IJC established- waterway opened 7/1958, ribbon cutting 7/59- Queen Elizabeth- President Eisenhower + etc.

  1. Plan called “1958 D” – worked flawlessly for 59 years- up until 2017.
  2. The new plan- “2014”- called this because it was studied for fourteen years to come up with.
  3. Watertown Daily Times article 5/30/19- States that Congresswoman Stefanik was in Clayton at ‘Save the River’ office and said most people, including local officials, stakeholders (whom worthy are), members of the IJC and Save The River, all favor the 2014 plan. B) Stefanik says she is a supporter of the 2014 Plan, but it is important to hear concerns. D) She said people ask why more water wasn’t let out sooner? A member said this past winter recorded the 4th highest average outflow since 1990.
  4. C) She said we need to educate people about the 2014 Plan and why the water is regulated the way it is.
  5. A) She said plan 2014 has more natural water levels- helps wetlands- helps fish population to grow- extends the boating season (cannot get boats in water until after June), and all of this is good for tourism.
  6. Governor Cuomo said common sense dictates that this is the new “normal” and we should expect continued high-water levels.
    1. Cuomo said “it is a fool’s errand to rebuild to the same standards”
    2. He said he is launching the REDI commission (Lake Ontario) to rebuild the shoreline, etc.- to improve resiliency against whatever Mother Nature has in store.
    3. Cuomo says “this is the new normal”
  7. There was an interesting story on NewzJunky.com, 5/27/19 titled “Is Plan 2014 getting a bad rap?” For Lake Ontario flooding? It also mentioned the old plan 1958D which worked for 59 years.
    1. 5/27/19 article by the Watertown Daily Times, stating that the 2014 plan controlling the water level is not to blame. The article admits the water level is being kept higher for wetlands preservation, shipping + etc. This story by the Times was on NewzJunky.com but was pulled off the web the same day.
    2. Isn’t it interesting that one reason for the 2014 Plan was to preserve the wetlands that they say dry up during low water levels in the fall. Now, because of the extremely high-water levels this spring, big chunks of wetlands are breaking off and floating downstream.
  8. It has been stated that the high-water levels of 2017, and I assume the same is being said about this year, was due to the extremely wet spring.
    1. There was an article (story) on WSYR TV in Syracuse (which I failed to document) that showed the 25 highest ever recorded wet springs since keeping such information- showing the year and amount of rain
    2. The most wet spring ever was 1976. 2017 was number 5 on the list, the 3 most wet springs (March, April and May) were under the old 1958D plan and no flooding
  9. 6/1/19 on NewzJunky.com, CBC posted on 5/30/19 at 1:43 PM, that Lake Ontario has hit an all-time record high; that the Toronto Islands are flooded, and that the city of Toronto has been spending $100,000 a week since April on this disaster.
  10. This last January, water levels on the lake were something like 18” higher than under the 1958D plan.
    1. Records have been kept for years on the “snow-packs” both around the Great Lakes as well as the rest of the country; resulting in a very good estimate of the amount of water resulting from the snow melts. 1 cu. Ft. of the average snow pack yields approximately 2-3 gallons of water. 1 cu. Ft of water = 7.48 gallons.
  11. 5/29/19 WWNY- TV – @ 3:30 PM and repeat at 8:56 pm- jane Corwin, chairwoman of the IJC, stated:
    1. She does not blame 2014 Plan for the flooding- sighting the snowpack along the lakes- the rainy weather, etc- the severe weather the past couple of years.
    2. That nothing more can be done at present that is not already being done; doing all that is possible
    3. She sighted Lake Ontario flooded in 1993 and a big one in the mid 70’s. (I don’t recall any flooding on the river in 1993, but recall a minor flooding which only lasted a few hours on the river- which I believe was to facilitate the re-floating of the ships “Singapore Trader” that grounded between Cape Vincent + Clayton)
    4. She did say she’s open to revisiting the 2014 P Plan
    5. Ms. Corwin also said she has never seen anything like this (no, because she has lived her whole life under the 1958D plan)
  12. IJC Canadian Members:
  1. Henry Lickers- Akwasasne Reservation
  2. Pierre Bland- chairman- Montreal
  3. Merrell- Ann Phare- Winnipeg, Manitoba

US Members:

  1. Jane L. Corwin- chairwoman- Buffalo area
  2. Lance V. Yohe- North Dakota
  3. Robert C. Sisson- Michigan

Information taken from a brochure souvenir published by the St. Lawrence Souvenir Co.”      

St. Lawrence Souvenir Co.

PO Box 300, Care of Massena Observer

Massena, NY 13662

  1. Long Sault Dam- has 30 gates- each 52 feet wide by 30 feet high (or 2,244,000 gallons of water per second)
  2. One gate fully opened can discharge 300,000 cu.ft. of water per second
  3. All 30 gates opened can discharge 9,000,000 cu.ft. of water per second or 67,320,000 gallons per second
  4. All 30 gates opened- discharge nearly 4.5 billion galls per minute- 24 hours ???
  5. The Moses-Saunders power dam releases around the clock- I don’t know how much
  • One cu.ft of water = 7.48 gallons of water
  • One cu.ft of average snow pack = 2.3 gallons of water
  • 5/28/19 WSYR Channel 9- Syracuse T.V.- Most wet springs of March, April, and May:
    • 1976 (1)
    • 1973 (2)
    • 2011 (3)
    • 2017 (4)

STOP PLAN 2014 PETITION – https://www.nysenate.gov/petitions/joseph-e-robach/put-stop-plan-2014