The International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board is beginning to dial down water releases from Lake Ontario.
The branch of the International Joint Commission announced today it’s cutting the outflow down from the maximum of 367,300 cubic feet per second to less than 350,000 cubic feet per second. It says it’s taking into account both the shoreline residents on the lake and the St. Lawrence and shipping interests.
Governor Cuomo immediately condemned the change, saying the board is disregarding the needs of New Yorkers and prioritizing shipping interests over lakeshore property owners.
The lake level has come down this summer by about a foot since the record highs of May. It’s now just below 248 feet, which lakeshore residents say is still too high. It’s about two feet above the long term average.