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