Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River regulation plan (Plan 2014)

The International Joint Commission’s (IJC) updated Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River regulation plan, also known as Plan 2014, consists of technical rules on water releases at Moses-Saunders Power Dam on the St. Lawrence River and an updated supplementary order of approval on criteria regulating these outflows.

The IJC submitted Plan 2014 to the Canadian and U.S. governments for consideration in June 2014. It consists of the IJC’s recommendations following the completion of a study regarding needed changes to the 1952 and 1956 orders of approval. Compared to the earlier orders, it is expected that Plan 2014 will allow for more natural variation in water levels, resulting in environmental benefits while maintaining benefits to navigation, hydro and recreational interests. In addition, Plan 2014 would better respond to changing weather patterns and the effects of climate change.

To achieve the identified goals, such as restoring ecosystem health while balancing interests, Plan 2014 includes an updated supplementary order of approval that establishes the criteria for regulating outflow and a regulation plan that includes technical rules about when and how much water to release, as well as rules for deviations during times of extreme low- or high-water levels, a new governance structure and an adaptive management strategy.

The IJC has established a Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Adaptive Management Committee to undertake the required monitoring, modelling and assessment related to the ongoing evaluation of regulation plans, including their impacts and effectiveness.