By SYSS Mouse [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons
“…only so much water can pass through that at a certain time,” says Lana Pollack, the U.S. Chair of the International Joint Commission.
She says when there’s a lot of rain or snow melt, the lake can fill up faster than water can be released down the Saint Lawrence river. And, if too much water is released too quickly, communities down-stream can flood.
“There’s no place for it to go,” says Pollack.
So despite the marvels of modern engineering, the volume of Lake Ontario is so large that there’s little that can be done when nature decides to fill the lake to the max.
Hear Commissioner Lana Pollack describe the challenges of managing the level of Lake Ontario:
Get Schooled:
- Check out the Great Lakes Level Viewer from NOAA.
- Learn more about how Great Lakes water level regulation plans are working from Great Lakes Connection.
The fine print:
- This segment was produced in partnership with Cornell University’s Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future
