News clips: IJC announcement on low water levels
Fix water levels in Huron, Michigan: IJC
The international agency tasked with monitoring the quantity and quality of water in the Great Lakes is recommending governments take steps to address record low water levels in lakes Michigan and Huron.
However, at least one group advocating for action questions whether the recommendations will adequately address the long-term issues facing the Great Lakes — especially Huron and Michigan.
On Friday, the International Joint Commission released its response to the Upper Great Lakes Study with one surprising — and unexpected — recommendation.
While it supported the study board’s recommendations to implement an adaptive management plan for the Great Lakes, and revise the regulation plan for Lake Superior outflows, it is also advising the Canadian and United States governments to investigate structural options to restore water levels in the middle lakes.
While all five Great Lakes are experiencing low water levels, Huron and Michigan saw new record low water levels set in December and January, while the level in February skirted just over the record low set in 1965.
Water levels in the Great Lakes have been recorded since 1918.
John Nevin, the public information officer for the commission, said the IJC heard from thousands of people in the Georgian Bay area whose lives are being impacted by low water levels last summer.
“We heard very strongly from the public that they are interested in having something done because the water levels are in trouble and tourism is down,” he said. “There is really serious implications because of low water levels and the commission got that level loud and clear.”
Nevin said the commission is proposing a structural option that is flexible for both high and low levels. One proposal is a steel gate at the channel in the Canadian side of the St. Clair River. However, he says the IJC is not proposing a specific option, but urging the governments to do the engineering and environmental work to determine what a good flexible option would be.
Nevin said we can’t assume levels will continue to be low in the future.
“While levels are low right now one of the findings in the study is the scientists do expect the levels on average to be lower… we will still in the future see a range of averages that we have in the past, highs and lows, and that’s why they are recommending a flexible structure, because you don’t want to flood people,” he said.
As an example, he said the water levels have risen eight inches in the past three weeks, meeting last year’s average, and the snow hasn’t even begun melting yet because of the cold temperatures.
The IJC is recommending water levels in Michigan and Huron be restored by 13-to-25 centimetres — as well as that government undertake a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis and a detailed environmental study. According to a news release from the commission, the IJC is encouraging governments to “focus on options that would not exacerbate future high water levels but that would provide relief during periods of low water.
“Although future water levels are uncertain, we cannot ignore the damage from record low water levels,” said Joe Comuzzi, Canadian chair of the Commission. “From Georgian Bay to Door County, from shoreline property owners to the shipping industry, we heard calls for action, and we urge governments to act in response to our recommendations.”
“While the improvements are modest, the new regulation plan for Lake Superior outflows is better for the environment, better for navigation and better for hydropower production,” added Rich Moy, U.S. Commissioner. “But all stakeholders need to be aware that changes in regulation are not the answer to the extremely low levels we are experiencing right now.”
The recommendation was somewhat of a surprise groups advocating for action on low water levels.
Nicola Crawhall, the deputy-director for the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, said the recommendation to act on water levels in the middle Great Lakes was “notable.
“They’re recommending to do something about water levels, and by how much… and that was one of our criticisms,” she said. “Adaptive management looks good, but what are you doing about the crisis… it’s like rearranging the deck chairs.
“But quite rightly, it’s an issue for the two federal governments to deal with, and we’ll see how they respond — but we’re welcoming the fact the (IJC) is highlighting it,” she said.
However, Crawhall acknowledged immediate action on water levels is not possible, and a solution could be several years down the road.
“There won’t be rapid action, but it’s progress, that we can say something will be done,” she said.
She noted mayors in the Georgian Bay region have been lobbying the federal and provincial governments for a financial aid program that will help businesses and municipalities adjust to lower water levels.
“They’re doing good work, calculating the cost of doing business,” she said. “There is an impact on the economy, and putting it into cold, hard dollars is hard to ignore.”
Collingwood’s mayor, Sandra Cooper, says mayors in the Georgian Bay region will be taking their case study on the economic impact to Members of Parliament on Monday — including Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird.
“We’ve been pulling together a lot of the data on the impact on economic development,” said Cooper, who is also a member of the GLSLCI. “On the American side, they seem to be putting a lot of money into this.”
However, David Sweetnam, executive director of Georgian Bay Forever, says the IJC should heed the words of commissioner Lana Pollack, who chose not to sign the report because, in her view, it places insufficient emphasis on climate change and the need for governments to pursue and fund adaptive management strategies in the basin.
“(Pollack) is very spot-on, and really understands the issue,” said Sweetnam. “Restoration of water levels was something we looked at, but we realized it won’t solve the problem. Multi-lake regulation is needed, but it’s not a recommendation that’s being pursued.”
The Commission is calling upon governments to better coordinate the binational collection of climate-related data and strengthen climate change modelling capacity to help improve water management, an approach that’s expected to underpin the adaptive management framework recommended by the study board. The Commission will issue specific recommendations regarding adaptive management for the Great Lakes system following its deliberation of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence River Adaptive Management Task Team final report.
However, the IJC’s recommendations are only directed to how to use scientific information to prepare for extreme water levels and storms, while the approach of Georgian Bay Forever has been for government to actively address climate change.
In the IJC’s release, Pollack also cautioned against raising “false hopes that structures in the St. Clair River, if built, would be sufficient to resolve the suffering from low water levels of Lake Michigan-Huron, while at the same time causing possible disruption downstream in Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie.”
Sweetnam also questions whether an approach that looks at restoring water levels by only 13 centimetres in Huron and Michigan is enough.
“Five inches (13 cm) of restoration is insignificant, when the (middle) lakes are down six feet,” Sweetnam said. “You can’t give false hope in the face of climate change… when you’re looking out 80-to-90 years, what are you going to do to have real impact, to create more certainty.”
He noted that the rate of post-glacial rebound — the ‘bouncing back’ of the earth’s crust after the Ice Age — would likely outpace, and negate, the effects of restoring levels to that recommended by the IJC.
“They are throwing a bone to people,” he said. “If they’re not working on the right solutions, it will be a waste of time and money, and they’ll end up realizing in 10 years that they’re not addressing the issues, and we’ll be back at the trough.”
Sweetnam said his hope is that once the experts begin to examine the issue, “they’ll… come to the same conclusions.”
IJC Improves Regulation Plan for Lake Superior (USA)
Dredging Today Apr 29th, 2013
The International Joint Commission advised the governments of Canada and the United States, by letter dated April 15, 2013, that it will implement this year an improved plan for regulating Lake Superior outflows at Sault Ste. Marie.
The new plan, Lake Superior Regulation Plan 2012, provides additional benefits compared to current regulation, especially during extreme water supply conditions.
In addition, the Commission recommends that the governments of Canada and the United States investigate structural options to restore water levels in Lake Michigan-Huron by 13 to 25 centimeters (about 5 to 10 inches), including a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis and a detailed environmental impact study. Specifically, the Commission encouraged governments to focus on options that would not exacerbate future high water levels but that would provide relief during periods of low water.
“Although future water levels are uncertain, we cannot ignore the damage from record low water levels,” said Joe Comuzzi, Canadian chair of the Commission. “From Georgian Bay to Door County, from shoreline property owners to the shipping industry, we heard calls for action, and we urge governments to act in response to our recommendations.”
“While the improvements are modest, the new regulation plan for Lake Superior outflows is better for the environment, better for navigation and better for hydropower production,” said Rich Moy, U.S. Commissioner. “But all stakeholders need to be aware that changes in regulation are not the answer to the extremely low levels we are experiencing right now.”
The Commission endorses the Study Board’s modelling and monitoring recommendations recognizing that critical information and tools are needed to adaptively manage this dynamic system.
Dredging in the St. Clair River to provide access for deep-draft freighters into the upper Great Lakes has led to more water flowing out of Michigan and Huron and, ultimately, out to the Atlantic Ocean.
IJC improves regulation plan for Lake Superior outflows
Recommends action to investigate restoration of Lake Michigan-Huron levels
IJC news release April 26 2013
The International Joint Commission advised the governments of Canada and the United States, by letter dated April 15, 2013, that it will implement this year an improved plan for regulating Lake Superior outflows at Sault Ste. Marie. The new plan, Lake Superior Regulation Plan 2012, provides additional benefits compared to current regulation, especially during extreme water supply conditions.
In addition, the Commission recommends that the governments of Canada and the United States investigate structural options to restore water levels in Lake Michigan-Huron by 13 to 25 centimeters (about 5 to 10 inches), including a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis and a detailed environmental impact study. Specifically, the Commission encouraged governments to focus on options that would not exacerbate future high water levels but that would provide relief during periods of low water.
“Although future water levels are uncertain, we cannot ignore the damage from record low water levels,” said Joe Comuzzi, Canadian chair of the Commission. “From Georgian Bay to Door County, from shoreline property owners to the shipping industry, we heard calls for action, and we urge governments to act in response to our recommendations.”
“While the improvements are modest, the new regulation plan for Lake Superior outflows is better for the environment, better for navigation and better for hydropower production,” said Rich Moy, U.S. Commissioner. “But all stakeholders need to be aware that changes in regulation are not the answer to the extremely low levels we are experiencing right now.”
The Commission endorses the Study Board’s modelling and monitoring recommendations recognizing that critical information and tools are needed to adaptively manage this dynamic system.
In order to better understand how future water supplies may affect water levels, the Commission calls upon governments to better coordinate the binational collection of climate-related data and strengthen climate change modelling capacity to help improve water management. This approach underpins the adaptive management framework recommended by the Study so that decision-makers at all levels of government have the tools and processes to make informed decisions. The Commission will issue specific recommendations regarding adaptive management for the Great Lakes system following its deliberation of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence River Adaptive Management Task Team final report. (more information available at ijc.org/boards/stlawrencerivertaskteam).
“Meeting the ongoing challenges of extreme low and high levels on the Great Lakes should be guided by robust adaptive management to inform decisions, at all levels, with the best information and full community engagement,”said Dereth Glance, U.S. Commissioner. “Our goal is for stakeholders throughout the Great Lakes to become engaged in the process and use the latest scientific information to prepare for extreme water levels and storms.”
“We commend and thank the Study Board and the more than 200 experts who worked on this project,” said Lyall Knott, Canadian Commissioner. “Their report advances scientific knowledge and provides governments with a solid basis for action.”
Lana Pollack, U.S. chair of the Commission, chose not to sign the Commission report because, in her view, it places insufficient emphasis on climate change and the need for governments to pursue and fund adaptive management strategies in the basin. She also cautioned against raising “false hopes that structures in the St. Clair River, if built, would be sufficient to resolve the suffering from low water levels of Lake Michigan-Huron, while at the same time causing possible disruption downstream in Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie.”
The International Joint Commission’s advice to governments is in response to the findings and recommendations of the International Upper Great Lakes Study. Originally focused on updating the regulation plan for Lake Superior outflows, the five-year Study was expanded to include an examination of whether physical changes in the St. Clair River were affecting the level of Lake Michigan-Huron. At an exploratory level, the Study also looked at various engineering options for restoring Lake Michigan-Huron levels, including approximate construction costs and both positive and negative impacts.
Prior to making these recommendations to the governments, the Commission thoroughly reviewed more than 3,500 comments received from the public, including those provided at 13 public hearings held throughout the upper Great Lakes basin last summer (all comments available at ijc.org/iuglsreport/). Further information about the study, including technical documents, peer reviews and a “decision tree” tool describing how the Study Board reached its findings and recommendations are available at www.iugls.org.
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