President Renames Lake Ontario to Lake America

Effective immediately, Executive Order 14422, signed on August 27, 2026, directs that the body of water currently known as Lake Ontario be renamed "Lake America." The order, published in the Federal Register Vol. 91, No. 169 (FR Doc No. 2026-18020), binds all federal departments, agencies, and entities to use the new name.

The order cites the United States' role in protecting the Great Lakes, noting that the Coast Guard operates nine of the eleven ice-breaking vessels on the system and that the United States has invested nearly $4 billion in protecting the freshwater ecosystem over the past decade. It frames the renaming as recognition of the lake's historic contributions to American trade, settlement, and defense.

Within 30 days, the Secretary of the Interior, in coordination with the Board on Geographic Names, must rename the lake in the Geographic Names Information System, remove all references to "Lake Ontario," and ensure that all federal maps, contracts, and communications reflect the change. The Board will provide guidance to guarantee consistent implementation across executive departments and agencies.

The order includes standard general provisions: it does not impair agency authority, does not create any enforceable right or benefit, and its implementation is subject to the availability of appropriations. Publication costs are to be borne by the Department of the Interior.