Lake Ontario Outflows To Be Maintained Above Navigation Limit

File photo - The high winds and waves along Lake Ontario's shoreline have caused a great deal of damage to homes and businesses as well as closing some roads due to flooding and debris (Photo provided by Bill Foley)
The high winds and waves along Lake Ontario’s shoreline have caused a great deal of damage to homes and businesses as well as closing some roads due to flooding and debris (Photo provided by Bill Foley)

The International Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River Board is actively exploring deviating beyond an outflow of 10,400 m3/s (367,270 cfs) reached on June 13th, with the intent to provide relief to shoreline stakeholders upstream of the Moses-Saunders Power Dam.

Before undertaking higher flows, the board is communicating with stakeholders to assess the impacts of these additional flows, to provide them an opportunity to prepare if outflows are increased.

Outflows reached 10,400 m3/s (367,270 cfs) on June 13, which is the maximum flow that was attained in 2017 and the maximum sustained flow on record.

The navigation industry is being notified that the board is exploring regulatory strategies that include increasing flows above the current outflow.

Though outflows are very high, it is expected that lake levels on Lake Ontario will continue to remain high for the next several weeks.

The board recognizes that the flooding is impacting many people’s homes, businesses and lives. We are working to reduce flooding impacts upstream and downstream to the extent possible.

Information on hydrologic conditions, water levels and outflows, including graphics and photos, are available on the board’s website and posted to the board’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/InternationalLakeOntarioStLawrenceRiverBoard (English), and more detailed information is available on its website at https://www.ijc.org/en/loslrb.

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