Plan 2014 (High Lake Levels)

Opie

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News from around the lake

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/lake-ontario-flooding-leander-boat-club-1.5155878


Fisheries and Oceans Canada data portal is currently down, I will use the saved data from yesterday to post here

Thursday May 30th, the average level is at 75.94 M (249.15 Feet)

Per Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Since 2008, the May lake level average has been 75.10 M
The average lake level for May 2017 was 75.80 M
Surface water temperature by the lift bridge is 42.4 F

Next reading date is: Friday June 7th, 2019

Reading date / Lake Average 2019
May 24 – 75.86
May 17 – 75.795
May 03 – 75.51
Apr 29 – 75.41
Apr 12 – 75.10
Mar 29 – 75.018
Mar 15 – 75.0
Mar 08 – 74.97
Feb 22 – 75.00
Feb 08 – 74.96
Jan 25 – 74.88
Jan 11 – 74.81
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Reading date / Lake Average 2018
Dec 28 – 74.78
Dec 14 – 74.72
Nov 30 – 74.696
Nov 16 – 74.68
Nov 02 – 74.67
Oct 19 – 74.614
Oct 05 – 74.72
Sept 21 – 74.785
Sept 07 – 74.86
Aug 24 – 74.91
Aug 10 – 74.98
Jul 30 – 75.12
Jul 13 – 75.129
Jun 29 – 75.228
Jun 15 – 75.25
Jun 01 – 75.33
May 18 – 75.35
May 04 – 75.23
Apr 20 – 75.08
Apr 06 – 74.97
Mar 23 – 74.918
Mar 09 – 74.99
Feb 23 – 74.973
Feb 09 – 74.90
Jan 26 – 74.95
Jan 12 – 74.81 M
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Reading date / Lake Average 2017
Dec 27 – 74.71 M
Dec 08 – 74.795
Nov 24 – 74.89
Nov 09 – 74.929
Oct 27 – 74.83
Oct 10 – 74.95
Sept 29 – 74.99
Sept 15 – 75.12
Sept 01 – 75.28
Aug 18 - 75.47
Aug 04 - 75.6
July 22 - 75.71

Updated forecast for 2019 & Experimental 5 year forecast from the Army Corps of Engineers.

 
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scotto

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A quick look at the canal meter shows the level on par with the highest levels from 2017.
The last step on the ladder is just covered, just 12 more inches to the pier concrete.

May31.JPG


Also the underpass access to the pier and Trail is closed.

underpass.JPG
 
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Here is your chance to listen and maybe even ask a question, the IJC will be holding a face to face meeting today in Toronto. Please see the media release link below.

http://www.huffstrategy.com/MediaManager/release/International-Joint-Commission-IJC/4-6-19/IJC-Commissioners-to-hold-news-conference-at-Torontos-Harbour-Fro/3599.html

I hope the IJC will address why protecting Montreal from flooding is more important than protecting the entire shoreline infrastructure of Lake Ontario. I would like to think it has nothing to do with the Justine Trudeau’s Federal riding of Papineau being in the middle of this ? I would hate to think that our Prime Minister of Canada is using his political position to influence the IJC.
 
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IJC Commissioners to hold news conference at Toronto’s Harbour Front Square
Jun 4th, 2019 12:50 PM





The International Joint Commission (IJC) will hold a news conference at Harbour Front Square on June 5, 2019 after inspecting flood impacts on the Toronto Islands. The new Canadian and US Commissioners, who started on May 17 and May 20 respectively, are focusing on water levels as their first priority and will receive briefings in Toronto this week. Four of the new Commissioners toured the Lake Ontario shoreline in Greece, New York on May 28 and the new Canadian Chair toured the St. Lawrence River shoreline at Lac St. Pierre on June 3.

Time and Location of News Conference:
From 4:30-5:00 PM on Wednesday, June 5, 2019
Jack Layton Ferry Terminal
Harbour Square Park
At Bay Street just south of Queens Quay West

News Conference Participants:
Pierre Béland, Canadian Section Chair
Jane Corwin, US Section Chair
Henry Lickers, Canadian Commissioner
Merrell-Ann Phare, Canadian Commissioner
Robert Sisson, US Commissioner
Lance Yohe, US Commissioner

The International Joint Commission (IJC) was established under the Boundary Waters Treaty to help Canada and the United States prevent and resolve disputes over the waters shared by the two countries. One of the IJC’s responsibilities is to approve projects and set conditions for their operation to protect interests that may be affected in Canada and the United States. Projects approved by the IJC include the Moses-Saunders Dam at Cornwall, Ontario, which regulated the outflow of water from Lake Ontario.

Contacts:
Sarah Lobrichon Ottawa Lobrichons@ottawa.ijc.org Mobile: 613-794-8592
Frank Bevacqua Washington Bevacquaf@washington.ijc.org Mobile: 202-412-1017
 

scotto

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Check the water level at Fisherman's Pier, this picture was taken a couple days ago and the level is past the top of the boat ramp.

FishermanPier.JPG


In contrast to 2015 with Beach Rescue pulling their vessel out of the harbour;

FishermanPier15.JPG


Once again today we made it over the 75m mark.
 
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Some history from;

https://www.lre.usace.army.mil/Miss...ows/Discharge-Measurements/St-Lawrence-River/

St. Lawrence River

The St. Lawrence River, the outlet from Lake Ontario, flows 530 miles in a northeasterly direction to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, with a fall of about 245 feet. The major portion of this fall, some 227 feet, occurs between Lake Ontario and Montreal Harbour, 183 miles from the lake.
The International Section of the river extends for a distance of 115 miles from Lake Ontario to St. Regis, New York, where it passes entirely into Canadian territory. After leaving Lake Ontario, for 63 miles the river is wide and deep, with little current. In the first 50 of these miles, the channel is filled with what is known as the "Thousand Islands." The fall from Tibbetts Point at Lake Ontario to Ogdensburg, New York, is only about 1 foot. Beginning about a mile upstream of Brockville, Ontario, and continuing to downstream of Ogdensburg, New York, a distance of about 13 miles, the channel is nearly straight, approximately one mile in width and some sixty feet in depth. About 6 miles below Ogdensburg is Galop Island. Most of the improvements and changes made in the river were made at and below this point.
The 55 mile stretch of river, from the head of Galop Island to the international boundary in Lake St. Francis, used to be a swift-flowing section with a drop of over 90 feet. The Galop Rapids, which flowed around Galop Island, were removed when the channels were widened and deepened, in the 1950s, for the St. Lawrence Seaway and Power Project. A dam below Galop Island, near Iroquois, Ontario, now controls the levels in this reach. The Iroquois Lock is used by ships to navigate past this dam.
The reach below Iroquois, which once consisted of many narrow channels filled with rapids, is now a reservoir impounded by the Long Sault Dam and the Moses-Saunders Powerhouses. This man-made lake, known as Lake St. Lawrence, covers some 100 square miles of area. The difference in elevation between this reach and the next is overcome by the U.S. Eisenhower and Snell Locks at Massena, New York.
Downstream of the Powerhouses, the river divides into two channels around Cornwall Island and then widens to form Lake St. Francis. With the exception of a small area at the upstream end of the lake, about 3 miles of United States shoreline, Lake St. Francis and the downstream St. Lawrence River lie entirely within Canada.
The natural regime of the outlet from Lake Ontario has undergone changes, at least since 1825. By 1850, work in the St. Lawrence River provided a minimum channel depth of 9 feet from the Atlantic Ocean to Lake Ontario. The natural control of Lake Ontario outflows was at the Galop Rapids, located on either side of Galop Island, approximately 70 miles downstream from Kingston, Ontario. Man-made changes to the natural control began in 1876, with dredging in the Canadian Galop Rapids channel (completed in 1888). Changes continued with the realignment of the Galop channel (from 1897 to 1901), improvements to the North Channel and construction of the Gut Dam (from 1903 to 1908). The Gut Dam was removed in January 1953. Dredging was begun in 1890 to remove a series of 12 shoals between Three Sisters Islands and Brockville, Ontario. This work was completed in 1901.
Between 1884 and 1905, a canal building program, undertaken by the Government of Canada, enabled ships with a 14-foot draft to navigate from the Atlantic to Lake Superior. In 1918, a submerged weir was built in the St. Lawrence River near Massena, New York, to facilitate the diversion of water for the generation of power. In 1934, the Cornwall Canal was started to allow navigation around the Long Sault Rapids.
Prior to construction for the St. Lawrence Seaway and Power Project, the character of the St. Lawrence River was significantly different than it is today. The Galop Rapids flowed on either side of Galop Island; the water broke over a rocky ledge and fell about 14 feet in 8 miles; the channel south of Galop Island, known as the American Galops, or Red Mills Rapids, entered a relatively quiet pool from which water rejoined the main river through several passages among a group of Islands.
Paralleling the Galop Rapids on the Canadian side was the Galop Canal, with two locks, Lock 27 at the upper end and Lock 25 at the lower end. The canal, at one time, followed the river closely and its lower portion formed the water front and harbor at Cardinal, Ontario. The canal was later moved to pass, in a deep cut, behind the village of Cardinal.
Downstream of Lock 25, for a distance of 4 miles, the river, although swift, was navigable. It then entered the Rapide Plat, with a fall of 12 feet in 4 miles. Originally, the river here flowed in two channels, one on either side of Ogden Island. At an early date a dam was constructed across the American channel at Waddington for power purposes. Above the dam, this channel was known as the Little River. There was no perceptible current, although there was a small leakage through the dam.
The Rapide Plat Canal carried navigation past these rapids. There were two locks in this canal, Guard Lock 24 at its head and Lock 23 at its foot at Morrisburg, Ontario. About ten miles below Lock 23, in the Canadian channel, at the head of Croil Island, were the Farran Point Rapids and the Farran Point Canal, with a single lock (No. 22) and a lift of about 4 feet. The canal was about 1-1/4 miles long. The American channel to the foot of Croil Island was wide and deep.
Between the foot of Croil Island and the head of Long Sault Island was a channel called the Sny. South of Long Sault Island were the South Sault Rapids, while north of the Island the channel was relatively deep and wide for nearly 2 miles to the head of the Long Sault Rapids. The St. Lawrence River Power Company (U.S.) contructed a dam across the South Sault and diverted water by a canal through its power plant to the Grass River.
The river, as it entered the Long Sault Rapids, was broken into several channels by islands; the hydraulic conditions were rather complex. Navigation past these rapids was by way of the Cornwall Canal, 11 miles in length and with a total lift of 48 feet by 6 locks. Lock 21 was at the head of the canal and Lock 15 at its foot at Cornwall, Ontario. Below Cornwall the river entered Lake St. Francis and no further critical sections occurred until after it ceased to be an international boundary water, at St. Regis, New York.
In 1952, the Governments of Canada and the United States applied to the International Joint Commission for approval to construct certain works for the development of power in the International Rapids Section of the St. Lawrence River. The construction, maintenance and operation of the proposed works were approved subject to a number of conditions established by the Commission in it's Orders of Approval of 1952, which was amended in 1956. The resulting project is known as the St. Lawrence Seaway and Power Project.
Construction of the Seaway began in 1954 and was completed: after five years and the dredging of over 360 million tons of rock; after the resettlement of thousands of people and entire towns; after changing river channels and the homes and habits of thousands of its inhabitants; after the construction of seven new locks (three in the international section) and after the construction of the world's largest joint power facility.
The Moses-Saunders Dam and Powerhouses, the Long Sault Dam, which is a spillway capable of passing the total flow of the St. Lawrence River, and the Iroquois Dam were completed in August 1958. The extensive channel enlargements, to widen and deepen the navigation channel to 25 feet for the entire length of the river, were completed and the Seaway was opened for navigation in 1959. The channel enlargements significantly increased the outflow capacity of Lake Ontario; control dams were designed to cope with the worst known (as of 1955) floods and droughts, as well as to compensate for the increased flow capacity.
Since 1960, the outflow from Lake Ontario has been completely controlled as directed in the International Joint Commission's Orders of Approval. The Commission established the International St. Lawrence River Board of Control to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Orders. Since October 1963, Plan 1958-D has been the operational regulation plan controlling Lake Ontario outflows.

Complete in-depth history of the St. Lawrence construction;
https://www.lre.usace.army.mil/Port...AppendixB/AppendixB-Part6-StLawrenceRiver.pdf
 
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Opie

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Hi Scott

great news, the City was able to figure out a way to open the waterfront trail by the lift bridge and still keep the eroded area safe for pedestrian/bike traffic.

June7.JPG
 
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Good morning

The lake level rose slightly this past weekend and has remained constant since then.

News from around the lake

https://www.hilltimes.com/2019/06/06/some-wont-rebuild-mps-say-hundreds-of-their-constituents-face-hard-choices-in-wake-of-ottawa-river-floods/203245

https://www.wwnytv.com/2019/06/06/uncertainty-over-flooding-haunts-st-lawrence-river-residents/

https://globalnews.ca/news/5361511/brighton-water-levels-lake-ontario/

https://www.wrvo.org/post/officials-look-lake-ontario-water-levels-stabilize



Friday June 7th, the average level is at 75.97 M (249.25 Feet)

Per Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Since 2008, the May lake level average has been 75.16 M
The average lake level for June 2017 was 75.81 M
Surface water temperature by the lift bridge is 42.8 F

Next reading date is: Friday June 14th, 2019

Reading date / Lake Average 2019
May 30 – 75.94
May 24 – 75.86
May 17 – 75.795
May 03 – 75.51
Apr 29 – 75.41
Apr 12 – 75.10
Mar 29 – 75.018
Mar 15 – 75.0
Mar 08 – 74.97
Feb 22 – 75.00
Feb 08 – 74.96
Jan 25 – 74.88
Jan 11 – 74.81
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Reading date / Lake Average 2018
Dec 28 – 74.78
Dec 14 – 74.72
Nov 30 – 74.696
Nov 16 – 74.68
Nov 02 – 74.67
Oct 19 – 74.614
Oct 05 – 74.72
Sept 21 – 74.785
Sept 07 – 74.86
Aug 24 – 74.91
Aug 10 – 74.98
Jul 30 – 75.12
Jul 13 – 75.129
Jun 29 – 75.228
Jun 15 – 75.25
Jun 01 – 75.33
May 18 – 75.35
May 04 – 75.23
Apr 20 – 75.08
Apr 06 – 74.97
Mar 23 – 74.918
Mar 09 – 74.99
Feb 23 – 74.973
Feb 09 – 74.90
Jan 26 – 74.95
Jan 12 – 74.81 M
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Reading date / Lake Average 2017
Dec 27 – 74.71 M
Dec 08 – 74.795
Nov 24 – 74.89
Nov 09 – 74.929
Oct 27 – 74.83
Oct 10 – 74.95
Sept 29 – 74.99
Sept 15 – 75.12
Sept 01 – 75.28
Aug 18 - 75.47
Aug 04 - 75.6
July 22 - 75.71

Updated forecast for 2019 & Experimental 5 year forecast from the Army Corps of Engineers.


 
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News from around the lake

Just when I thought New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo had gone soft on the IJC and damage caused by the flooding by saying this is the “new normal “ regarding the high lake level, he has come out swinging again. See the attached link for the article and letter he wrote to the IJC demanding immediate action.

https://wskg.org/news/new-york-governor-lists-demands-dealing-with-lake-flooding-threatens-legal-action/

The IJC’s primary role is water Inventory management, mitigating the impact flooding has on shoreline stakeholders and to distribute equally the negative impact to all other stakeholders.
 
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The daily graph shows the lake level staying pretty consistent at just below the 76m mark, that would be the blue line.

June2019.jpg

From yesterday (June 9th) at Fisherman's Pier, the water is slowly moving towards the Lift Bridge. But just add in some high winds from the west and the harbour might just make it to the Bridge.

0J4A7722a.JPG
 
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Repeal Plan 2014

https://www.change.org/p/president-...Ty3a78-NcdnL8koKRpBjGxum0envvl8xj21erPh-9XBEw

We demand the immediate repeal of Plan 2014, to be replaced by Plan 1958d. In addition, we must replace the Board and Committees responsible for managing the water levels on Lake Ontario and the St Lawrence River.

For 2 of the 3 years since Plan 2014 was implemented, there has been catastrophic widespread floods, resulting in significant negative impacts to the properties and communities surrounding Lake Ontario and the St Lawrence River.
The Plan was implemented in an effort to benefit power generation, commercial shipping, and the environment, with minimal impact to NYS businesses, tourism, recreational boating, and shoreline properties. In reality, historic levels of flooding has occurred, with irreversable environmental damage, lost homes, lost businesses, eroded properties, damage to tourism, a nearly nonexistent recreational boating season, and a widespread overall negative economic impact.

The International Lake Ontario - St Lawrence River Control Board, which manages water levels utilizing Plan 2014, has failed to acknowledge any correlation between the implementation of Plan 2014, and the widespread destruction that has followed, and this is unacceptable. The International Joint Commission (IJC) is also failing to provide proper oversight of the River Control Board, in which transparency and credibility is a significant issue. Taxpayer concerns/feedback is regularly deleted from the social media sites for the IJC/Board, in what is believed to be a "fake news" effort to control the feedback/messaging regarding the failures of Plan 2014.

Things must change immediately. Plan 2014 is not working. We must return to Plan 1958d, effective immediately, and we need to replace those unable to properly do their jobs in managing the water levels of Lake Ontario and the St Lawrence River.

#repealPlan2014
 
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Lake Ontario levels could be at peak, Lake Erie still rising
It all depends on rain and wind says river board official
Jun 07, 2019 by Karena Walter The St. Catharines Standard

Water level experts are fairly optimistic Lake Ontario has reached or is near its peak level as shorelines like Port Dalhousie continue to experience flooding.

The final word will be up to mother nature as she decides whether to hit the area with more rainstorms.

"We certainly appear like we have reached the peak, but it's a little too early to officially declare that, so to speak," said Rob Caldwell, Canadian secretary for the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board.

Lake Ontario's water level on Thursday was 75.92 metres — four centimetres higher than the previous peak record reached in 2017. On Friday, the levels were down about a centimetre from the day before.

Caldwell said that makes it tough to say if the lake has actually peaked or not. The international board looks for at least a five-centimetre drop before it considers the lake having officially crested.

Read whole article;
https://www.thespec.com/news-story/...vels-could-be-at-peak-lake-erie-still-rising/
 

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Interesting news over night regarding the IJC and Plan 2014

https://buffalonews.com/2019/06/12/corwin-says-ijc-is-exploring-additional-flood-relief-measures/


Corwin: IJC exploring additional flood relief measures

Jane Corwin was nominated by President Trump to serve on the International Joint Commission. (Harry Scull Jr./News file photo)
By Jerry Zremski|Published 48 minutes ago5:00 a.m. June 12, 2019
·
WASHINGTON – Water is being pumped out of Lake Ontario at a record rate, but the new American chair of the International Joint Commission said Tuesday that the organization will explore the possibility of pushing water into the St. Lawrence Seaway at an even higher rate in hopes of alleviating lakeshore flooding.
Jane Corwin, the former state assemblywoman who became the U.S. chair of the IJC three weeks ago, said her organization hopes to have an emergency board meeting Wednesday to consider further flood control measures.
"We're letting water out at some of the highest levels ever done, to the point of putting shipping at risk," Corwin said in an interview. "We're doing a lot. And we're looking to do more."
Corwin also raised the possibility of suspending "Plan 2014," the IJC's controversial water management regimen, which some residents of New York's Lake Ontario shoreline blame for the flooding. But repealing Plan 2014 could be difficult, she added.
More immediately, the IJC – a binational board charged with managing the waters shared by the U.S. and Canada – will consider whether it's possible to again increase the flow of water into the upper St. Lawrence River at the dam complex near Massena, N.Y., and Cornwall, Ont.
The IJC affiliate that controls water flows recently increased outflows to the maximum rate that still allows for safe navigation. Water is now being drained from Lake Ontario at a rate matched only once before, during the flooding of 2017.
"We certainly have to see if the dam is capable of letting out more water," Corwin said. "And if it is capable, what are the ramifications downstream?"
Managing Lake Ontario's water level is a tricky business. The IJC has to take into account not only property owners along Lake Ontario, but also along the St. Lawrence, where flooding has also occurred, as well as shipping interests.
The binational agency tried to modernize the way it manages water levels through Plan 2014, which aims to protect wetlands and wildlife as well as shoreline residents. But the plan has come under a torrent of criticism from politicians such as Rep. Chris Collins, a Clarence Republican, and the state's top two Democrats: Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer.
The IJC's Canadian co-chair, Pierre Béland, told The Buffalo News Monday that he did not believe Plan 2014 caused the recent flooding.
"I agree with Pierre in that we've got extreme weather events going on right now," Corwin said. "And based on the data I see, I don't believe Plan 2014 caused the flooding. However – and it's a very big however – I do understand that the people on the U.S. side do not have any confidence in the plan. Certainly I think this warrants a discussion."
Corwin said she would raise the possibility of suspending the plan at the commission's meeting Wednesday, but she acknowledged a suspension might be difficult to enact.
The IJC board, consisting of three Americans and three Canadians, operates by consensus. That means all six commissioners would have to agree to suspend the plan, as would the U.S. and Canadian governments.
The plan has not produced the same level of controversy in Canada, Corwin noted. Béland, in fact, voiced support for it during a recent visit to Lake Ontario's southern shoreline.
That prompted Collins to respond Monday with a fiery, fact-based letter.
"Plan 2014 sets water levels one foot higher in the fall, leaving no room for the snow and the rain that the Western New York community experiences," Collins said, asking that the IJC revert to its old water management regimen.
Separately, Collins praised the new IJC leadership for taking temporary actions to alleviate the flooding.
"The International Joint Commission, under Jane’s leadership, has accomplished more for Western New York in three weeks than the previous IJC leadership has done in three years," Collins said.
Corwin discussed Plan 2014 and other issues Monday on a visit to the White House. She met with the special assistant to the president on environmental policy as well as the chairwoman of the Council on Environmental Quality.
"We also want to sure that the president's staff has been briefed on the flooding on Lake Ontario, so they have an understanding of how severe it is and how devastating it's been for the families," Corwin said.
 
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IJC, regulators of Lake Ontario water levels, to hold emergency meeting.

OLCOTT, N.Y. (WIVB) - Members of the International Joint Commission are planning an emergency meeting to address high water levels on Lake Ontario. Rep. Chris Collins, who represents much of the lakeshore, says it will occur "in the next day or so".

As of Tuesday, the lake's surface was at a record height of 249.07 feet above sea level. More water is being let out of the lake at the Moses-Saunders Dam than ever before. It is the second time in three years lakeshore communities have flooded.

Collins says the meeting will have two agenda items.

"One is can we get more water out of Lake Ontario today?" he said. "Then the second piece is what do we do moving forward? For five years, I've been saying Plan 2014 is a disaster."

Plan 2014 is the controversial plan used by the IJC to regulate Lake Ontario's water levels. It has been in effect since December 2016. Prior to that, the commission used Plan 1958-DD.

"Everything here is built according to (Plan 1958-DD)," said Newfane Town Supervisor Tim Horanburg. "That was in existance for 60-some years."

Opponents of Plan 2014 say Plan 1958-DD allowed for more water to be released earlier in the year. But there is still uncertainty about how the three new Canadian IJC commissioners would feel about that.

"No plan would be able to produce a situation where nobody is getting flooded," Canadian Chairman Pierre Béland said in May.

Whole article and video.
https://www.wivb.com/news/local-new...r-levels-to-hold-emergency-meeting/2072324540
 

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Plan 2014 is the controversial plan used by the IJC to regulate Lake Ontario's water levels. It has been in effect since December 2016. Prior to that, the commission used Plan 1958-DD.

"Everything here is built according to (Plan 1958-DD)," said Newfane Town Supervisor Tim Horanburg. "That was in existance for 60-some years."

Opponents of Plan 2014 say Plan 1958-DD allowed for more water to be released earlier in the year. But there is still uncertainty about how the three new Canadian IJC commissioners would feel about that.
Some history on Plan 1958-D
____________________________________________________________________________
http://www.islrbc.org/new-Version/brochure.html

Lake Ontario St. Lawrence River Regulation

Water empties from Lake Ontario into the St. Lawrence River and passes through the hydropower project near Cornwall, Ontario and Massena, New York. The International Joint Commission approved this project in 1952. During construction, the Commission amended its order of approval with the concurrence of the United States and Canadian Governments. The 1956 amendments added requirements to reduce the range of Lake Ontario water levels, and to provide dependable flow for hydropower, adequate navigation depths and protection for shoreline and other interests downstream in the Province of Quebec.




One requirement in the Commission's order was to regulate Lake Ontario within a target range from 74.2 to 75.4 metres (243.3 to 247.3 feet) above sea level. The project must also be operated to provide no less protection for navigation and shoreline interests downstream than would exist without the project. Another provision, known as criterion (k), was included because water supplies would inevitably be more extreme at some time in the future than in the past (1860-1954). When supplies exceed those of the past, shoreline property owners upstream and downstream are to be given all possible relief. When water supplies are less than those of the past, all possible relief is to be provided to navigation and power interests.


Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin

Regulatory Facilities
Lake Ontario outflows have been regulated since 1960, primarily through the Moses-Saunders power dam near Cornwall and Massena, about 160 kilometres (100 miles) from the lake. This facility is jointly owned and operated by Ontario Hydro and the New York Power Authority. Another dam, located near Long Sault, Ontario, acts as a spillway when outflows are larger than the capacity of the power dam. A third structure at Iroquois, Ontario, is principally used to help to form a stable ice cover and regulate water levels at the power dam.

The other projects in the St. Lawrence River are not supervised by the Commission. These include three navigation locks in the international section of the St. Lawrence River, two at Massena and one at Iroquois, Ontario, as well as hydropower and navigation facilities downstream in the Province of Quebec.
Lake Ontario Regulation Plan
Plan 1958-D, the current plan, specifies weekly outflows based on the water level of Lake Ontario and the water supplies to the lake. Generally, higher levels and greater water supplies result in higher outflows, and vice versa. The plan has a number of flow limitations to protect various interests in the St. Lawrence River that may be affected by extreme flows or levels. These include adequate flows for hydropower production, minimum depths for navigation and protection against flooding.

Regulation of Lake Ontario outflows does not ensure full control of Lake Ontario levels or levels downstream. The major natural factors affecting levels (precipitation, evaporation, runoff and inflow from Lake Erie) cannot be controlled. Their prediction is very complex and may not be accurate.

During periods of sustained high or low water supplies, regulation of outflows has helped to make water levels less severe. During the extreme low water supply period of the mid-1960s, for example, Lake Ontario levels were maintained higher than they would have been without the project. During the high water supply periods of the early and mid-1970s, mid-1980s, and 1993, water levels were held well below pre-project levels, providing considerable relief to shoreline interests.

At the beginning of winter, outflows are usually reduced to help to form an ice cover on the St. Lawrence River. After a stable ice cover forms, flows can be increased to offset any flow reductions. Experience has shown that during spring runoff from the Ottawa River, a major tributary, flooding in the Montreal area has been reduced by temporary Lake Ontario outflow reductions.

The International Joint Commission
The Commission was created under the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 to help prevent and resolve disputes over the use of waters along the Canada-United States boundary. Its responsibilities include approving certain projects that would change water levels on the other side of the boundary. If it approves a project, the Commission's orders of approval may require that flows through the project meet certain conditions to protect interests in both countries. Hydropower development in the international reach of the St. Lawrence River is one such project.

The International St. Lawrence River Board of Control
The Board was established by the Commission in its 1952 order of approval. Its main duty is to ensure that outflows from Lake Ontario meet the requirements of the Commission's order. / laptop battery /The Board also develops regulation plans and conducts special studies as requested by the Commission.

Outflows are set by the Board under the regulation plan or under criterion (k) once it has been invoked by the Commission. The Board may deviate from plan flows under emergency conditions or winter operations. It may also use its limited discretionary authority when a change from plan flow can be made to provide benefits or relief to one or more interests without appreciably harming others, and without breaching the requirements of the order. The Board meets at least twice a year and provides semi-annual reports to the Commission. It holds meetings with the public annually.

Membership
The International St. Lawrence River Board of Control has ten members, five each from the United States and Canada. Members serve in both their personal and professional capacities. The current United States Section chair of the Board is from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, while other U.S. members are from the New York Power Authority, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Rochester Institute of Technology, along with one independent engineer. The current Canadian Section chair is from the Canadian Coast Guard, while other Canadian members are from Ontario Hydro, Quebec Ministry of Environment and Environment Canada, as well as the mayor of a downstream community.
 
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Opie

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Good morning

News from around the lake,

more and more towns are calling for Plan 2014 to be replaced with the old Plan 1958

https://watertowndailytimes.com/news03/lyme-calls-for-revoking-plan-2014-20190614

But sadly even if the plan could be replaced, the water will not magically go away overnight or next month. The amount of water in the Great Lakes basin that still needs to pass through Lake Ontario before the lake levels will come down to a pre 2016 level will take a few more years. That is assuming little precipitation is to fall over those next few years but if those who say our current weather patterns are now a result of climate change and that these wet conditions are to now be expected, then the lake level is going to stay high.

What the IJC is currently doing by letting the maximum amount of water to be released from Lake Ontario is about the best solution currently. Can the IJC let even a larger volume out, can they keep doing this all summer long? Who knows but the pressure to do so must continue and not stop if we want to get any relief. However there is one stake holder in all of this that may take exception to the torrent of water coming down the St Lawrence, that is the shipping industry. I have only found one article that mentions the possible impact to them, I am a little skeptical of their supposed dollar loss with a slower transit time but what do I know.

https://watertowndailytimes.com/news03/high-waters-prompt-protocols-on-shipping--20190612



Friday June 14th, the average level is at 75.984 M (249.29 Feet)

Per Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Since 2008, the June lake level average has been 75.16 M
The average lake level for June 2017 was 75.81 M
Surface water temperature by the lift bridge is 42.82 F

Next reading date is: Friday June 21st, 2019

Reading date / Lake Average 2019
June 07 – 75.97
May 30 – 75.94
May 24 – 75.86
May 17 – 75.795
May 03 – 75.51
Apr 29 – 75.41
Apr 12 – 75.10
Mar 29 – 75.018
Mar 15 – 75.0
Mar 08 – 74.97
Feb 22 – 75.00
Feb 08 – 74.96
Jan 25 – 74.88
Jan 11 – 74.81
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Reading date / Lake Average 2018
Dec 28 – 74.78
Dec 14 – 74.72
Nov 30 – 74.696
Nov 16 – 74.68
Nov 02 – 74.67
Oct 19 – 74.614
Oct 05 – 74.72
Sept 21 – 74.785
Sept 07 – 74.86
Aug 24 – 74.91
Aug 10 – 74.98
Jul 30 – 75.12
Jul 13 – 75.129
Jun 29 – 75.228
Jun 15 – 75.25
Jun 01 – 75.33
May 18 – 75.35
May 04 – 75.23
Apr 20 – 75.08
Apr 06 – 74.97
Mar 23 – 74.918
Mar 09 – 74.99
Feb 23 – 74.973
Feb 09 – 74.90
Jan 26 – 74.95
Jan 12 – 74.81 M
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Reading date / Lake Average 2017
Dec 27 – 74.71 M
Dec 08 – 74.795
Nov 24 – 74.89
Nov 09 – 74.929
Oct 27 – 74.83
Oct 10 – 74.95
Sept 29 – 74.99
Sept 15 – 75.12
Sept 01 – 75.28
Aug 18 - 75.47
Aug 04 - 75.6
July 22 - 75.71

Updated forecast for 2019 & Experimental 5 year forecast from the Army Corps of Engineers.


 
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scotto

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Friday June 14th, the average level is at 75.984 M (249.29 Feet)
We can't get much closer to 76m than that, hopefully we get some drier weather.


Water levels reach 2017 flood levels
June 14, 2019 P. Blancher – Leader staff News

MORRISBURG – The agency responsible for managing water levels on the St. Lawrence River increased outflows in response to flooding on Lake St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes.
The International Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River board increased the amount of water allowed through the Moses-Saunders power dam in Cornwall, and the Long Sault Control Dam beyond the maximum limit of 10,200 cubic metres per second. That is the equivalent of just over four Olympic-sized swimming pools every second passing through the two dams.
The board had been increasing waterflows by 100-200 m3/s per day until June 8th when the limit was hit.
The ILOSLR board announced that starting June 9th it approved a 50 m3/s increase per day to reach 10,400 m3/s, the level allowed when Lake Ontario flooded in 2017.
Unlike 2017, all five Great Lakes are above flood levels this year with higher than normal run off and a wet spring contributing.
The increased water levels and higher outflows have increased the current on the St. Lawrence Seaway through Lake St. Lawrence.
As of June 5th, Lake St. Lawrence is 241.7 feet deep, 1.5 inches over the Plan 2014 level for the maximum water level.
Water levels on Lake St. Francis are nearly one foot above maximum.
The impact along the shoreline has been felt mostly west of the Iroquois control dam.
In a separate release from Ontario Power Generation, the government agency advised the Iroquois control dam gates remain closed for recreational boat traffic.

http://www.morrisburgleader.ca/2019/06/14/water-levels-reach-2017-flood-levels/


 

scotto

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How Did Lake Ontario flooding get so out of hand?

https://buffalonews.com/2019/06/16/...nd-2017-plan-2014-andrew-cuomo-chuck-schumer/
Prohaska: Indeed it does, but Lake Ontario is so big and deep that the increased outflows don't produce quick change. Even with those record outflows taking effect this week – 2.75 million gallons leaving the lake every second – current forecasts by the Army Corps of Engineers show the lake dropping only 4 inches in the next 30 days.
 
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scotto

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Plan 2014 Not Responsible For High Water Along Lake Says Board Member
In Editor Choice, Local

https://www.todaysnorthumberland.ca...-for-high-water-along-lake-says-board-member/

Plan 2014 is not responsible for the damage caused by the high waters along Lake Ontario says a member of the Board that implemented the plan.

Today’s Northumberland sent an e-mail to Rob Caldwell who is the Canadian Secretary for the International Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River Board.

On Monday, June 17, 2019 Caldwell stated in an e-mail, “it is the role of the Board’s Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Adaptive Management (GLAM) Committee to evaluate the performance of our regulatory operations and the regulation plan and recommend any improvements.”
Their analysis of the conditions and impacts in 2017 determent that, “Plan 2014 did not cause, or meaningfully exacerbate the flooding and associated damages that occurred in 2017.”

And further stated, “it is expected that a similar conclusion can be anticipated with regard to the 2019 flooding.”

The International Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River Board implemented Plan 2014 to ensure that releases at the Moses-Saunders Dam comply with the International Joint Commission’s 8 December 2016 Supplementary Order effective January 2017.

Plan 2014 was implemented to protect against extreme water levels, restore climate wetlands and prepare for climate change.

The International Joint Commission Canada and United States stated in their report, “the International Joint Commission, after 14 years of scientific study and public engagement, advances Plan 2014 as the preferred option for regulating Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River water levels and flows. Scientific studies reveal that the Commission’s 1956 Orders of Approval and regulation of the flows through the power project following Plan 1958D with deviations, have harmed ecosystem health primarily by substantially degrading 26,000 hectares (64,000 acres) of shoreline wetlands. After exhaustive consideration of alternative plans, the Commission concludes that Plan 2014 offers the best opportunity to reverse some of the harm while balancing upstream and downstream uses and minimizing possible increased damage to shoreline protection structures.”

The report is available at https://ijc.org/en/glam/summary-2017-great-lakes-basin-conditions-and-water-level-impacts-support-ongoing-regulation.
 
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