According to a statement from the International Joint Commission, water levels in Lake Ontario have begun to decline more rapidly.
The news, which will come as a good thing for shoreline residents, is because of continued record-high outflows, declining inflows and drier weather across the basin.
Lake Ontario’s water levels remain at record-highs for this time of the year, but have decreased 29 cms since June 13 according to the IJC.
Lake Ontario has been dropping at a rate of about 1 cm (0.4 in) per day since August 2, and after some scattered rainfall, drier weather is expected to return, allowing lake levels to continue to decline.
As of Wednesday, a new record has been reached for consecutive days of record high outflows at the Moses-Saunders dam in Cornwall at 10,400 meters cubed per second.
The Board is acutely aware and concerned for the welfare of the many affected shoreline property and business owners, as well as the shoreline environmental damage and other impacts of the continuing high water levels. The Boards’ current regulation strategy includes deviations from the prescribed flows of Plan 2014 with the specific intention of maximizing the rate of relief that lower water levels will provide to those affected.
Information on hydrologic conditions, water levels and outflows, including graphics and photos, are available on the Board’s website and posted to the Board’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/InternationalLakeOntarioStLawrenceRiverBoard and more detailed information is available on its website at https://www.ijc.org/en/loslrb
