In an easy-to-read background paper on High Water in 2019, the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board responds to the call for more accessible information.
Question 7. Why wasn’t more water released in 2018 when Lake Erie levels were high and downstream flooding wasn’t an issue?
Answer:
Following the closure of the Seaway, and some partial and temporary ice formation in early January, mild temperatures across the Lake Ontario basin have allowed the International Lake Ontario - St.
Lake Superior and Lake Michigan-Huron remain near record-highs for this time of year, and although they are expected to continue their seasonal declines in January, levels are expected to remain high over the next several months and may again exceed record-highs if wet conditions continue in 2020.
Outflows will be increased substantially in the coming days as efforts to remove water from Lake Ontario continue.
Cold weather has caused ice formation to start at critical areas on the St. Lawrence River, requiring Lake Ontario outflows to be temporarily reduced in order to reduce the risk of ice jams.
Question 1. What are the causes of high water levels in 2019?
Answer:
Too much water entering Lake Ontario from a flooded Lake Erie, and nowhere for it to go but into a flooded St. Lawrence River.
Explanation: