Heavy rain in recent days across the Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River basin has led to rapid increases in Ottawa River flows and rising Lake Ontario water levels. Lake Ontario levels have been rising at a rate of approximately 0.8 inches per day and reached 247.05 feet on May 2 while levels of the St. Lawrence River at Pointe-Claire (Montreal) have risen above 72.83 feet. Continued wet weather and runoff from the recent rains may result in flooding of vulnerable areas along the Lake Ontario shoreline as well as downstream along the St. Lawrence River, including Lake St. Louis and Lake St. Pierre.
At this time, the water levels of Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River are expected to remain below the record-highs observed in 2017 and 2019.
The International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board is monitoring the situation. The Lake Ontario outflow into the St. Lawrence River continues to be adjusted in accordance with the Plan 2014 F limit.
Ontario Power Generation adjusted the gates at the Iroquois Dam on May 2 to prevent extremely high levels on Lake St. Lawrence, the portion of the St. Lawrence River upstream from the Moses-Saunders dam to Iroquois, Ontario. This action does not change the outflow from Lake Ontario or water levels elsewhere on the system.
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