News Releases

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...

While Lake Superior and Lake Michigan-Huron water levels remain above average, the risk of high-water impacts remains. Lake Superior outflows continue to be set in consideration of high levels upstream and downstream. Last month, Lake Superior declined 2 cm (0.8 in), while on average it declines 1...

The International Joint Commission (IJC) has released its fifth report to the Canadian and US governments on the International Watersheds Initiative (IWI), which describes how the Commission has built on its successes to run a program that supports watershed management for water quality and quantity...

Preparations are underway for the removal of the Lake Erie – Niagara River Ice Boom. Lake Erie’s ice cover has rapidly reduced over the past few days.

In accordance with the 2018 Supplementary Order, the Water Levels Committee of the International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board has determined that the standard rule curve will be used this spring to direct the operation of the dam at the outlet of Rainy Lake.

The Board expects the total outflow to be 2,040 m3/s (72 tcfs) in March, which is as prescribed by Lake Superior Regulation Plan 2012. The gate setting of the control structure will be maintained at the typical winter setting equivalent to one-half gate open in March.

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 Board expects the total outflow to be 2,050 m3/s (72 tcfs) in February, which is as prescribed by Lake Superior Regulation Plan 2012. The gate setting of the control structure will be maintained at the typical winter setting equivalent to one-half gate open in February.

The International Joint Commission's Great Lakes Science Advisory Board is hosting a session on a Great Lakes Early Warning System (GLEWS) at the upcoming virtual International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) Annual Conference, May 17-21, 2021. The first phase of the GLEWS project was...

The Board expects the total outflow to be 2,170 m3/s (77 tcfs) in January, which is as prescribed by Lake Superior Regulation Plan 2012. The gate setting of the control structure will be maintained at the typical winter setting equivalent to one-half gate open in January.

The International Red River Board (IRRB) will be hosting a virtual public open house meeting during the Red River Basin Commission Annual Conference on Thursday, January 21, 2021 from 1 pm to 2:30 pm CST. The IRRB assists the International Joint Commission (IJC) in preventing and resolving disputes...

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...

Now more than ever, it’s time to embrace binational cooperation to ensure that the waters and people of the Great Lakes basin are healthy. The International Joint Commission (IJC) has advice for Canada and the United States to improve binational cooperation in Great Lakes water quality programs. In...

Installation of the ice boom for the 2020-2021 ice season is planned to begin as early as December 10, 2020 weather permitting.

Lake Superior and Lake Michigan-Huron water levels continue to decline, but are still well above average and the risk of high-water impacts remains. Lake Superior outflows continue to be set in consideration of high levels upstream and downstream. Last month, Lake Superior declined 3 cm (1.2 in)...

The International Joint Commission’s (IJC) Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board will decrease to a six-member Board with an equal number of members from the United States and Canada effective December 1, 2020. The Board sets the outflow from Lake Ontario in accordance with the provisions of an...

The IJC’s International St. Croix River Watershed Board invites you to attend a virtual meeting with the Board on Wednesday, December 2nd from 6pm-8pm Eastern (7pm-9pm Atlantic).

BURLINGTON, ONTARIO ----- New York Power Authority (NYPA) is requesting International Joint Commission (IJC) approval for early installation of the ice boom for the 2020-2021 ice season to provide additional time to implement COVID-19 staff safety protocols.

The Board expects the total outflow to be 2,420 m3/s (85.5 tcfs) in November, which is as prescribed by Lake Superior Regulation Plan 2012. The gate setting of the control structure will be gradually lowered to the typical winter setting equivalent to one-half gate open on Friday, 6 November and...

The International Osoyoos Lake Board of Control is holding its annual public meeting regarding the regulation of Osoyoos Lake water levels and the related operations of Zosel Dam by the State of Washington under the International Joint Commission’s Orders of Approval.

The International Kootenay Lake Board of Control annual public meeting regarding the regulation of Kootenay Lake and the operation of Corra Linn Dam under the International Joint Commission’s Orders of Approval is scheduled for Tuesday, October 6th.

The lakes are expected to continue their seasonal declines through the fall. However, water levels are expected to remain near seasonal highs and there will continue to be a significantly increased risk of shoreline erosion, lakeshore flooding and coastal damages.

The International Joint Commission (IJC) has more than 100 years of experience working across jurisdictional boundaries to help governments prevent and resolve water issues. The Government of Canada is creating a Canada Water Agency (CWA), and it too will have to work across boundaries to be...

A new report by the International Joint Commission (IJC) Health Professionals Advisory Board reviews the health risks that humans are exposed to when they frequently consume fish with high levels of the trace element selenium. The recent report, A Review of Human Health Impacts of Selenium in...

The International Lake Champlain-Richelieu River Study Board will hold four virtual public meetings on the last week of September. The public is invited to hear about the progress of the study, talk with technical experts, ask questions and share views. Register here: English or French. Information...

The International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board invites you to attend a virtual meeting with the Board on October 2nd, 2020 at 12:45pm Central Time. To participate in this virtual meeting please RSVP by sending an email to Wellsley.Hamilton@canada.ca by September 25th, 2020. Details about...

There are many factors stressing the health of the Great Lakes ecosystem, but some issues like climate change are making other problems even worse. The International Joint Commission Science Advisory Board (SAB) Science Priority Committee’s new report, An Evaluation of Stressor Interactions in the...

Anglers and other users of the St. Marys Rapids are advised that Gate #1, which is the northernmost gate of the compensating works structure, located closest to the Canadian shoreline at the head of the rapids, will be temporarily closed tomorrow, 9 September, to facilitate underwater safety...

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...

Lake Superior generally remained stable over the course of the month, which is typical for this time of year. Lake Michigan-Huron declined 4 cm (1.6 in) over the course of the month, which is the average water level decline in August. At the beginning of September, Lake Superior is 6 cm (2.4 in)...

The International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board invites you to attend a virtual meeting with the Board on October 2nd, 2020 at 12:45pm Central Time.

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...

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...

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...

With summer nearing an end, the Board will adjust its outflow strategy and allow Lake St. Lawrence levels to decline to the normal navigation season minimum following the September long weekend. This decision will allow for slightly more water to be released from Lake Ontario during the fall. The...

Basin conditions were generally wetter than average in July. As a result, water levels rose on Lake Superior and remained stable on Lake Michigan-Huron. Lake Superior rose 7 cm over the course of the month, while on average the water level rises 5 cm in July. At the beginning of August, Lake...

Shallow Lake Erie must stick to its strict diet to starve its problematic algal blooms, but the four deeper Great Lakes face a tricky dilemma balancing their nutrient needs, according to a new report by the International Joint Commission’s (IJC) Great Lakes Science Advisory Board. Understanding...

The US Government Accountability Office issued a report concerning Plan 2014, the current plan used for regulating Lake Ontario outflows, on July 23, 2020. The IJC was pleased to note that the GAO found that process for developing and selecting Plan 2014, was generally consistent with each of the 14...

During the spring freshet, the level of Osoyoos Lake crested at 913.65 ft (278.481 m) on June 2 and decreased below the maximum level of the IJC (International Joint Commission) Order of Approval rule curve (912.0 ft) on Saturday July 18.

What would it look like if we could anticipate the next big ecological threat to the Great Lakes before it happens? A new report from the International Joint Commission’s (IJC) Great Lakes Science Advisory Board (SAB) looks at what it might take to ‘get ahead of the curve’ and develop an early...

The Public Advisory Group appointed by the International Joint Commission (IJC) to assist with finding potential improvements to the regulation of Lake Ontario outflows held its first meeting on June 30. The meeting was held online. The Public Advisory Group will assist the IJC’s Great Lakes-St...

Basin conditions were generally near average or drier than average in June, around both Lake Superior and Lake Michigan-Huron. As a result, water levels did not rise as much as they typically do in June. Nonetheless, water levels are expected to remain high over at least the next few months and...

The International Joint Commission (IJC) received an award for service to the International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR), a global lakes research organization. The IAGLR Anderson-Everett Award is given by IAGLR to individuals or institutions in recognition and gratitude for...

After a season of above average snowpack in the Kootenay Basin, inflows to Kootenay Lake peaked on May 31 at 114,600 cfs (3,240 cms). As of June 7, lake inflows were at 42,000 cfs (1,200 cms) and dropping. With decreasing inflows, Kootenay Lake level, as measured at Queens Bay, crested on June 4 at...

With flow of the Similkameen River declining since its recent peak on June 1, the backwater effect of the Similkameen River on the Okanogan River is decreasing. This allows for increased outflow from Osoyoos Lake and a corresponding drop in its level. Osoyoos Lake crested at 913.65 ft. (278.481 m)...

While conditions around Lake Superior were drier than average in May, conditions were again wetter than average on Lake Michigan-Huron, driven by a couple of significant rainfall events in the middle and at the end of the month. This has resulted in additional record-high water levels, which pose a...

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...

In compliance with the terms of the International Joint Commission (IJC) water management Order for Osoyoos Lake implemented by the International Osoyoos Lake Board of Control (https://www.ijc.org/en/olbc), the gates at Zosel Dam have been fully open since May 11 to allow for maximum outflow from...

The International Joint Commission (IJC) announced today that it has appointed a 16-member Public Advisory Group to help identify potential improvements to the regulation of Lake Ontario outflows.