International Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River Board to host virtual public meetings
The International Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River Board will host two virtual public meetings, one in English and one in French, to review winter and early spring conditions, and share the most up to date forecast for the Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River basin. These meetings are essential to provide information on water levels and flows, operational decisions by the Board, and hear from members of the public to better understand the impacts current water levels have on their community.
The meetings will be hosted using GoToWebinar. A question-and-answer session will follow the presentation. Please register in advance to participate.
The English meeting will be Tuesday, April 19 from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm. Registration is available at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/1027105910809635344
The French meeting will be Wednesday, April 20 from 12:00 to 1:00 pm. Registration is available at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7679728502459469327
The Montreal-Lake Ontario section of the St. Lawrence Seaway opened March 22, 2022. As a result, Plan 2014 L Limit rules have been put into effect. The L Limit rules define maximum Lake Ontario outflows that ensure safe operating conditions (i.e., adequate water levels and safe currents) for commercial navigation and other vessels in the International Section (upper portion) of the St. Lawrence River.
In addition, freshet conditions in the Ottawa River basin continue to be closely monitored. As of early April, water levels and flows along the main stem of the Ottawa River have been stable and near average for this time of year. Depending on conditions in the lower St. Lawrence River, the Lake Ontario outflow may be adjusted in accordance with Plan 2014 F Limit. The F Limit is designed to balance flooding and erosion impacts in the lower St. Lawrence River in consideration of the water levels of Lake Ontario and the upper St. Lawrence River.
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. Frequently asked questions are available at https://ijc.org/en/loslrb/watershed/faq.
Contacts:
Bryce Carmichael: (513) 418-8562
Nick Heisler: (613) 992-8367
Or by email :
ILOSLRB-USSection@usace.army.mil
ec.cilofsl-iloslrb.ec@canada.ca
The International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board ensures that outflows from Lake Ontario meet the requirements of the International Joint Commission's Orders of Approval. Under any regulation plan, the ability to regulate the outflow from Lake Ontario does not mean that full control of lake levels is possible. This is because the major factors affecting water supply to the Great Lakes, precipitation, evaporation, and runoff cannot be controlled, and are difficult to accurately predict.