Draft Water Quality Plan of Study for Lake of the Woods Basin released for Public Comment

Date

Kenora, ON
July 22, 2014

The International Lake of the Woods Basin Water Quality Plan of Study Team has released a draft Plan of Study today and is inviting public comment.  There will be eight public meetings during the 30 day public comment period, ending Friday, August 22, 2014. 

"We would like to thank the experts working in the basin on these issues, the International Multi Agency Arrangement partners, the International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board and its Community and Industry Advisory Groups and Canadian and U.S. indigenous communities for their contribution to the draft water quality plan of study" said Canadian Study Co-Chair Glenn Benoy.

"Now we need to ground truth the plan to ensure that it addresses the needs of the Basin, first and foremost" noted U.S. Co-Chair Mark Brigham.

Public meetings will be held at the following times and locations:

CANADA

UNITED STATES

Wednesday, August 13

2:30-4pm  Best Western Lakeside Inn

470 1st Ave S, Kenora, ON

Monday, August 11

7-8:30pm Mini-Theatre – Warroad High School

510 Cedar Ave NW, Warroad, MN

Wednesday, August 13

6:30-8pm Ojibways of Onigaming First Nation

703 Kele Mii Kana Rd (off Hwy 71 between Sioux Narrows and Nestor Falls), ON

Tuesday, August 12

Open House

6-9pm Rainy River Community College

1501 Highway 71, International Falls, MN

Thursday, August 14

10-11:30am Economic Development Office

214 Main Street West Atikokan, ON

Thursday, August 14

5:30-7pm  Red Lake Community Centre

 Red Lake, MN

Friday, August 15

3-4:30pm Rainy River Recreation Centre

302 Broadway Ave, Rainy River, ON

Friday, August 15

9-10:30am Vermilion Community College Theatre

1900 East Camp St., Ely, MN

 

Written comments can be submitted to the Study Team through its website at: ijc.org/en_/LWBWQPOS/ or by mail to:       

Kelli Saunders, Secretary, LOWBWQ Study Team

International Watershed Coordinator

47 Donbrock Drive, Kenora, ON Canada

P9N 0A2

 

The draft study was prepared by the International Joint Commission's Lake of the Woods Basin Water Quality Plan of Study Team, following a workshop held this March in conjunction with the Lake of the Woods Water Quality Forum and building on the information in the recently updated State of Basin Report.

The Study Team is developing a Water Quality Plan of Study for the Lake of the Woods Basin in response to a 2012 International Joint Commission recommendation to the federal governments looking at those "priority issues identified by the Task Force for watershed governance action."  It is anticipated that the Study Team will submit a final report to the International Joint Commission in the fall of 2014.   Based on the Study Team's report, the Commission will submit its final report and recommendations to governments.

Contacts:

Study Team:   Kelli Saunders O: 807-548-8002  C: 807-465-4289 SaundersK@ottawa.ijc.org

IJC:       Frank Bevacqua     Washington   202-736-9024   bevacquaf@washington.ijc.org

             Sarah Lobrichon     Ottawa          613-992-5368    lobrichons@ottawa.ijc.org