Board to ignore Plan 2014 rule to lower Lake Ontario water levels

Niagara Gazette, Niagara Falls, N.Y.
·2 min read

Sep. 6—A rule requiring greater outflow of Lake Ontario through the Moses-Saunders Dam to lower water levels will not be enforced, the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board has announced.

Water levels throughout the Great Lakes have been above their long-term averages since spring, according to the board. Lake Erie and Lake Ontario began their seasonal declines in June. The current level of Lake Ontario is 246.06 feet (or 7 inches above the long-term average) and well within the expected range for this time of year. But the above average level on Lake Ontario has triggered a threshold within Regulation Plan 2014, which governs lake outflows, known as the September Rule.

If the water levels on Lake Ontario measure above 245.3 feet at the beginning of September, the September Rule requires flow increases through Moses-Saunders Dam. The intent is that outflows will be adjusted higher to attempt to lower Lake Ontario levels to 245.4 feet by Jan. 1. These conditions apply this year, and this rule would go into affect under strict application of Plan 2014.

Board officials say there were three concerns with applying the September Rule:

—The more natural run of river is better for the ecosystem.

—Based on decades of data, it has been confirmed that water levels in the fall or winter are not a good indicator of potential flooding or above average water levels the following spring and summer.

—Declining water levels can indicate potential concerns for recreation on Lake St. Lawrence — a man-made lake, or forebay, between Iroquois Dam and the Moses-Saunders Dam — where outflow changes have a pronounced effect. The September Rule would cause a reduction in water levels on Lake St. Lawrence which would negatively impact some interests in the area including the recreational boating community.

The board plans to negate the impacts of the deviation by year's end by increasing flows starting in mid-October.

This deviation foregoes the need for another flow reduction to facilitate the boat haul out in early October. As water levels throughout the system continue their gradual seasonal decline, the board encourages recreational boaters to monitor the water level forecasts to determine the optimal time to remove their vessels and equipment for the season.