Challenges for the River and Great Lakes
Defining the border between upstate New York and Canada, the Upper St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario provide drinking water, scenic beauty, recreation, and economic opportunities for millions of people in both countries.
With the high water events of 2017 and 2019 caused by years of record precipitation and another likely in 2020, 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 of two of the past three years.
Save The River also supports 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
- Town of Clayton Cams – A live look at the River from the Clayton Harbor Municipal Marina (adjacent to the 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel)
Sign up for Save The River’s email updates to stay up-to-date on the latest water levels news.
2020 Water Levels Advocacy