On May 1, 2009, the International Upper Great Lakes Study (IUGLS) released the draft report -
Impacts on Upper Great Lakes Water Levels: St. Clair River - for
public comment.
On
May 15, 2009, IUGLS released
Volume 2 of the draft report, project
summaries, providing a concise description of underlying technical documents.
The DRAFT report answers important
questions posed by the International Joint Commission (IJC)
regarding the St. Clair River system:
- Has the conveyance or water-carrying capacity of the St. Clair River changed, and if so, why?
- What effect could an altered flow have on water levels in the upper Great Lakes?
- What other factors (such as climate) may be affecting the change in water levels?
- What actions, if any, should be taken by governments to remedy concerns about low water levels?
After incorporating public comments (click here for a schedule of meetings and
here for instructions on how to comment) and the results of additional research, the Study Board will finalize the report for transmission to the IJC in the fall of 2009.
Funded equally by the U.S. and Canadian governments, the Study is being conducted by the bi-national, independent International Upper Great Lakes Study Board at the request of the IJC under the authority of the Boundary Waters Treaty. This draft report is the first output of the Study, which will continue to examine whether the regulation plan for outflows from Lake Superior through the compensating works and power dams on the St. Marys River at Sault Ste. Marie might be improved to take into consideration changing interests and changing climate. The final report of the Study is expected early in 2012.
Three New Public Meetings Announced
