The International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board says Lake Ontario’s water levels will peak below record levels set in recent years.
While the levels are considered above average, they aren’t at devastating levels, which were observed in 2017 and 2019.
For the last four years, residents have blamed Plan 2014. While the plan has remained in place, outflows have been seriously increased.
“The board has been able to continue increasing Lake Ontario outflows in part, because the Ottawa River has been declining and conditions downstream can now handle additional flow,” the board said in a statement. “These conditions have allowed levels on Lake Ontario to see a much more moderate rise this spring, despite extremely high and sustained inflows from Lake Erie. All four of the upper Great Lakes are at or above record levels, whereas Lake Ontario is well above average, but still well below record levels.”
Periodic reviews of outflows, water levels, and damage will be part of the ongoing process in 2020.
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