BELOW IS THE LETTER OF RESPONSE FROM THE INTERNATIONAL JOINT COMMISSION U.S. AND CANADA
Thank you for your letter of September 25, 2019 concerning Great Lakes water levels.
We recognize that extremely high water conditions this year have caused tremendous harm to numerous communities along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. When record high inflows to the lakes persist over many months, the ability of regulated outflows to influence Lake Ontario levels is greatly diminished. No regulation plan can fully eliminate high water events on Lake Ontario or the St. Lawrence River system. This is the reality that we must all come to terms with and work together to mitigate future impacts on all affected shoreline communities.
During 2019, wet conditions across the entire Great Lakes region persisted for several months, resulting in record high inflows from Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, and record inflows from the Ottawa River into the lower St. Lawrence River. Water supplies to Lake Ontario in May 2019 surpassed the previous record high supplies of May 2017. The period from January to June 2019 was the six-month period with the highest water supplies to Lake Ontario on record.
The Commission’s International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board (the Board) regulates Lake Ontario outflows at the Moses-Saunders dam to reduce high-water impacts on the lake and river from Lake Ontario to the extent possible, while considering consequences for all affected interests. The dam is the sole control point of outflows into the St. Lawrence River, and although it can be operated to manage many conditions, it cannot fully address all consequences of the record natural inflows experienced this year. Outflows from June 13 to August 21 were the highest sustained outflows on record and continue to be as high as conditions on the St. Lawrence River allow. Lake Ontario continues to decline from its June 2019 peak.
Since Plan 2014 was implemented in January 2017, Lake Ontario maximum outflows have been determined by the following constraints more than 80 percent of the time: balancing upstream and downstream flooding, preventing ice jams that could severely restrict outflows, avoiding dangerous conditions for navigation, and avoiding flows that would draw the river down below municipal water intakes. The Board would have faced these same constraints if the previous regulation plan had remained in place.
The IJC is committed to doing all it can to reduce the flood risk for next year, while taking into account all interests on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. Currently, the Commission and the Board are investigating a number of options to further reduce water levels ahead of spring 2020, including flows that could affect the commercial navigation season in the late fall or early spring. We are also seeking the resources to perform an accelerated review of the performance of Plan 2014. This review would help identify what measures might help reduce flood risks both upstream and downstream. In the meantime, the Board will use internal IJC funds to start projects that would support an accelerated review, including an economic assessment of the impact of high flows that would temporarily halt commercial navigation, a project to engage south shore municipalities in documenting high water impacts, and an assessment of issues related to low water and ice conditions on Lake St. Lawrence during winter operations.
The Commission has made several visits to shoreline communities and met with some of the many affected elected officials on both sides of the boundary to hear their concerns firsthand. The Commission has also committed to adding two new members municipal members to its Board so that communities on the lake and river are full participants in Board deliberations. Further to this, the Commission and its Board are organizing a webinar for elected officials in early November to explain 2019 conditions, the limits of regulation plans in such conditions and to answer questions and concerns that attendees might have. The date and time of the webinar will be posted to our website and social media pages shortly and we will ensure that you are informed directly.
Recognizing climatic variability and the likelihood of more extreme events in the future, the Commission also believes that it is prudent to work with all affected communities to help build more resiliencies in the floodplain so as to mitigate the impacts of future extreme floods.
(Photo: Facebook)
