Letter to Jane Corwin and Pierre Beland, Chairs of the International Joint Commission - Katko, Brindisi, Morelle Urge IJC to Maximize Outflows, Prevent Further Damage to Lake Ontario Coastal Communities

Letter

Dear IJC Chairs Corwin and Beland,

We are writing to request that the International Joint Commission (IJC) formally recommend outflows from the Moses-Saunders Dam be maintained above Plan 2014's L-Limit through at least April 15, 2020.

As you know, water levels on Lake Ontario currently stand at 246.5 feet, significantly higher than the average water level for February of 2019. Given the devastation caused by flooding across Lake Ontario's southern shore last year, it is even more concerning that estimates from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project water levels will continue to exceed 2019 levels in the coming months and likely pass historic maximums.

On February 6, 2020, the International Lake Ontario -- St. Lawrence River (LOSLR) Board submitted a letter to the IJC outlining strategies under consideration to address high water levels in the coming months. In this letter, the LOSLR Board stated that they were considering maintaining maximum outflows from the Moses-Saunders Dam through as late as April 15, 2020, exceeding the L-Limit designated by Plan 2014 to protect navigation interests. Additionally, the LOSLR Board indicated that such a course of action would have a potentially lower economic impact on commercial navigation through the St. Lawrence Seaway, given the smaller volume of products typically transported at the beginning of the shipping season.

In the interest of preventing additional catastrophic damage to coastal communities across Lake Ontario, we request that the IJC formally recommend such a course of action to the LOSLR Board and work to maintain the highest possible outflows from the Moses-Saunders Dam in the coming months. Given the current lake conditions, a strategy that maximizes outflows for the longest period possible would begin to provide Lake Ontario's riparian community with the protections they were supposed to be guaranteed under Plan 2014.

Thank you in advance for your time and attention to this matter. We look forward to your response.

Source