New Supplementary IJC Order improves water regulation for Lake Huron and Lake Superior
The International Joint Commission (IJC) recently issued a new supplementary order of approval for the regulation of Lake Superior outflows and transmitted it to its International Lake Superior Board of Control. The supplementary order enables the implementation of a new plan, Lake Superior Regulation Plan 2012.
“This new plan for the water flows through the St. Marys River at the Sault will provide modest additional benefits to the environment, navigation and hydropower production, when compared to current regulation plan. This especially the case during extreme drought conditions.” stated Acting Canadian Chair Gordon Walker.
The new plan was designed to deliver robust performance under a wide range of possible hydrological conditions, compared to the current plan. A detailed description of Plan 2012 is provided in the final Lake Superior Regulation Report of the International Upper Great Lakes Study. Plan 2012 will be in operation by January 2015.
U.S. Chair Lana Pollock noted “The plan and order come after extensive consultation with the public and governments, including 13 public hearings held in the U.S. and Canada throughout the upper Great Lakes basin in July of 2012.”
The supplementary order contains conditions and criteria that must be met in setting the flows through the hydropower projects and compensating works at the outlet of Lake Superior at Sault Ste. Marie. These provisions would make small improvements in the balancing of water levels between Lake Superior and lakes Michigan and Huron while maintaining the same range of levels on Lake Superior as the current order. Controlling the rate at which gates are opened and closed in the compensating works at the head of the St. Marys Rapids would also better protect the fish in those rapids. In addition, the supplementary order would result in fewer instances of extreme-high flows in the St. Marys Rapids.
Lake Superior Regulation Plan 2012 was one of four items the IJC recommended to in its report: Advice to Governments on the Recommendations of the International Upper Great Lakes Study April 2013. Further information about the study, including technical documents, peer reviews and a "decision tree" tool describing how the Study Board reached its findings and recommendations are available at www.iugls.org.
The International Joint Commission was established under the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 to help the United States and Canada prevent and resolve disputes over the use of the waters the two countries share. Its responsibilities include considering applications for projects that affect the natural levels and flows of boundary waters. More information is available at www.ijc.org.
For more information:
Nick Heisler Ottawa 613-992-8367 heislern@ottawa.ijc.org
Frank Bevacqua Washington 202-736-9024 bevacquaf@washington.ijc.org