View of the west arm of Kootenay Lake

International Kootenay Lake Board of Control hosts public information gathering sessions to solicit information for the review of Corra Linn Dam Regulation Order

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The International Kootenay Lake Board of Control (the Board) is holding three public information gathering sessions this December to gather input on potential changes to the regulation of Corra Linn Dam at the outlet of Kootenay Lake. The regulation of Corra Linn Dam is overseen by the International Joint Commission’s (IJC) 1938 Order of Approval which stipulates the conditions for managing Kootenay Lake levels and outflows. The Board oversees that the dam operator, FortisBC, remains in compliance with the IJC’s Order. 

The IJC has directed the Board to review the 1938 Order to consider ways of modernizing the management of Kootenay Lake. The Board will undertake engagements over the coming months with the public, governments, and interested parties in the United States and Canada to gather information on potential changes to the current Order. 

The Board is planning on holding three public information gathering sessions in December: 

  • December 3 –in-person meeting in Bonners Ferry, ID at the Best Western Kootenai River Inn at 6 pm 
  • December 4 – in-person meeting in Nelson, BC at the Prestige Lakeside Resort at 6 pm 

The purpose of these public engagement sessions is threefold for the Board:  

  • to provide the public details of the planned review of the 1938 Order,  

  • to explain the current Order and what could be modernized, and  

  • to receive input from the public on issues for the Board to consider for a new Order of Approval. 

In addition to participating in the engagement sessions, the public is also welcome to provide input to the Board via the Contact form on its website. 

This initial outreach is an information gathering phase for the Board. Once the Board has completed its engagements with various groups in the Kootenay Lake basin, it will synthesize the input received and draft a Plan of Study document proposing the studies needed to inform a recommendation of potential changes to the 1938 Order. This draft document will be shared with the public for review in 2026.  

 

 

Quick Facts 

  • The Plan of Study to review the 1938 Order of Approval is focussed solely on the operation of the Corra Linn Dam at the outlet of Kootenay Lake, and will not consider the management of other dams in the watershed. 
  • The International Joint Commission has two separate projects in the Kootenai/y River basin, one focussed on water pollution undertaken by the International Elk-Kootenai/y Watershed Study Board, and one focussed on Kootenay Lake levels and flows led by the International Kootenay Lake Board of Control. These efforts are separate from one another and the latter is the focus of the public meetings in December. 
  • The Kootenay Lake Visualization Tool is available to the public to better understand the complexities, competing interests, and physical limitations in the management of Kootenay Lake’s water levels.    
  • Real-time hydrologic conditions for the Kootenay (Kootenai) basin can be found at the Canada Water Office website and the US Geological Survey WaterWatch website, with additional information found on the  Fortis BC dam operators website.  
  • You may contact the board through the Contact form on its website.   
  • Stay in touch and subscribe to receive email news updates from the Kootenay Board.  

 

Contacts  

Sonja Michelsen, US Secretary  

Martin Suchy, Canadian Secretary  

International Kootenay Lake Board of Control