STORMONT AND DUNDAS — The authority in charge of water flow through Lake St. Lawrence is raising levels this weekend for a “brief, final opportunity for local residents to remove boats and other equipment prior to winter.”
Lake St. Lawrence is the section of the St. Lawrence River between the Iroquois and Cornwall dams. The International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board will reduce flow through the latter dam to temporarily achieve higher levels on the local waterway — by about three feet. Flows were set to be cut starting this afternoon (Oct. 8), ending over Monday (Oct. 12), when the drawdown resumes.
The Board had otherwise lowered levels after Labour Day weekend by flowing more water through the Moses-Saunders dam in Cornwall — to drain off high levels on Lake Ontario, currently about 3.5 inches above average for this time of year.
However, the temporary slowdown at the Cornwall dam to accommodate local boaters will raise Lake Ontario by another inch, the Board points out.