121R
Governance, water quality, quantity
A reference that the IJC examine bi-national governance of the Lake of the Woods and Rainy River. The International Joint Commission created the International Lake of the Woods and Rainy River Watershed Task Force (Task Force) on July 13, 2010, to examine and report to the IJC on the matters raised by the governments. The Task Force issued its final report to the IJC on July 15, 2011, and the Commission held public hearings and received comments on the Task Force report from July 21, 2011 to August 31, 2011 and issued its final report Feb 2, 2012.
IJC recommended the amalgamation of the existing Rainy River Basin Boards (Control and Pollution), into an International Watershed Board with a new water quality mandate on Lakes of the Woods, bi-national studies on transboundary water quality and water-level regulation of Lake of the Woods and a Watershed Summit convened by the IJC. The governments accepted the recommendations, but did not agree to a water level study or a Summit at the time.