Water Levels
Water levels rise and fall in seasonal cycles. Spring time yields high water because melting snow moves through the watershed and eventually ends up in the St. Lawrence. Fall time typically has low water because there is no excess water moving through the watershed.
Water levels also fluctuate on a long-term basis in response to persistent wet or dry conditions that may last for a number of years. Since the 1950s, the St. Lawrence River has had a 20-year cycle where roughly every 20 years, the water levels are higher throughout the year.
Since this body of water is significant to both New York and Ontario for drinking water, scenic beauty, recreation, and the economy, forming organizations like the International Join Commission make it possible to collaborate on the usage of this important resource.
The International Joint Commission
Since this body of water is significant to both New York and Ontario for drinking water, scenic beauty, recreation, and the economy, forming organizations like the International Join Commission make it possible to collaborate on the usage of this important resource.
The high water level events of 2017 and 2019 were caused by years of record precipitation in addition to the precipice of the 20-year high-water cycle. Save The River has been advocating for the International Joint Commission (IJC) to continue increased outflows at the Moses-Saunders Dam as long as conditions allow. This advocacy is done in an attempt to bring relief to riparians and shoreline business owners who have endured the high water
Additionally, we support the accelerated review of Plan 2014 by the Great Lakes Adaptive Management committee (GLAM) with hopes of fine-tuning the long term management plan that protects the River’s ecosystem and continues to enrich the lives of human residents.
The International Joint Commission (IJC) has provided this website to help answer FAQs about the 2017 & 2019 High Water Events.
Additional Water Level Resources
- Comparison of Regulation Plans Under Extremely Wet Conditions – ILOSRLB
- NOAA Current River Conditions Buoy – Alexandria Bay – Current weather conditions, water temperatures and more
- Monthly Water Level Bulletin – Government of Canada
- History of Water Gauges – NOAA
- Monitoring the State of the St. Lawrence River – Government of Canada
- For more information on our advocacy work, click here.
Latest Water Level News
IJC invites public comment on Phase 1 of the Plan 2014 Expedited Review
IJC invites public comment on Phase 1 of the Plan 2014 Expedited Review for Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River The International Joint Commission (IJC) today released for public
IJC – Seeks Input on Efforts to Help Recreational Boaters – Act Now!
The IJC is doing a survey of boat owners to determine the results of their brief deviation to raise water levels to help boat owners haul their boats. If you
Final Public Workshop on Resiliency Planning for Shoreline Communities along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River
Residents, property owners, business owners, and all interested parties are encouraged to join a virtual Public Workshop on Tuesday, November 9th, 6:00-7:30 pm. This is the third and final workshop
IJC Continues to Assess Water Level Conditions on the St. Lawrence River for Potential Boat Haul Out Assistance
There are approximately 700 marina and boat club slips, and hundreds of private docks located along the shores of Lake St. Lawrence. Recreational boaters who navigate the St. Lawrence River,
Save The Date! The Ups and Downs of Great Lakes Water Levels
The Ups and Downs of Great Lakes Water Levels – A talk by Dr. Andrew Gronewold, P.E. Join us on Thursday, September 9th, 2021 at the Clayton Opera House for
Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Current and Forecast Conditions – Virtual Public Presentation
Here are the latest recordings from virtual public meetings held by the the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board June 15: https://vimeo.com/565605954 June 17: https://vimeo.com/564809591 The board also released the following additional