The National Weather Service has begun changing maps, forecasts, websites and other materials to use “Lake America” in place of Lake Ontario, bringing President Donald Trump’s federal renaming order directly into one of the government services most frequently used by residents across Upstate New York.
In a public information statement issued Monday, the National Weather Service said it is implementing Executive Order 14422 and working to update naming conventions “as quickly as possible” across its online maps, weather products, websites and other materials. The agency said the transition will happen in phases and that it will exercise caution to avoid disruptions to weather operations.
The move represents another practical expansion of the Aug. 27 executive order beyond federal geographic databases. Trump’s order directed the Interior Department and U.S. Board on Geographic Names to establish Lake America as the federal name for Lake Ontario and required federal agencies to use the new terminology in maps, contracts, documents and communications. (The White House)
For communities along the southern and eastern shores of the lake, the National Weather Service change could make the federal name considerably more visible. Lake Ontario is regularly referenced in marine forecasts, shoreline warnings, weather discussions and other products used by boaters, emergency officials, local governments and residents.
Weather products will change gradually
The National Weather Service did not provide a single date when all references to Lake Ontario will disappear from its products.
Instead, the agency said users should expect a phased implementation as systems, services and documentation are updated. Additional Service Change Notices will be issued when necessary to explain modifications to specific weather products or services.
That approach reflects one of the complications surrounding the federal order: changing a geographic name in a central federal database does not automatically update every system that relies on it.
The White House order gave the Interior Department 30 days to work with the Board on Geographic Names to establish Lake America and update the federal Geographic Names Information System. It also directed federal agencies to use the new name going forward. (The White House)
Google Maps has already begun displaying Lake America to users in the United States after the federal geographic database was updated. Apple Maps continued using Lake Ontario when FingerLakes1.com reviewed the platforms late last month, while MapQuest said publicly that it would retain the Lake Ontario name. (Fingerlakes1.com)
The result is an increasingly fragmented naming system in which federal agencies and some private platforms use Lake America while New York governments, Canadian officials and other mapping services continue to use Lake Ontario.
New York governments aren’t required to follow the federal change
Trump’s order does not require New York state, counties, cities or towns to adopt Lake America.
That distinction is becoming increasingly important as local governments along the shoreline consider how they will respond.
Wayne County supervisors are scheduled Tuesday to consider a resolution declaring the county’s preference to continue using Lake Ontario in county communications and documents. The proposal cites the lake’s historical and regional importance, its role in communities on both sides of the Canadian border and the potential cost to governments and businesses of changing signs, publications and branding. (Fingerlakes1.com)
If adopted, Wayne County would recognize the federal government’s naming authority while formally maintaining Lake Ontario for its own purposes.
Oswego Mayor Robert Corradino has similarly said the city does not plan to replace its Lake Ontario signs, maps, tourism materials or branding. He cited both the lake’s historical identity and the cost of changing materials carrying the existing name. (Fingerlakes1.com)
The executive order also does not change the U.S.-Canada border, Great Lakes treaties, shipping rights, environmental agreements or jurisdiction over the lake. Canada continues to call the international body of water Lake Ontario. (Fingerlakes1.com)
Gillibrand, Morelle seek to reverse the change
Members of New York’s congressional delegation are also trying to block the renaming.
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat, announced plans earlier this month to introduce the Hands Off Our Great Lakes Act, which would nullify Trump’s Lake America order, prevent its implementation and prohibit federal money from being spent to carry it out.
U.S. Rep. Joe Morelle, a Rochester-area Democrat whose district borders Lake Ontario, introduced companion legislation in the House. The proposal would also prevent the executive branch from unilaterally changing the names of the other four Great Lakes. Neither measure had completed the legislative process when it was announced. (Fingerlakes1.com)
The legislation has not stopped federal agencies from implementing Trump’s order in the meantime.
The National Weather Service announcement Monday shows that process continuing even as the political challenge develops.
State Sen. Pam Helming, a Republican whose Finger Lakes district includes communities near Lake Ontario, has also criticized the name change. Helming said earlier this month that changing the lake’s name does not address trade and economic problems facing American workers and businesses and pointed to the Indigenous history behind the Ontario name. (Fingerlakes1.com)
A centuries-old name could remain common despite federal change
Lake Ontario’s name has Indigenous origins and predates both the United States and the Canadian province that later took the Ontario name.
Historical accounts differ on the precise Indigenous word and translation, but variants of Ontario appeared in records during the 1600s, and the name was well established in geographic use by the 18th century. (Fingerlakes1.com)
That history, combined with the fact that state and local governments are not required to adopt the federal name, means Lake Ontario could remain widely used even as Lake America becomes standard throughout federal systems.
The National Weather Service announcement nevertheless makes the change harder for New Yorkers to avoid in routine interactions with the federal government. As the transition proceeds, residents may begin seeing Lake America in federal forecasts, marine products and online weather maps while continuing to encounter Lake Ontario on county documents, local signs, Canadian materials and other mapping services.
For now, the Weather Service says users should expect those changes to appear gradually as it updates its products without disrupting weather operations.
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