Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation's spending was direct.
The chart below outlines all net GLS spending.

How did the Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation spend its budget in 2025?

Federal government net spending isolated to GLS, FY 2025

How many people work for the Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation?

Some 117 of the 2.03 million total civilian federal employees work for the Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation as of May 2026. This is 5.6% fewer people than the division staffed in 2012.

The number of federal employees working for the Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation has decreased 5.6% since 2012.

Number of federal employees working for GLS, May 2012–2026

The Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation accounts for 0.0058% of the overall federal workforce. As the number of federal employees has changed, so too has the way the workforce is organized, with resources allocated to agencies depending on government priorities. The division constituted a smaller share of the overall federal workforce in May 2026 compared to 2012 (0.0059%).
While the number of employees on an agency’s payroll contributes to that agency’s expenditures, some agencies have relatively few employees compared to their budget or vice versa, giving them an outsized share of either the budget or the workforce. According to the most recent data, the Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation’s share of the workforce (0.0058%) is larger than its share of the budget (0.00045%).

Who leads the Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation?

The GLS is led by an administrator. This individual is appointed by the president of the United States and reports to the Secretary of Transportation.

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.