The International Lake Ontario–St. Lawrence River Board has announced its intention to temporarily increase the outflows from Lake Ontario this week to assist recreational boaters on Lac Saint-Louis, located southwest of Montreal, in removing their watercraft for the season. This decision follows a notably dry summer and fall that have caused many marinas along the St. Lawrence River, like the Marina de la Rive-Nord in Repentigny, Que., to experience low water levels, leaving boats and docks stranded on exposed riverbeds instead of floating as usual.
Yvon Vannini, the marina’s owner, highlighted that the water levels are nearly two meters lower than their normal levels, with the last similar occurrence he remembers dating back to 1989. This situation has made it challenging to move boats without risking damage, as some vessels are now resting on the riverbed due to the low water levels.
The impending winter adds urgency to the situation, as Vannini expressed concerns about the potential difficulties of moving boats in icy conditions. While he acknowledged that his marina’s situation is relatively better than others, the International Lake Ontario–St. Lawrence River Board has decided to increase the outflow by up to 500 cubic meters per second starting Friday morning until Saturday evening to address the issue.
This action is expected to raise water levels on Lac Saint-Louis by approximately 15 centimeters, facilitating the process of removing boats from the water. Jérôme Marty, the head of the International Association for Great Lakes Research, emphasized the importance of this intervention due to the lack of precipitation in the region, indicating that this may be the last opportunity to carry out such activities before the season progresses further.
The board clarified that the temporary flow increase is permitted under its minor deviation authority and is not anticipated to have a significant impact on Lake Ontario levels. However, there may be a decrease of about 20 to 30 centimeters in water levels on Lake St. Lawrence during the operation. The Canadian Drought Monitor has reported moderate to severe drought conditions around Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, prompting continued monitoring by the board to adjust the deviation plan accordingly in the coming weeks.
Vannini plans to assess the effectiveness of the operation firsthand on Oct. 18, although he remains skeptical about its potential impact. The situation underscores the challenges faced by boaters and marinas in the region due to the unusually low water levels, urging swift and coordinated actions to address the ongoing issues.
