Outflows for the month of February are expected to set a new record according to the International Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River Board.
The Board agreed late last week to continue deviating from Plan 2014 and maximize outflows at the Moses Saunders Dam in Cornwall through to March 31.
The 2020 navigation season will open on April 1, allowing outflows to continue in excess of the prescribed safe limits for navigation.
Ice cover on the St. Lawrence River has been below normal throughout the winter, and mild weather over the past several weeks continued to provide favourable conditions to release exceptionally high outflows from Lake Ontario.
Nonetheless, with high levels of Lake Ontario and the upper Great Lakes continuing, the risk of high water this spring remains elevated according to the Board.
The Board will continue releasing high outflows in the coming weeks by maximizing outflows.
