International-Rainy Lake of the Woods Watershed Board Introduces Its Water Levels Committee

Date

May 25, 2017 - The International-Rainy Lake of the Woods Watershed Board has three committees; one of which is the Water Levels Committee whose duty it is to ensure compliance with the Orders of the International Joint Commission (IJC) for the operation of the dams on the Rainy River and outlets of Namakan Lake. 

The Orders consist of a rule curve band for Rainy Lake and one for the Namakan chain of lakes, with minimum releases in times of low inflows and all gates open levels in times of high inflows. The rule curves provide an upper and lower limit for the water elevation on these lakes on any day of the year, lower in the winter and higher in the summer. The companies that operate the dams target the middle portion of the rule curves, except when directed otherwise by the Water Levels Committee. The 2000 Orders may be found at: http://ijc.org/rel/boards/rainylake/Order_e.pdf

The Water Levels Committee holds public meetings and notifies the media when major flow events are occurring. During the spring, when water levels are rising from snow melt and rains, the Committee provides the info for weekly radio announcements sponsored by Packaging Corporation of America, one of the dam operators. The committee also maintains a list of people whom it notifies in cases of drastic outflow changes and has a fish spawning protocol to prevent the desiccation of eggs from lowering outflows. 

If you have questions or comments about water levels on Rainy River, Rainy Lake or the Namakan chain of lakes, members of the Water Levels Committee are: 

Colonel Samuel L. Calkins (Co-Chair)  Samuel.L.Calkins@usace.army.mil   651-290-5300 Gail Faveri (Co-Chair)  Gail.Faveri@canada.ca  905-336-6007 Nolan Baratono, International Falls, MN    ngbaratono@paulbunyan.net    

218 206-4046

Kiley Shebagegit, Emo, Ontario k.shebagegit@bellnet.ca   807 482-2479, ext. 237 Scott Jutila, Engineering Advisor   Scott.A.Jutila@usace.army.mil  651-290-5631 Matthew DeWolfe, Engineering Advisor mdewolfe@lwcb.ca    613-943-8073

 

The water levels on Lake of the Woods are regulated by the Lake of the Woods Control Board, which may be reached by calling 1-800-661-5922 or e-mailing to secretariat@lwcb.ca. Their web site is: https://www.lwcb.ca/ 

In addition, a provision of the 2000 Consolidated Orders calls for an evaluation of the rule curves for Rainy Lake and Namakan chain of lakes after 15 years. The IJC established the International Rainy and Namakan Lakes Rule Curve Review Study Board to undertake this evaluation. The Study Board’s draft report, including its draft recommendations for altering the existing rule curve, is available for public comment until June 1st at: http://www.participateijc.org/rainy-and-namakan-lakes-rule-curves-study-board. 

The International Joint Commission (IJC) created the International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board in January 2013, from an amalgamation of the International Rainy Lake Board of Control and the International Rainy River Water Pollution Board, with added water quality responsibilities for the broader Rainy-Lake of the Woods watershed. The Board assists with binational coordination of water quality efforts for the entire transboundary watershed and ensures compliance with the IIJC’s Order on the regulation of water levels on Rainy Lake and the Namakan chain of lakes. The home page for the International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board is: http://ijc.org/en_/RLWWB/International_Rainy-Lake_of_the_Woods_Watershed_Board

The IJC (http://ijc.org/en_/) was established under the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 to help the United States and Canada prevent and resolve disputes over the use of the waters the two countries share. Under the Treaty, the IJC is responsible for regulating shared water uses, investigating trans-boundary water issues and recommending solutions to both governments.

 

Contact: Gail Faveri (Co-Chair)   Gail.Faveri@canada.ca  905-336-6007