Lake Ontario water levels this year are expected to peak well below the record highs of 2017 and 2019, according to projections from the Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board.
Lake Ontario levels are still well above average for early spring, but more moderate weather has meant less water going into the lake and increased lake outflows have helped the system recover faster from extreme water level periods.
The board says regulators pushed beyond Plan 2014 and set outflows down the St. Lawrence River far higher than were previously considered feasible. They say conditions are improving along with the help from Mother Nature. Lake Ontario has seen a more moderate rise this spring than last, despite high inflows from Lake Erie. All four of the upper Great Lakes are at or above record levels, with Ontario the only lake below record levels.