GBA 2021 - Spring Update

2 www.georgianbay.ca GBA UPDATE Spring 2021 Continued from page 1 Continues on page 4 Here are details of the existing control structures: 3 It appears this year that the outflow from Lake Superior has exceeded agreed-upon limits. Why is Plan 2012 not being followed? The graph on the right clearly shows that Plan 2012 has been correctly applied, and the outflow from Lake Superior has not exceeded agreed-upon limits. The aim of Plan 2012 – to balance the interests of Lakes Superior and Michigan-Huron (M-H) in setting outflows from Lake Superior – is being implemented. 4 What can be done to better regulate Lake Michigan-Huron water levels? We learned about the coordination among the three control boards – St. Marys River Control Works; Niagara River; and Moses-Saunders Power Dam and Long Sault Dam – but it is clear that these three boards do not coordinate to any great extent with the other control structures on the Great Lakes (see above chart for a list of all the control structures). GBA and GBF believe that some improved mitigation of extreme high/low water levels could be achieved by improved coordination of flow rates/adjustments among the control structures in the upper Great Lakes. Follow-up is needed to further explore how this might be done. Flow Control Structures in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin from Upstream to Downstream Name Description/Effect and Average Flow Rate in m 3 /s Oversight Long Lac and Ogoki Diversions Diverts much of the natural flow from James Bay to Lake Superior for 4 hydropower dams, 1 pulp and paper mill 155 Ontario Power Generation (OPG), agreement with 6 First Nations bands St. Marys River Control Works Connecting channel between Lake Superior and Michigan-Huron. 3 hydropower dams, Soo Locks, Compensating Works, fishery dike 2,140 International Lake Superior Board of Control Chicago Diversion Diverts water from Lake Michigan into Mississippi River basin at Chicago 91 US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) St. Clair River Dredging of shipping channels, shore hardening, shifts in sand bars, changes in conveyance 5,210 No controls Welland Canal Bypasses Niagara Falls for commercial shipping 227 St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. Niagara River Minor works for hydropower diversions, no impact on lake levels 6,030 OPG and New York Power Authority, International Niagara Board of Control Moses-Saunders Power Dam and Long Sault Dam From Lake Ontario through St. Lawrence River. Hydropower dam, spillway, seaway 7,370 International Lake Ontario–St. Lawrence River Board Plan  2012  Balancing  Factor Source: Rob Caldwell, Canadian Secretary, International Lake Superior Board of Control.