Lake Ontario and the upper St. Lawrence River have been in drought conditions since early June. The International River Board had therefore slowed flows in our area throughout June to prevent levels from dipping even lower. This has been to protect municipal water intakes, hydro power and safe navigation. It also explains why current at the locks has been mild and visibility a bit better.

The heavy rainfall in the last couple of weeks raised Lake Ontario by nearly 3 inches although it still remains 9 inches below its mid-July average. The Board has therefore returned the area to normal flows as of July 17. For us this means the dams are open and we let Mother Nature control the flow. While current may be speedier, our water level may drop even more as flows through Cornwall increase, favouring higher levels at Montreal.

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Stay tuned. If interested, you can always follow the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board.

Sydney