Lake, river water levels dangerously high; board officials plan to release more water this winter
Dec. 22—MASSENA — Lake Ontario's water levels are well above their long-term averages for this time of year, after experiencing the third-wettest autumn season ever recorded.
On Friday, the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board announced it has been letting more water out at the Moses-Saunders Power Dam in Massena, and will continue to release more than usual to bring the river and lake down to more typical water levels.
In a press release announcing the plan, the board said it had to keep outflows, or the amount of water released from the lake and river at the dam, at high levels for weeks.
The lake rose 1.2 inches between September and the start of December, a time period when the water levels typically drop by more than 11 inches. During November, Lake Ontario's water levels were at the 13th-highest level ever recorded.
Lake and river board officials stressed that their control over water levels is minimal.
"Water levels of the Great Lakes cannot be fully controlled through adjustment of outflows, nor can outflow adjustments eliminate the risk of extreme water levels occurring during periods of very wet and/or very dry water supply conditions," said David Harper, the Canadian co-chair of the lake and river board.
Officials warned that resiliency efforts for shoreline communities should be undertaken to protect against future high and low water levels.
"Great Lakes states and provinces, in partnership with government and non-government agencies and property owners should continue to focus on resiliency strategies to respond to the wide range of naturally occurring water levels we continue to experience on the Great Lakes," said Steve Durrett, the board's U.S. co-chair.
River communities in Jefferson County have already noted some impacts from current levels. On Dec. 11, freezing water overtopped the Clayton Riverwalk and town docks during a storm.
Board officials said they continue to monitor weather forecasts, water supply conditions and La Nina — the weather pattern in the Pacific ocean that can cause significantly wetter-than-average conditions in the Great Lakes and other regions of North America. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials confirmed in their official winter outlook this year that La Nina conditions will be in effect this winter.
Lake and river board officials stressed that current water levels are not likely indicators of what spring will look like, and that weather forecasts become increasingly unreliable for long-term predictions more than a few weeks away.
For now, officials are doing what they can to bring the water levels back down. This month has seen the third-highest outflows ever in December, and it is expected that outflows at the Moses-Saunders Power Dam will continue at a high rate throughout the winter.
