INDIANAPOLIS | U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar, R-Ind., is cosponsoring legislation to finalize an interstate agreement designed to protect Lake Michigan and her sister waters from thirsty intruders.

The Senate resolution, introduced Wednesday, would allow Congress to ratify the Great Lakes Compact, an eight-state pact that would prohibit attempts to pipe or ship water outside of the basin surrounding the five lakes.

The interstate agreement, also adopted by the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec, won approval from Indiana legislators earlier this year.

"Lake Michigan and the entire Great Lakes system is important to our economy and to our continued enjoyment of these precious resources," Lugar said in a statement.

"Shipping on the Great Lakes is a critical part of our economy in Indiana. Many jobs and businesses in Northwest Indiana are related to ongoing trade and economic activity that occurs at Burns Harbor. At the same time, many families in Indiana spend time enjoying the parks and recreational facilities that are associated with the lakeshore along Lake Michigan."

The compact, approved by the legislators and governors of eight Midwest states, is designed to protect one of the world's largest sources of freshwater from interests outside the region, be they international dry spots or parched southwest states. Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels in February signed legislation adopting the agreement, which has been in the works since 2001.