By the International Lake Superior Board of Control
On Friday, June 26, the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, will be open to the public for the annual Soo Locks Engineer’s Day. At this event, visitors will have an opportunity to walk across the lock walls and get an up-close look at ships as they transit the system. A variety of other activities will take place as well, including a tour of the Cloverland Electric Cooperative Hydroelectric Plant; an Arts, Crafts, and Family Fun Fair; and tug boat races.
Additionally, for the second year in a row, the International Lake Superior Board of Control will be hosting an information booth. Board associates will be on hand to speak with members of the public about Board duties related to the regulation of Lake Superior outflows and the operation of the various hydraulic structures on the St. Marys River.
The Board was established by the International Joint Commission in its 1914 Order of Approval, which granted permission for increased hydropower development in the St. Marys River. Today, the water from Lake Superior flows through a collection of structures that stretch across the St. Marys River, including three hydropower plants, a gated dam at the head of the St. Marys Rapids known as the Compensating Works, and navigation locks in Canada and the U.S.
The U.S. locks at the Soo are a marvelous engineering feature that allows freighters to traverse a 21-foot drop between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes. The locks also, along with the other structures, mark the only location where regulation can affect water levels in the Great Lakes basin upstream of Niagara Falls.
Since 1978, the IJC has issued several additions to the original Order, one of which is the new regulation plan called Plan 2012. The new plan, implemented in January 2015, aims to maintain the natural variability in lake levels, protect lake sturgeon habitat, and provide modest economic benefits to hydropower generation, commercial navigation, and coastal zone interests, while considering interests both upstream and downstream.
During Engineer’s Day at the Soo Locks, don’t forget to stop by the International Lake Superior Board of Control booth to learn more about the Great Lakes, and how and why the Board carries out regulation of water levels and flows in the St. Marys River.
More information about the Soo Locks Engineer’s Day is available from the Sault Ste. Marie Convention & Visitors Bureau.
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