SeawayCompass U.S. Department of Transportation • Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation SPRING 2018 www.greatlakes-seaway.com | Facebook: www.fb.com/usdotslsdc SLSDC Great Lakes Regional Initiative Continues into Third Year The SLSDC has been better able to support Great Lakes ports, terminals, shippers, carriers, and labor to increase maritime trade. With the recent arrival of Ken Carey, the Canadian St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation’s Manager of Market Development, the two Seaway Corporations are continuing to expand and grow the Seaway maritime supply chain. Outreach to new and existing customers and stakeholders remains a priority. Recent examples of these efforts include: • Promoting Great Lakes ports at the Traffic Club of Chicago and North American Rail Shippers Association (NARS) Annual Meeting in Chicago (May 2018); • Representing the Seaway System at the 2018 AWEA Windpower Conference in Chicago (May 2018); • Co-exhibiting with the Port of Milwaukee at the 2018 Wisconsin International Trade Conference (May 2018); • Sustaining the Hwy H2O Houston freight forwarder and supply chain initiative in Texas while also seeking new customers for the System in the energy sector at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in May 2018; • Representing the Seaway Corporations at the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers’ second Maritime Day in Ottawa, Ontario (April 2018); • Identifying new Seaway customers as part of the Hwy H2O initiative on U.S. grain at the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) Annual Meeting in Phoenix (March 2018) and the U.S. Grains Council Annual Meeting in Houston (February 2018); CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR’S GUEST COLUMNIST ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: COLUMN David Naftzger St. Lawrence Seaway Begins Water Levels: 60th Navigation Season Executive Director, U.S. Coast Guard’s Great Lakes Now Versus Then, Great Lakes St. Lawrence Maritime Strategy Lessons Learned Governors & Premiers Seatrade Brings New Opportunity Concept of Operations Released What a difference There Has Never Been a Better for New Seaway Technology Time to Cruise the Great Lakes a year makes. This New Anchorage Recommended at Cape Vincent time last year, the In 2016, the Great SLSDC Announces Pacesetter Award Winners Lake Ontario level Lakes St. Lawrence for the 2017 Navigation Season was 31 inches above Governors and the average and 3 Premiers developed a Deputy Administrator Testifies Before U.S. Senate inches above the strategy to rejuvenate Great Lakes Commission Offers New record high, which the region’s maritime Careers Portal Craig Middlebrook was set in 1952. transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Launches Deputy Administrator Widespread flooding system. Beyond BUILD Transportation Program was occurring in the actions to strengthen Personnel News Upcoming Events CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR’S COLUMN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Ottawa River Valley, Montreal, and along the shores of Lake Ontario. Newspapers and social media posted photos of canoes and row boats floating down what only weeks before had been streets filled with automobiles. Homes and businesses were full of water. It was what has been referred to as “A Perfect Storm” or “A Hundred Year Event”. Public questions landed in the lap of the International Joint Commission (IJC) (the binational organization that manages boundary water disputes) regarding the January 2017 implementation of its new water regulation plan, Plan 2014, that had only months earlier replaced the 50+year old Plan 1958D. As the saying goes, “Timing is everything.” Corporations to implement several year. According to the Board, the risk measures to mitigate the impacts of of significant flooding either upstream A coordinated response to this the high-water velocities to ensure or downstream is low. As stakeholders unprecedented situation was quickly continued safe navigation in the Seaway. learned last year, the most significant organized and implemented. From late Vessel transit times increased due to factor in determining whether flooding May through September of last year, these mitigation measures. Due to the will occur is ultimately by the weather. the entity charged with implementing efforts of the Board, the stakeholders, Plan 2014, the International Lake Ontario and primarily, the weather, water levels As I walk along the Eisenhower Lock – St. Lawrence River Board (Board), in the Fall were three feet lower than in the mild 70-degree weather of a could deviate from the rules of Plan those experienced the Spring. delightful May 2018 day with no clouds 2014 due to the unprecedented high- in the sky, let alone a rain cloud, that water levels. Due to the widespread That is the old news — so what is point hits home — we could have any flooding that was occurring along the expected for 2018? water regulation plan in place, but water shores of Lake Ontario, the Board levels are ultimately dependent on the released record- setting outflows to Near the end of 2017, under Plan 2014, predilections of the weather. (I am also provide relief to the shoreline property the Board continued to release high reminded that Mother Nature has a say owners. These extraordinary water outflows to lower the level of Lake Ontario over when we close the locks; however, and weather events brought together to reduce the risk of flooding for this year. that is a story for another day). We can stakeholders working to minimize impacts The several months of high outflows only control so much. to shoreline landowners, not only on under Plan 2014 at the beginning of this the shores of Lake Ontario but also for year coupled with favorable weather those in Montreal and the Ottawa River conditions (unlike the torrential, almost Valley. Commercial navigation interests constant, rainfalls of 2017) have resulted aided in this relief by having vessels in water levels closer to average. navigate at the highest possible outflows from Lake Ontario through the St. For the week of May 24, 2018, the Lawrence River. The Seaway made outflows from Lake Ontario continued significant contributions to this effort. to be high and Lake Ontario’s level is 22 It was necessary for the Seaway inches below the level for this time last 2 SeawayCompass | Spring 2018 SLSDC GREAT LAKES REGIONAL • Representing the SLSDC at the System and to expanding maritime INITIATIVE CONTINUES INTO THIRD YEAR American Association of Port activity throughout the Great Lakes in CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Authorities’ workshop on both the United States and Canada. For • Continuing the Seaway Corporations’ “Planning for Shifting Trade”. those seeking information about how to longstanding collaboration with the leverage Hwy H2O and other marketing Jacobs Consultancy at their annual The above list are just a few examples opportunities offered by the Seaway conference on the petcoke trade, also from early 2018 of the SLSDC and Corporations, individuals are welcome SLSMC’s continued commitment to in Phoenix (March 2018); and to visit the Hwy H2O binational website: expanding understanding of the Seaway http://hwyh2o.com/home/. GUEST COLUMNIST DAVID NAFTZGER To fill this gap, the Great Lakes St. organizations to join the region’s states CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Lawrence Governors and Premiers have and provinces in developing, promoting traditional maritime commerce, the built a coalition of governments, cruise and sustaining regional cruising. This strategy included steps to develop operators, port authorities, convention marketing partnership complements niche markets such as cruising into and visitor bureaus, and other partners. other ongoing work to grow Great Lakes bigger economic drivers. Bringing more Together, they have created Cruise the cruising. In addition to marketing, work cruise ships to more of the region’s ports Great Lakes to position the region for continues in order to improve shoreside and cities represents a tremendous sustained cruising growth for years to facilities and experiences, and to address opportunity. come. “The next decade can bring a customs and other policy challenges. huge influx of new cruise operators The time has come to establish the Cruising on the Great Lakes is poised for and passengers to the Great Lakes. Great Lakes as a world-class cruising major growth, with significant economic Marketing the region’s many attractions destination. The efforts of Cruise the benefits for the entire region. In 2018, to tourists from North America and the Great Lakes will be an important step eight cruise ships plan to operate in the rest of the world is a crucial component. in making that happen. region, representing nearly 1million port The breadth our region has to offer, from visits by passengers. Two additional ships major cities to small towns to pristine plan to enter the region by 2020. The natural areas, is unparalleled in the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors world,” said Dave Lorenz, vice president and Premiers are eager to accelerate this of Travel Michigan. growth and have been exploring ways to do this most effectively. Various organi- Cruise the Great Lakes is the region’s zations have supported the growth of cruise marketing partnership. Its mission regional cruising through policy advocacy, is to promote cruising in the region marketing to cruise operators, and other through an optimized and unique brand activities. Different entities also market targeted towards current and potential different aspects of regional cruising, but passengers. The success of this part- to date there has not been a consistent nership depends on the creation of a regional brand nor marketing program durable, regional coalition. Cruise the specifically directed at cruise passengers. Great Lakes therefore welcomes partner www.greatlakes-seaway.com | Facebook: www.fb.com/usdotslsdc 3 St. Lawrence Seaway Begins 60th Navigation Season The U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) joined with the Canadian St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) to mark the opening of the Seaway’s 60th navigation season on March 29. The official opening ceremony of the binational waterway took place in St.