News Releases

The International Lake Superior Board of Control will host a virtual meeting to give an update on operations on the St. Marys Rapids and Regulation Plan 2012. The meeting will be Tuesday, December 12, from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm.

Windsor, Ontario, Canada: In the spirit of celebration and reflection on five decades of binational cooperation to protect, restore and enhance the Great Lakes, the International Joint Commission (IJC) offers its advice on Great Lakes water quality to the governments of the United States and Canada...

As of November 1, 2023, the Rule Curve for maximum and minimum Osoyoos Lake levels has changed for the winter period, allowing lake levels to be maintained between 909.0 feet and 911.5 feet until March 1, 2024 (Figure 1). Figure 1: 2023 Osoyoos Lake Levels (bright green) and allowable range under...

On September 1, 2023, the International Joint Commission (IJC) Rule Curve for Kootenay Lake level switched to using the Queens Bay gauge at elevation 1745.32 feet for compliance measurements. The Rule Curve lowers prior to September 1 to allow farmers in the Kootenai Flats region to work their...

The gate setting of the Compensating Works at the head of the St. Marys Rapids will be lowered in November to a setting equivalent to approximately one gate fully open. After the gate adjustments on Monday, November 6 (U.S. gates) and Tuesday, November 7 (Canadian gates), the St. Marys Rapids flow...

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.

Report highlights initiative’s achievements over past quarter century and the challenges it faces in the coming 25 years.

The International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board (IRLWWB) Water Levels Committee (WLC) released its 2022 Post-Flood Report: A Report on High Water Levels in the Rainy River Basin.

The Great Lakes -St. Lawrence River Adaptive Management Committee (GLAM Comittee) released earlier this year a water level impacts questionnaire for 2022 and 2023 to seek input from residents along the Great Lakes and the St. Lawerence River who have been impacted by high or low water levels in 2022...

The gate setting of the Compensating Works at the head of the St. Marys Rapids will be lowered in October to approximately four gates fully open. After the gate adjustments on Friday, October 6 (American gates), and Tuesday, October 10 (Canadian gates), the St. Marys Rapids flow will be...

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...

Anglers and other users of the St. Marys Rapids, please be advised that testing of Gate #5 of the Compensating Works will be conducted on Tuesday, September 19. Gate #5 is located on the Canadian side of the structure, as highlighted in the figure. There will be a temporary increase in St. Marys...

Those interested in water levels, Zosel Dam operations and other projects and initiatives by the International Osoyoos Lake Board of Control are invited to attend a public meeting in Osoyoos, British Columbia, on October 4, 2023. The event is from 6:30-8 p.m. (PDT) at the Sonora Community Centre...

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 gate setting of the Compensating Works at the head of the St. Marys Rapids will be maintained at the current setting in September, which is equivalent to approximately five gates fully open. The St. Marys Rapids flow is approximately 773 m3/s. At this flow, some low-lying areas of Whitefish...

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...

Nelson, B.C. / Bonners Ferry, ID The annual meeting of the International Kootenay Lake Board of Control will be held Tuesday, September 19, from 6:30-8:00 p.m. (PDT) in Nelson, British Columbia. The public is encouraged to attend. This meeting is regarding the regulation of Kootenay Lake and the...

The gate setting of the Compensating Works at the head of the St. Marys Rapids will be maintained at the current setting in August, which is equivalent to approximately five gates fully open. The St. Marys Rapids flow is approximately 784 m3/s. At this flow, some low-lying areas of Whitefish Island...

Baudette, MN / Kenora, ON The International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board (IRLWWB) is hosting two public meetings: one in Baudette (Minnesota) on August 16 and the other in Kenora (Ontario) on August 17. All are welcome to attend. The purpose of these meetings is for the IRLWWB to provide...

The International Joint Commission (IJC) is pleased to announce that the appointment of Gerald (Jerry) Acker as US Section chair has been confirmed by the US Senate. Mr. Acker is the founder of Goodman Acker P.C. and served as a managing partner from 1993 – 2022. Having received his undergraduate...

A new web-based tool provides information to better understand the complexities, competing interests and physical limitations in the management of Kootenay Lake’s water levels. You can access the Kootenay Lake Visualization Tool on the International Kootenay Lake Board of Control (IKLBC) website at...

On Wednesday, the flow through the St. Marys Rapids will decrease from approximately 1,200 m3/s (42,380 cfs) to 780 m3/s (27,500 cfs). The gate setting will be equivalent to approximately five gates fully open. At this flow, some low-lying areas of Whitefish Island including recreational trails may...

The International Kootenay Lake Board of Control is informing the public that Kootenay Lake inflows peaked on May 18 th and have decreased through the late spring and early summer, reaching current, near-historic low flows. On June 25, Kootenay Lake at Nelson dropped below 1743.32 feet (531.36...

The International Joint Commission (IJC) released its 2022 Activities Report outlining the projects and accomplishments of the IJC and its boards over the past year. Over the course of the year, IJC staff and boards continued to meaningfully engage with communities, applying local perspectives to...

The St. Marys Rapids flow will remain at approximately 1,200 m3/s for the month of July. Low-lying areas of Whitefish Island including recreational trails are currently flooded and portions of the Island have been closed by Batchewana First Nation. Users are encouraged to use extreme caution.

The International Souris River Board invites the public to a meeting on the evening of Monday, June 26 in Minot, North Dakota. The public meeting will be held from 6-8 p.m. (CDT) at the Sleep Inn in Minot , North Dakota, located at 2400 10th St. SW. No registration is required to attend the in...

Following above-normal temperatures in May and below-average snowpacks in the Kootenay basin, inflows to Kootenay Lake peaked on May 18. The peak was 84,400 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 2,390 cubic meters per second (cms). As of June 5, lake inflows were at 30,600 cfs (866.5 cms) and are trending...

The spring freshet in the Okanagan/Okanogan and Similkameen basins has come to an early end as snowpacks have been depleted and levels on both Okanagan and Osoyoos lakes have peaked and begun to decrease. Osoyoos Lake peaked at 912.10 feet (278.01 meters) on May 8 in response to runoff within the...

Anglers and other users of the St. Marys Rapids, please be advised that the gate setting of the Compensating Works at the head of the St. Marys Rapids will be maintained at the current setting equivalent to approximately eight gates fully open. Low-lying areas of Whitefish Island including...

The United States Army Corps of Engineers will be performing an inspection on the gates of the Compensating Works at the head of the St. Marys Rapids on Tuesday, May 23, 2023.

Higher than normal stream flow conditions continue in the headwaters of the Rainy River watershed due to the high spring snowmelt runoff in the eastern headwaters working its way through the Rainy River basin, including flows into the Namakan Chain of Lakes and Rainy Lake. The Water Levels Committee...

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

The spring freshet in the Okanagan/Okanogan and Similkameen basins has commenced as snowpacks have begun to melt due to above normal temperatures in the last week. The snow pillow gauge at Mission Creek (elevation 1,780 meters or 5,840 feet) in the Okanagan basin was above normal for this time of...

Higher than normal stream flow conditions have developed in the headwaters of the Rainy River watershed, including flows into Namakan Lake and Rainy Lake, following snowmelt and precipitation in late April. These high flow conditions have led to the water levels of Namakan Lake rising above its...

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.

Anglers and other users of the St. Marys Rapids, please be advised that the gate setting of the Compensating Works at the head of the St. Marys Rapids will be increased on Monday May 8, 2023, from the current setting equivalent to approximately five gates fully open to a setting equivalent to...

The International Kootenay Lake Board of Control, after consultation with FortisBC on Corra Linn Dam operations, has determined that “the commencement of the spring rise” for purposes defined in the 1938 International Joint Commission Order on Kootenay Lake occurred at 00:00 PDT on April 30, 2023...

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 Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board (IRLWWB)’s Water Levels Committee (WLC) met to review current conditions and forecasts and determine new lake level targets for the remaining spring freshet. The target water levels for Rainy and Namakan Lake will be within the 25-75% band...

Anglers and other users of the St. Marys Rapids, please be advised that the gates of the Compensating Works at the head of the St. Marys Rapids will be adjusted on Monday April 24, 2023. Gates #6 through #16 will each be raised to a setting of 94 cm (37 in.), which is equivalent to approximately...

The International Joint Commission (IJC) is announcing that the data mapping products, tools and models that resulted from the International Lake Champlain-Richelieu River Study Board (Board) study are now publicly available.

The  International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board (IRLWWB)’s Water Levels Committee (WLC) met to review current conditions and forecasts and determine lake level targets for the period of April 15-30 following the Public Information Session on April 11th. The target water levels throughout...

The International St. Mary and Milk Rivers Study Board will be holding a public town hall meeting May 2. All are welcome to attend. The purpose of this meeting is to update the public on the study’s progress, work plan and timeline of studies into 2024, as well as to solicit public feedback on...

Anglers and other users of the St. Marys Rapids, please be advised that a higher than customary gate setting continues to be maintained to minimize the impacts of ongoing maintenance at Evolugen’s Clergue hydropower facility in Canada.

The International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board (IRLWWB)’s Water Levels Committee (WLC) met to review current conditions and forecasts and determine lake level targets for April 15 th . Personnel from the National Weather Service-Duluth Office, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and...

The International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board (IRLWWB) Water Levels Committee (WLC) will host a follow-up virtual information session on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. CDT.

The International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board (IRLWWB)’s Water Levels Committee (WLC) established an initial spring regulation plan for Rainy and Namakan Lakes on March 10, 2023. This plan is issued in accordance with a new temporary supplementary Order issued by the International Joint...

The International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board (IRLWWB) Water Levels Committee (WLC) has released a draft of its 2022 Post Flood Report. The Committee welcomes public input and encourages all interested parties and individuals to offer their opinions and insights until April 3, 2023. In...

Anglers and other users of the St. Marys Rapids, please be advised that a higher than customary gate setting continues to be maintained to minimize the impacts of ongoing maintenance at Evolugen’s Clergue hydropower facility in Canada. The International Lake Superior Board of Control (Board) expects...

If you’re interested in activities by the International Osoyoos Lake Board of Control, it’s now easy to receive news releases in your email inbox. The Board has launched a new feature which enables people to sign up to receive periodic email notifications on news related to Board activities . The...