Bedfordtimesregister.com - Water Levels Study to Hold Public Meetings

The International Upper Great Lakes Study (IUGLS) has announced that, using web-conferencing technology, seven public meetings will be held May 19-20 in communities around the Great Lakes Basin to solicit comments and address questions regarding the draft report, Impacts on Upper Great Lakes Water Levels: the St. Clair River.

May 19, 7-9pm EDT

Sarnia City Hall, Council Chambers

255 North Christina Street

Sarnia, ON N7T 7N2

Grosse Pointe War Memorial, Library
32 Lake Shore Drive

Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236

Bayshore Community Centre

Bay Room B

1900 3rd Ave E.

Owen Sound, ON N4K 3M6

May 20, 7-9pm EDT

Great Lakes Science Center, Auditorium

601 Erieside Ave.

Cleveland, Ohio 44114

NE Manitoulin & the Islands

Recreation Centre

9001 Hwy-6 S

Little Current, ON P0P1K0

Hotel Orrington, Heritage Room

1710 Orrington Avenue

Evanston, Illinois, 60201

Note: meeting will be held 6-8pm CDT

Lakehead University, Theatre AT 1001

955 Oliver Road

Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1

For the past two years, more than 100 Canadian and U.S. scientists and engineers have worked together to address important questions, posed by the International Joint Commission, regarding the St. Clair River system that connects Lake Michigan-Huron to Lake Erie:

Has the conveyance or water-carrying capacity of the St. Clair River changed, and if so, why?

What effect could an altered flow have on water levels in the upper Great Lakes?

What other factors may be affecting the change in the water levels?

What actions, if any, should be taken by governments to remedy concerns about low water levels?

The meetings will include a presentation detailing the research, analysis, findings and recommendations of the draft report. Following the presentation, the public will have ample opportunity to provide their views regarding the findings and proposed recommendations.

This report is the first output of the Study, which will continue to examine whether the regulation plan for outflows from Lake Superior through the compensating works and power dams on the St. Marys River at Sault Ste. Marie might be improved to take into consideration changing climate and evolving interests of property owners, ecosystems, local governments, the shipping sector, hydropower and the recreation/tourism industry.

More information is available at HYPERLINK "http://www.iugls.org" www.iugls.org.