News Releases

Water levels in each of the Great Lakes, except for Lake Erie, are currently below long-term monthly averages. Actual spring and summer water levels will depend primarily on weather and water supplies during the spring and summer months.

The International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board is providing this notice to summarize the water level conditions from September 2024 through the remainder of Autumn.

The International Lake Ontario–St. Lawrence River Board and International Niagara Board of Control will host a bilingual public meeting in French and English Wednesday, November 13 from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm.

The International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board has approved a request from Hydro-Quebec to allow a 12-hour period of reduced flows on September 24, 2024, to accommodate inspections at dam facilities.

Recent Lake Ontario forecasts indicate that under average water supply conditions, water levels are expected to remain near average through November 2024 and well within the expected range for this time of year.

The International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board has approved a request from the New York Power Authority to allow a 10-hour period of reduced flows on June 19, 2024, to ensure safe conditions for in water inspections of dam facilities.

The seasonal rise of Lake Ontario will depend on future conditions, which are impossible to accurately predict. The Board will continue to monitor conditions and ensure outflows regulated by Plan 2014 are consistent with Orders of Approval.

The International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board is providing this notice to summarize the water level conditions as winter approaches. As a reminder, Plan 2014 is a set of rules that govern Lake Ontario outflows through the Moses-Saunders Dam located between Massena, New York and Cornwall...

The International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board is providing this notice to summarize the water level conditions from September 2023 through the remainder of Autumn.

The International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board has been using its authority to deviate from Plan 2014 since September 2nd to provide higher and more predictable water levels on Lake St. Lawrence and the upper St. Lawrence River. Dry weather conditions have caused water levels on Lake...

The International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board will use its authority to deviate from Plan 2014 from September 2nd through October 9 to provide higher and more predictable water levels on Lake St. Lawrence and the upper St. Lawrence River.

The International Lake Ontario–St. Lawrence River Board and International Niagara Board of Control will host two virtual public meetings, one in English and one in French, to share the most up to date forecast for the Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River basin and discuss ice boom installation for...

Lake Ontario water levels are approaching the seasonal peak. Outflow into the St. Lawrence River is gradually increasing, as Ottawa River flows gradually decrease.

A wet weather system has remained over the Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River basin for several days. The persistent rain and runoff from the system continues to cause water levels in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River to rise.

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. Continued wet weather and runoff from the recent rains may result in flooding of vulnerable areas along the Lake Ontario shoreline as well...

The International Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River Board (Board) is seeking your input. The Board would like to collect information specifically related to the reduced outflows from Lake Ontario October 7 through October 10, 2022 to support boat haul out and learn more about where people access the...

The International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board will temporarily reduce outflows from Lake Ontario at the Moses Saunders Dam from noon on Friday, October 7th through noon on Monday, October 10th to reach a target water level of about 73.10 meters (239.83 ft.) on Lake St. Lawrence at Long...

Due to Lake Ontario water levels decreasing and falling below the Criterion H14 threshold this week, the International Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River Board now has the authority to implement deviations from plan-prescribed flows beginning September 24.

The International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board plans to temporarily reduce outflows from Lake Ontario to increase water levels on Lake St. Lawrence the second weekend of October. These efforts will provide marinas and shoreline dock owners an opportunity at the end of the season to remove...

The three Great Lakes Boards will host joint webinars in English and French on August 30 and 31, respectively from 5:30 to 6:30 pm EDT. Information shared will include current and forecast conditions within the Great Lakes basin.

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...

Ice has formed in the critical sections of the St. Lawrence River in the Beauharnois Canal and on Lake St. Lawrence. As ice conditions stabilize, outflows from Lake Ontario will be increased in accordance with the rules of the plan.

Currently the regulation plan is prescribing very high outflows, the third highest on record for this time in December, and these plan flows are higher than in December 2020. The regulation plan will continue to prescribe high outflows over the winter.

The International Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River Board (Board) is seeking your input. The Board would like to collect information specifically related to the reduced outflows from Lake Ontario October 8 through October 11 to support boat haul out and learn more about where people access the water...

Lake Ontario outflows will be increased by 200 m3/s (7,100 cfs) above the amount set by Plan 2014, beginning October 16. This will continue for approximately eight weeks to return water levels in Lake Ontario to the level it would be had outflow deviations not been required earlier this year.

The water level on Lake St. Lawrence at Long Sault Dam on Wednesday morning, October 6th was approximately 72.86 meters (239.04 ft.). The International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board will temporarily reduce outflows from Lake Ontario from noon on Friday, October 8th through noon on Monday...

The current water level on Lake St. Lawrence at Long Sault Dam is approximately 73 meters (239.50 ft.). The International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board will temporarily reduce outflows from Lake Ontario to increase water levels on Lake St. Lawrence the second weekend of October.

There are approximately 700 marina and boat club slips, and hundreds of private docks located along the shores of Lake St. Lawrence. Recreational boaters who navigate the St. Lawrence River, Lake St. Lawrence, and adjacent rivers and lakes have experienced high and low water level conditions that...

(In French only) - Les conseils de régularisation des eaux des Grands Lacs de la Commission mixte internationale (CMI) vous invitent à assister à un webinaire prévu le mercredi 8 septembre de 12 h à 13 h (HAE). La séance se déroulera en français. Le Conseil international de contrôle du lac Supérieur...

The International Joint Commission (IJC) Great Lakes water levels boards invite you to attend a webinar scheduled for Friday, August 27 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm (EDT).

Precipitation in the recent two weeks has had a positive impact and the wetter conditions have increased Lake Ontario water levels by approximately 7 cm (2.8 in). Normally, Lake Ontario water levels typically have begun the seasonal decline by this time of year.

The drought conditions that have impacted the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River watershed this spring have continued to persist into the summer.

The month of May has been drier than average in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River watershed. Based on data from the GLERL Hydromet database and US Army Corps of Engineers data, the most recent 12 months over Lake Ontario have been the driest since 1966. The Canadian and United States drought...

The International Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River Board will host several binational virtual public meetings to discuss the current conditions on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. We have been hearing from concerned property owners, business owners, and recreational users regarding the...

Lower than average precipitation and winter snowpack runoff have resulted in decreased inflows to Lake Ontario. The reduced inflows have resulted in lower water levels on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. In response to these conditions, the Board has decided to reduce outflows from Lake...

The risk of flooding on Lake Ontario and the upper St. Lawrence River has declined from moderate in December 2020 to low. In December, the risk analysis indicated a 28% chance of water levels exceeding a threshold at which damages occur in many shoreline communities. The risk is now down to 8%...

The International Lake Ontario - St. Lawrence Board is optimistic that weather conditions the rest of this winter and spring won’t cause a damaging rise in Lake Ontario levels this year. However, it has been acting proactively since 1 January to reduce lake levels this winter just in case the...

The International Joint Commission (IJC) has approved the Board’s request for authority to deviate from Plan 2014, and as conditions permit, outflows from the Moses-Saunders dam on the St. Lawrence River can be increased to exceed Plan 2014 flows. The risk of high water on Lake Ontario in 2021 is...

The Board will temporarily decrease outflows over the second weekend of October to raise Lake St. Lawrence levels significantly and provide a brief, final opportunity for residents of Lake St. Lawrence to remove their boats and other equipment prior to winter. Last week, the Board agreed to let Lake...

A public Great Lakes water levels webinar hosted by the International Joint Commission's Lake Superior Board of Control, Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board and Niagara Board of Control was held July 17. This webinar provided an overview of why the Great Lakes were at their current levels and how...

Lake Ontario levels peaked early this year at 75.40 m (247.38 ft.) on 5 May, 10 cm (4 inches) below the general flood stage and over a half meter (20 inches) lower than the peak in 2019. Lake levels are expected to continue their seasonal decline through summer, and have fallen 6 cm (2 in.) from the...

Thanks to favorable weather and water supply conditions, in conjunction with recent actions taken by the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board to increase Lake Ontario outflows, the board no longer needs to limit outflows to alleviate flooding risks downstream.

Water levels throughout the Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River system in 2020 are expected to peak well below the record-highs of 2017 and 2019, according to the latest projections from the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board.

Water levels remain high across the Great Lakes basin. The four upper Great Lakes are near- or above record-high levels, while Lake Ontario is still well above average, but also well below record levels. Lake Ontario is now likely to remain below record-highs through the spring.

The first major spring storm pushed through the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence River basin this past weekend, bringing high winds and precipitation, raising inflows and accelerating the seasonal rise in water levels.

Spring is a critical period for Lake Ontario outflow regulation, as the International Lake Ontario - St. Lawrence River Board is closely coordinating with the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board during the Ottawa River snowmelt (freshet), to have the highest outflow from Lake Ontario while...

Due to favorable ice conditions and previously implemented deviation strategies, the Lake Ontario outflows surpassed the historical record-high for the month of March, making this the third straight monthly record that has been exceeded during the Board’s ongoing efforts to deviate from Plan 2014...

The International Lake Ontario–St. Lawrence River Board agreed March 11th to amend its Plan 2014 temporary deviation strategies to allow for additional increases to the rate of water removed from Lake Ontario through the spring.

The International Lake Ontario–St. Lawrence River Board agreed on February 21 to continue deviating from Plan 2014 and maximize outflows through the spring.