Water Levels and Flows

IJC abandons gutless plan for dam

Following public comment that chastised the International Joint Commission for selecting a plan that would continue the devastation of St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario coastal habitat, the IJC has withdrawn their proposed management plan in favour of finding a more environmentally responsible choice.

In a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Irene Brooks, U.S. Chair of the IJC, writes, “the Commission has determined that Plan 2007 is not a practical option for implementation and concludes that the regulation of water levels and flows should be based on a revised set of goals and objectives and criteria, specifically moving towards more natural flows to benefit the environment, while respecting other interests.”

A central criterion for the current management plan of the Moses-Saunders dam is to minimize water level fluctuations above the dam in order to protect property owners along the shores. However, seasonal water fluctuations are critical for the health of near-shore marshes. The IJC’s proposed plan did little to address this issue, essentially maintaining the status quo.

Great Lakes United, its allies and citizens from across the region favoured a different plan, termed B+, which better maintained seasonal fluctuations while also protecting property owners.

In response to the public comment, the IJC will be forming a working group composed of government representatives from Canada the United States. The working group will draft a new plan that reflects the comments of the public calling for a more natural flow to water through the dam.

While the decision by the IJC is a win for those working to protect Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River ecoystems, the about-face by the IJC has some questioning the competency of the organization. In an editorial, the Watertown Daily News writes,

“The International Joint Commission’s decision to shelve its own controversial Plan 2007 to regulate Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River water levels comes as a relief, given the long-term repercussions of the plan. However, the latest development in an eight-year saga casts doubts on the IJC’s efficacy, especially when coupled with a simultaneous report questioning the quality of a second IJC-funded study.”

In a report released earlier this year, John Jackson and Karen Kraft Sloan discussed the diminishing role of the IJC. In it, they write, “Unfortunately, there is currently a strong and near unanimous opinion that the IJC is not adequately fulfilling its responsibilities.” According to Jackson and Sloan, a key challenge for the IJC has been to negotiate its role to protect the environment while dealing with the political nature of its existence.

© 2009 Great Lakes News.