Lake Ontario water levels continue to decline slowly as the International Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River Board is maintaining record outflows of 367,270 cubic feet per second (cfs).
At its meeting on July 19, the board deliberated several outflow strategies above 367,270 cfs and considered both the additional decline on Lake Ontario and impacts to stakeholders. These scenarios included incremental increases all the way up to maximum outflow capacity of the St. Lawrence River.
The board has agreed to maintain the flow at 367,270 cfs until water levels on Lake Ontario drop approximately one foot and fall below 247.7 feet. Current forecasts suggest this may occur around mid-August, but again, this is depending on water supplies (i.e. Lake Erie inflow and Lake Ontario basin weather patterns). In addition, the board has notified the Seaway Corporations that it will continue to set outflows at approximately 7,060 cfs above the normal safe navigation flow limit as defined by the regulation plan into the fall to continue lowering Lake Ontario levels at an accelerated rate. Maintaining the current major deviation strategy will provide greater reductions in water levels than prescribed Plan flows by the end of the calendar year.
The intent of the board is to lower water levels as much as possible prior to winter. The board is currently investigating the historic data on regulation impacts during previous high water events. This data will help inform the board on what the impacts of its’ regulatory decisions are on all interests during extraordinary high water events. It is important to remember that the board can only control outflows and not the water supplies to Lake Ontario. High water supplies means that water level reductions will take longer than under lower water supplies. The board is acutely aware and concerned for the welfare of the many shoreline property owners who continue to see impacts from the high water level and continues to consider all regulation strategies that would provide the most possible relief to those impacted. However, the limitations of the Lake Ontario St. Lawrence River system prevent another regulation strategy that would provide more immediate possible relief without significantly impacting other interests.
Information on hydrologic conditions, water levels and outflows, including graphics and photos, are available on the board’s website and posted to the board’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/InternationalLakeOntarioStLawrenceRiverBoard (English), and more detailed information is available on its website at https://www.ijc.org/en/loslrb.
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