Presentation to the Workshop Climate Change and Great Lakes Water Levels March 30, 2001 Chicago, Illinois Gerald E. Galloway, Jr., P.E., Ph.D. International Joint Commission United States and Canada Washington, DC Regulating Great Lakes Water Levels and Water Use
Regulating Great Lakes Water Levels and Water Use. Presentation to the Workshop Climate Change and Great Lakes Water Levels March 30, 2001 Chicago, Illinois Gerald E. Galloway, Jr., P.E., Ph.D. International Joint Commission United States and Canada Washington, DC. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Presentation to the Workshop
Climate Change and Great Lakes Water Levels
March 30, 2001Chicago, Illinois
Gerald E. Galloway, Jr., P.E., Ph.D.International Joint Commission
United States and CanadaWashington, DC
Regulating Great Lakes Water Levels and Water Use
Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909
• Provided Principles and Mechanisms to Prevent and Resolve Disputes Concerning Water Quantity and Water Quality and Other Environmental Issues Along the U.S.-Canada Boundary
• Established the International Joint Commission (IJC)
• Required IJC Approval of Actions Causing Changes in Levels and Flows
The International Joint CommissionPrinciples of Operation
• Operation Without Instructions from Governments• Balanced Membership:
– Three Commissioners From Each Country– Equality on IJC Boards and Working Groups
• Service in Personal and Professional Capacity• Good Science - Joint Fact-Finding• Full Public Involvement
Lake Levels
• Human Control Over Great Lakes Levels is Minor in Comparison to Nature’s Ability to Change Levels
• Humans Impact Level by:
– Regulating Flows
– Modifying Channels
– Removing or Adding Waters
Lake Michigan-HuronRange of Levels
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Year/Month
Ele
v.
IGL
D1
985
(F
ee
t)
RECORD LOWMar 1964
RECORD HIGHOct 1986
Order of Use Precedence
• Domestic and Sanitary • Navigation• Hydropower• Riparians
Lake SuperiorLake Superior
• Systemic Regulation (balancing)
• Upper & Lower Limits on Lake Superior
• Maximum and Minimum flow limits
• Winter Operations
• Rapids Requirements
Lake Ontario – St. LawrenceLake Ontario – St. Lawrence
• Removals - – Bottled water - 0.01cfs– Ballast water - 0.7cfs– Chicago Diversion- 3250cfs – Other (net) - 0
• Consumptive Use - 4270cfs• Inflow
– Long Lac/Ogoki - 5632cfs– Bottled Water - 0.14 cfs
• Outflow (St. Lawrence) 244,000 cfs
“The Governments are concerned that current management principles and conservation measures may be inadequate to ensure the future sustainable use of our shared waters.”
Reference to the IJC on the Consumption, Diversion and Removal of Water. February 10, 1999.
The Concern
IJC Conclusions
• There is never a ‘surplus’ of water in the Great Lakes system.
• Because there is uncertainty about the availability of Great Lakes water in the future caution should be used in managing water to protect the resource for the future
Water Uses Reference
• Recommended – Principles to Govern Removals and
Consumptive Uses
– Development of Standards by States and Provinces
– Attention to Water Management Issues
• Climate Change
Current Actions
• Governors and Premiers Develop Standards for Removals and Consumptive Uses
• Congress- Parliament Affirm
• IJC Review
• Climate Change?
Lake Levels
• Human Control Over Great Lakes Levels is Minor in Comparison to Nature’s Ability to Change Levels
• Humans Impact Level by:
– Regulating Flows
– Modifying Channels
– Removing or Adding Waters
Climate Change and Levels
• Climate Change May Severely Stress Current Regulatory Regimes
• Uncertainty Demands Caution and Intense Study
• IJC is :– Studying St Lawrence
– Planning for Superior (Michigan and Huron)
•To protect the integrity of the ecosystem of the Great Lakes basin, permit no proposals for major new or increased CONSUMPTIVE USE to proceed unless: •Full consideration of cumulative impacts•Effective conservation in requesting area•Based on sound planning•All returns meet quality objectives of GLWQA
IJC Recommendations
•Permit no REMOVALS unless proponent can demonstrate that the removal would not endanger the integrity of the ecosystem of the Great Lakes Basin…and that:• No practical alternatives•Full consideration of cumulative impacts•Effective conservation in recipient area•Based on sound planning•No net loss in process but in no case greater than a 5% loss
IJC Recommendations
Conclusions - Future Demand
• There are no active proposals for major diversions• There remains little reason to believe such
proposals will be economically, socially or environmentally feasible in the foreseeable future
• Alternatives Exist to Great Lakes Water Use - Desalination; Water Rights Transfers; Conservation
• Potential exists for requests from Near-basin Communities