The International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board plans to temporarily reduce outflows from Lake Ontario to increase water levels on Lake St. Lawrence the second weekend of October. These efforts will provide marinas and shoreline dock owners an opportunity at the end of the season to remove recreational boats more easily. The Board expects to temporarily reduce outflows through the Moses-Saunders Dam for a 72-hour period from noon on Friday, October 7, through noon on Monday, October 10, to raise water levels on Lake St. Lawrence. Based on the current forecast, Lake Ontario outflows will be temporarily reduced to reach a target water level of about 73.10 meters on Lake St. Lawrence during the holiday weekend in October. This operation will not meaningfully affect water levels on Lake Ontario.
“The goal of the Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River regulation plan, known as Plan 2014, is not to keep water levels at a determined level; the levels throughout the Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River system will fluctuate based on weather conditions,” said General Peeples, United States Co-Chair of the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board. The Board will continue to monitor weather forecasts, water supply conditions, and refine this strategy as necessary in the coming weeks. The proposed flow reduction is permitted by Plan 2014 and considered a minor deviation. After the flow reduction is complete, water levels will decrease on Lake St. Lawrence, and it will be difficult to remove boats after the holiday weekend.
Information on hydrologic conditions, water levels and outflows, including graphics and photos, are available on the Board’s website https://www.ijc.org/en/loslrb and posted to the Board’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/InternationalLakeOntarioStLawrenceRiverBoard.
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