International Watersheds Initiative Projects

The International Joint Commission’s boards in watersheds along the US-Canada border carry out International Watersheds Initiative (IWI) projects to promote communication, conduct scientific studies and contribute to the resolution of watershed issues. Projects are developed by a board and reviewed by Commission staff. All projects are consistent with the board’s mandate and meet the objectives of the IWI. Learn more about the International Watersheds Initiative.

Displaying 1 - 50 of 99.

Anadromous Fish Counts in the St. Croix River - 2024

Year
2024
Project Description
Fish counting at Milltown Dam has been in place since 1981 and was a means of and is a method of establishing an approximate count of the anadromous fish entering the St. Croix River at the lowermost dam located in St. Stephen, NB. Milltown Dam will be fully decommissioned in June 2024. With the...
Content type
IWI Project
International St. Croix River Watershed Board

Maritime-Maine Joint Partnership for Sustainable Border Fisheries
Year
2024
Project Description
Located along the St. Croix international waterway between New Brunswick and Maine, East Grand Lake is critical to local communities and supports one of the region’s top sport fisheries. The lake contains a unique and diverse assemblage of cold-water species that support an economically and...
Content type
IWI Project
IJC

Objectives and alert levels in the Rainy-Lake of the Woods Basin: Phase II
Year
2023
Project Description
The International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board is mandated to recommend objectives for boundary waters, to select and establish alert levels, identify potential problems for boundary waters, and to report on exceedances of these and trends of water quality and aquatic ecosystem health...
Content type
IWI Project
International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board

Re-establishing a relationship between the Lake Superior Board of Control and Batchewana First Nation
Year
2023
Project Description
This project aimed to re-establish the relationship between the International Lake Superior Board of Control (ISLBC) and the Batchewana First Nations (BFN). The BFN are directly impacted by the IJC’s actions in the Sault Ste. Maurie area. Whitefish Island is part of the BFN as seen from their long...
Content type
IWI Project
International Lake Superior Board of Control

An analysis of water management requirements in the International St. Croix River Watershed (Phase 1)

Year
2022
Project Description
Several different entities and governments, including the IJC, are responsible for the management of, and setting regulations, permits and other requirements for the waterbodies within the St. Croix River watershed. This means that for many water users, managing water conditions to meet various...
Content type
IWI Project
International St. Croix River Watershed Board

Assessing vulnerability of waters to Mining in the Rainy Lake of the Woods watershed
Year
2022
Project Description
The past, present and future impacts of mining in the Rainy-Lake of the Woods / Rainy River basin has been a topic of concern for the International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board (IRLWWB) for many years. The concerns of the board have been raised to the International Joint Commission (IJC)...
Content type
IWI Project
International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board

Isotope Monitoring and Water Balance Assessment of the St. Mary’s/Milk River basins
Year
2022
Project Description
This project will continue the development of a long-term stable isotope monitoring network for the St. Mary and Milk River basins that supports source water separation and identification. A coupled isotope-hydrologic model of the basins will be applied to simulate isotopic separations and source...
Content type
IWI Project
IJC

Kootenay Lake Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment
Year
2022
Project Description
Climate change has many impacts on watersheds, such as raising or lowering water levels and altering anticipated runoff volumes. It is critical that these changes are analyzed using plans created by climate change professionals in order to ensure the right factors are being assessed and planned for...
Content type
IWI Project
International Kootenay Lake Board of Control

Lake of the Woods - Southern Shore Barrier Island Erosion Investigation
Year
2022
Project Description
Due to numerous factors, the sediments at Pine, Curry and Sable Islands, located within the International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed, are eroding. This erosion has reduced the size of these islands and without determining the cause(s) of erosion, these islands are at risk of further...
Content type
IWI Project
International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board

Osoyoos Lake Water Science Forum 2022
Year
2022
Project Description
The Osoyoos Lake Water Science Forum provides an opportunity for residents of the Okanogan/Okanagan watershed to learn about water management, climate change and the ecology of Osoyoos Lake and the broader Okanagan/Okanogan transboundary watershed. It provides a forum for resource managers, policy...
Content type
IWI Project
International Osoyoos Lake Board of Control

Supporting Alewife Restoration in the St. Croix Watershed Anadromous Fish Assessments in 2023
Year
2022
Project Description
Fish counting at Milltown Dam has been in place since 1981 and is a method of establishing an approximate count of the anadromous fish entering the St. Croix River at the lowermost dam located in St. Stephen, NB. With the increasing numbers of fish in the last several years and potential for large...
Content type
IWI Project
International St. Croix River Watershed Board

Supporting Alewife Restoration in the St. Croix Watershed - Anadromous Fish Telemetry Assessments
Year
2022
Project Description
Since 1981, fish counting at the most downstream dam on the St. Croix River has provided a reliable annual estimate of the number of anadromous fish returning to the watershed. NB Power’s Milltown Dam at St. Stephen NB has been an ideal site to measure progress of international efforts to restore...
Content type
IWI Project
International St. Croix River Watershed Board

Understanding Water Quality Stresses and Recent Trends in the St. Croix River Watershed
Year
2022
Project Description
This project is a 3-year study to better understand stressors affecting water quality in the St. Croix River watershed including nutrient concentrations and their distribution. It will also inform enhanced water quality monitoring in the basin. Overall, the project will help to: (1) rank stress in...
Content type
IWI Project
IJC

Bathymetry Mapping for U.S. Osoyoos Lake
Year
2021
Project Description
This project complements an existing project conducted by the Okanagan Basin Watershed Board (OBWB) to collect near-shore bathymetry data over the Canadian portion of Osoyoos Lake, upstream connecting water bodies, and Okanagan Lake. This project extends the OBWB’s work area to include the U.S...
Content type
IWI Project
IJC

History, Frequency, and Processes Contributing to Ice Jams on Osoyoos Lake
Year
2021
Project Description
The southern end of Osoyoos Lake and the outlet of Osoyoos Lake and Zosel Dam have become increasingly prone to ice jams in recent years. This has led to increased lake levels and decreased discharge downstream which has negatively impacted local salmon populations. This project will complete a...
Content type
IWI Project
International Osoyoos Lake Board of Control

Rainy-Lake of the Woods State of the Basin Report (SOBR) 2022
Year
2021
Project Description
This project is to produce a Rainy-Lake of the Woods State of the Basin Report (SOBR) 2021 update in a binational project partnership of the Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation (a not-for-profit Registered Charitable Organization), the International Multi-Agency Arrangement (a...
Content type
IWI Project
International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board

Supporting Wastewater Utility Nutrient Voluntary Performance Improvement Through Training and Technical Assistance in the Red River Basin
Year
2021
Project Description
The International Joint Commission has recommended to the governments of Canada and the USA adopt objectives and targets for nitrogen and phosphorus at the Red River international boundary to help address eutrophication concerns in the Red River and Lake Winnipeg. These objectives and targets, while...
Content type
IWI Project
International Red River Watershed Board

Supporting Alewife Restoration in the St. Croix Watershed - Anadromous Fish Counts at Milltown Dam
Year
2021
Project Description
Fish counting at Milltown Dam has been in place since 1981 and is a method of establishing an approximate count of the anadromous fish entering the St. Croix River at the lowermost dam located in St. Stephen, NB and operated by NB Power Milltown Hydro Power Generating Station (Milltown Dam). This...
Content type
IWI Project
International St. Croix River Watershed Board

Understanding Recent and Historic Isotope Signatures in the Milk River
Year
2021
Project Description
This project analyzed existing historic isotopic data obtained for the region and previously catalogued by the proponent and contrast these data with data collected in 2020, representing the first time in over 100 years that water isotopic signatures on the Milk River were derived solely from its...
Content type
IWI Project
Accredited Officers of the St. Mary and Milk Rivers

IWI Communication Video
Year
2020
Project Description
The video focuses on the IWI program, including a brief history of how the IWI began, a description of how the program functions and an overview of the benefits/value added of the program. The videos purpose is to enhance the visibility of the IWI program to the public on the IJC website and social...
Content type
IWI Project
IJC

Kootenay Lake Visualization Tool
Year
2020
Project Description
The purpose of this project was to design and develop a visualization tool to illustrate the river profile downstream of Kootenay Lake given certain inflow, outflow, and lake level conditions. The information is presented through a user-friendly, interactive, web-based, dynamic visualization tool...
Content type
IWI Project
International Kootenay Lake Board of Control

Osoyoos Lake Climate Change Vulnerability: Phase 2 – Merging Similkameen/ Okanagan Basin Hydrologic Models
Year
2020
Project Description
As climate change influences the conditions in the Osoyoos Lake Basin, it is important for the International Osoyoos Lake Board of Control to better understand how hydrologic conditions resulting from future climate scenarios interact with the current lake-level rule curve and drought criteria...
Content type
IWI Project
International Osoyoos Lake Board of Control

Understanding Water Quality Stresses and Recent Trends in the St. Croix River Watershed
Year
2020
Project Description
The project would be a 4-year study to better understand stressors affecting water quality within the St. Croix River, and to undertake enhanced water quality monitoring in the river with a particular focus on understanding nutrient concentrations and distribution in the watershed.
Content type
IWI Project
International St. Croix River Watershed Board

AIS Risk Assessment for Rainy – Lake of the Woods Watershed: Phase I, Coarse Filter
Year
2019
Project Description
The Rainy-Lake of the Woods Basin is a popular tourist destination close to several large water systems meaning there is ample passageway for aquatic invasive species (AIS) to enter. When this project was proposed, there was a lack of consistent AIS prevention efforts across jurisdictions, which...
Content type
IWI Project
International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board

St. Croix International Gage Web Map
Year
2019
Project Description
There is currently no streamlined on-line system for the pubic or internal users to view all data collected within the St. Croix River Watershed. The USGS and Environment Canada both collect data within the watershed, however, their separate viewing systems are not identical or linked in any way...
Content type
IWI Project
International St. Croix River Watershed Board

Drought Risk Analysis of Stochastically Generated Streamflow for the Red River Basin
Year
2019
Project Description
The Red River is susceptible to periods of dry conditions that have the potential to adversely impact ecological conditions and water supply. The project is aligned with the International Red River Board’s work plan by improving water quantity knowledge for water quantity apportionment and Instream...
Content type
IWI Project
International Red River Watershed Board

St Mary-Milk Rivers Consumptive Use Study – Remote Sensing Component
Year
2019
Project Description
The primary goal of this project is to develop a historical database representing annual or sub-annual evapotranspiration (ET) totals in the Milk and St. Mary River basins from 1982-2018 using remote sensing. This database will lay the foundation for the establishment of a remote sensing tool to...
Content type
IWI Project
Accredited Officers of the St. Mary and Milk Rivers

Monitoring of Lake Ontario coastal wetland habitat in support of adaptive management - 2019
Year
2019
Project Description
This project is a continuation of ongoing GLAM efforts to collect data to support model validation and will result in detailed vegetation community data referenced to elevation and seasonal water levels in 16 Lake Ontario coastal wetlands. The current year of this project is focused on resurveying...
Content type
IWI Project
Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Adaptive Management Committee

Osoyoos Lake Climate Change Vulnerability: Phase 1 - Similkameen Basin Hydrologic Model
Year
2019
Project Description
The Osoyoos Lake Board of Control is developing a multi-year, multi-phase project to analyze the vulnerability of Osoyoos Lake and the relevant IJC Orders of Approval to a projected shift in the climate and hydrology of the Okanagan/Okanogan and Similkameen Basins. Inflow to Osoyoos Lake is mostly...
Content type
IWI Project
International Osoyoos Lake Board of Control

Regulation documentary and video shorts
Year
2019
Project Description
The International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board have produced a documentary and short videos that cover topics on specific details of regulation practices and constraints on the Lake Ontario St. Lawrence River System during high water conditions. The documentary and short videos are...
Content type
IWI Project
International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board

Review of potential ecological impacts from winter drawdown scenarios in Lake St. Lawrence
Year
2019
Project Description
Winter operations of the Moses-Saunders Dam (St. Lawrence River) in accordance with direction from the IJC’s International Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River Board (ILOSLRB) have historically resulted in a large drawdown in water levels on Lake St. Lawrence (the forebay for the hydropower structures)...
Content type
IWI Project
Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Adaptive Management Committee

Souris River Trends Analysis
Year
2019
Project Description
The International Souris River Board (ISRB) has a mandate to annually report on compliance with Water Quality Objectives (WQOs), review existing WQOs every five years and develop new recommendations regarding water-quality objectives. This proposal addresses the ISRB mandate, as a comprehensive...
Content type
IWI Project
International Souris River Board

Study to Explore Upstream and Downstream Fish Passage Improvements on the St. Croix River
Year
2019
Project Description
In collaboration with state, provincial, tribal, NGO, and federal partners, the International St. Croix Watershed Board (ISCRWB) will initiate the first bi-national comprehensive effort to evaluate fish passage improvement opportunities and constraints at Woodland and Grand Falls dams on the St...
Content type
IWI Project
International St. Croix River Watershed Board

Supporting Alewife Restoration in the St. Croix River Watershed - Anadromous Fish Counts at Milltown Dam - 2019
Year
2019
Project Description
Anadromous fish have been counted at the research trap at the Milltown dam fishway since 1981. This project forms the basis for measuring the progress of current international efforts to restore sea-run alewife, blueback herring, and American shad to the St. Croix River watershed. It also plays an...
Content type
IWI Project
International St. Croix River Watershed Board

Assessment and public communication of low water level impacts to fish species and aquatic habitats of Lake St. Lawrence
Year
2018
Project Description
Historically low 2018 water levels in Lake St. Lawrence have prompted concerns that fish populations and habitat may be locally impacted. Long-term residents of the Long Sault area have indicated that low water levels have exposed an unprecedented area of river bottom that has been affecting both...
Content type
IWI Project
International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board

St. Croix River Anadromous Fish Count - 2018
Year
2018
Project Description
Anadromous fish have been counted at the research trap at the Milltown dam fishway since 1981. This project forms the basis for measuring the progress of current international efforts to restore sea-run alewife, blueback herring, and American shad to the St. Croix River watershed. It also plays an...
Content type
IWI Project
International St. Croix River Watershed Board

Determination of factors affecting dissolved oxygen levels in the Souris River to inform operation decisions and assist with water quality objectives review
Year
2018
Project Description
This IWI project investigated how variations in river flow affect dissolved oxygen levels, which are important to determining biological conditions in a river. The project covered a 5-year period from 2019 to 2023. The project work consisted of installing and maintaining continuous water-quality...
Content type
IWI Project
International Souris River Board

IJC Canada-USA Hydro/Basin Data Harmonization-CDN work - 2018
Year
2018
Project Description
The United States and Canada independently developed their own suite of hydrographic datasets using different standards and approaches. Containing mapped rivers, lakes, and watershed boundaries, these national datasets stopped at the international border and often did not line up, leaving an area of...
Content type
IWI Project
IJC

Monitoring of Lake Ontario coastal wetland habitat in support of adaptive management - 2018
Year
2018
Project Description
This is a continuation of ongoing GLAM efforts to collect data to support model validation. This project will result in detailed vegetation community data referenced to elevation and seasonal water levels in 16 Lake Ontario coastal wetlands (i.e., the same 16 wetlands that were surveyed in 2017)...
Content type
IWI Project
Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Adaptive Management Committee

Red River Telemetry Study - 2018
Year
2018
Project Description
This project is a hydroacoustic telemetry study that is being conducted in the Red River to study movements and habitat use of a number of fish species including Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens), Bigmouth Buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinellus), Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), Walleye (Sander...
Content type
IWI Project
International Red River Watershed Board

Aerial Imagery Impact Assessment following 2017 High Water Levels on Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River
Year
2017
Project Description
High water levels throughout the Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River system in 2017 impacted several shoreline communities, stakeholders and businesses. This project consists of analyzing aerial imagery data collected in 2016 by NOAA, 2012 and 2017 by the Army Corps of Engineers, 2017 by Transport...
Content type
IWI Project
Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Adaptive Management Committee