WATER LEVELS OF LAKE ONTARIO RNAL REPORT THE INTERNATIONAL JOINT COMMiSSlON - I ( Under the Reference of 25 June 1952 1- 3- BY THE INTERNATIONAL LAKE ONTARIO BOARD OF ENGINEERS WATER LEVELS OF LAKE ONTARIO FINAL REPORT THE INTERNATIONAL JOINT COMMISSION .(-Under the Reference of 25 June 1952 ) THE INTERNATIONAL LAKE ONTARIO BOARD OF ENGINEERS December 1958 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION ................................................. 1 Authority ............................................... 1 Instructions to Board of ~ngineers...................... 2 Membership of Board and Working Committee ............... 2 Acknowledgments ......................................... 3 Purpose and Scope ....................................... 4 Datums ................................................. 5 11 DESCRIPTION .................................................. 6 General ................................................. 6 Upper Great Lakes ....................................... 6 Lake Ontario .............................................. 9 St. Lawrence River .................................... .. 12 I11 BASIC DATA ................................................ 19 Co-ordination Between Agencies of Canada and the United States ......................................-a 19 Flater Levels ............................................ 19 Discharges ............................................. 19 Hydrography and Topography .............................. 20 Miscellaneous Data ...................................... 21 IV VARIATIONS IN LAKE ONTARIO >iATER LEVELS ...................... 21 Natural Factors: ........................................ 21 Ranges in Lake Levels ............................... 21 Inflows from the Upper Lakes ........................ 22 Precipitation ........................................ 2Lc Evaporation .......................................... 25 Winds and Barometric Changes ........................ 25 Ice Retardation ..................................... 26 ,.! Crustal Movement ....................... ....., ..... 26 CONTENTS Artificial Factors: ...................................... 28 Diversions .......................................... 28 Changes in the Outlet Control of Lake Ontario ....... 29 Changes in the Outlet Control of Lake Superior ...... 30 Changes in the Outlet Control of Lakes Michigan-Huron 33 Changes in the Outlet Control of Lake Erie .......... 33 INTERM REPORTS .............................................. General ................................................. 34 Report on Effect of Diversions on Lake Ontario hater Levels .................................................. 34 Report on Effect on Lake Ontario hater Levels of an Increase of 1. 000 Cubic Feet Per Second in the Diversion at Chicago for a Period of Three Years .................. 38 Report on Effects on Lake Ontario W~terLevels of the Gut Dam and Channel Changes in the Galop Rapids Reach of the St . Lawrence River ...................................... 40 Report on Regulation of Lake Ontario .................... 42 VI CONCLUSIONS .................................................. 49 (iii) LIST OF TABLES 1. S-ry of Results, Effects on Lake Ontario: Water Levels of Gut Dam and Channel Changes in the Galop Rapids Reach ... 43 LIST. OF PLATES % 1. Great Lakes Drainage Basin and Pertinent Physical Data .............................................. 7 2. Lake Ontario Drainage Basin .................................... 10 3. St. .lawrende River, Lake Ontario to Lake St. Peter ........... U- 4. North Channel and Galop Rapids Section Showing 1874 Conditions and Location of Improvements .................... 15 5. Hydrograph of Recorded Monthly Mean Water Levels of Lake Ontario at Oswego, N.Y. 186GJuly 1955 ..................... 23 6. Daily and Hourly Hydrographs, Lake.Ontario at Cape Vincent, NeY. .e...e.....~n..............~......*.~ee*** 27' WATER LEVELS OF LAKE ONTARIO FINAL REPORT TO THE INTERNATIONAL JOINT COMMISSION UNDER THE REF-CE OF 25 JUNE 1952 SECTION I - INTRODUCTION Authoritg 1. In a Reference dated 25 June 1952, the Governments of Canada and the United States of America requested the International Joint Commission to investigate and report on the following: "In order to determine, having regard to all other interests, whether measures can be taken to regulate the level of Lake Ontario for the benefit of property owners on the shores of the lake in the United States and Canada so as to reduce the extremes of stage which have been experienced, the Governments of the United States and Canada have agreed to refer the matter to the International Joint Commission for investigation and report pursuant to Article IX of the Treaty relating to boundary waters between the United States and Canada, signed January 11, 1909. "It is desired that the Commission study the various factors which affect the fluctuations of water level on Lake Ontario, inclu- ding the construction in the St. Lawrence River known as 'kt Dm', and any diversion of water into or out of the Great Lakes basin, and shall determine whether in its judgment action can be taken by either or both Governments to bring about a more beneficial range of stage, having regard to the proposed plan for improvement for navigation and power of the International Rapids Section of the St. Lawrence River and the proposed method of regulation of the levels of Lake Ontario which is an essential feature of that plan. "As a result of its studies under this Reference, it is desired that the Commission shall determine whether, in its judgment, changes in regard to edsting works or other measures would be practicable and in the public interest from t!le points of view of the two Governments, having in mind the order of precedence to be observed in the uses of boundary waters as provided in Article VIII of the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909. "In the event tha,t the Commission should find that changes in existing works or that other measures would be feasible and desirable, it should indicate how the interests on either side of the boundary would be benefited or adversely affected thereby. The Commission should estimate the cost of such changes in existing works or of such other measures, including indemnification for damage to public and private property arising therefrom and the cost of any remedial works that may be found to be necessary. With due regard to the final para- graph of this Reference and to the arrangements presently being pro- posed for development of power in the International Rapids Section of the St. Lawrence River, the Commission should indicate how the cost of , any measures and the amounts of any resulting damage should be apportioned between the interests involved. "In the conduct of its investigation and otherwise in the per- formance of its duties under this Reference, the Commission may utilize the services of engineers and other specially qualified personnel of the technical agencies of Canada and the United States and will as far as possible make use of information and technical data heretofore acquired by such technical agencies or which may become available during the course of the investigation, thus avoiding duplication of effort and unnecessary expense. "It is the desire of both Governments that consideration of this Reference shall not delay action by the Commission with respect to applications submitted to the Commission concerning the development of power in the Internatio~lalRapids Section of the St. Lawrence River." Instructions to Board of En~ineers 2. Under the authority of this Reference, the lnternetional Joint Commission, in April 1953, established the International Lake Ontario Board of Engineers, the members of which were drawn from technical agencies of the two Govern- ments. In the letter of appointment-from the International Joint Cmmission, the International Lake Ontario Board of Engineers was instructed as follows: "The duties of the Board will be to undertake through appropriate agencies in Canada and the United States, the necessary investigation and studies and to advise the Commission on all technical engineering matters which it must consider in making a report or reports to the two Governments under the Reference of 25 June 1952." Membership nf Board and 1r;orkinp Committee 3. The International Lake Ontario Board of Engineers is composed of one representative from each Government. 14r. Gail A. Hathaway, formerly Special Assistant to the Chief of Sngineers, Department of the Army, Washington, D.C., now Engineering Consultant to the International Bank for Reconstruction and Developent, is the United States member. Hr. T.M. Patterson, Director, Water Resources Branch, Department of Northern Affairs and National Resources, Ottawa, Ontario, is the Canadian member. 4. The Board arranged for technical assistance through the appointment of its International Lake Ontario Working Committee with two members each from the United States and Canada. Membership of the United States Section con- sists of Mr. F.F. Snyder, Hydraulic Engineer, Office of the Chief of Engineers, Department of the Army, Nashington, D.C., Chairman, and IYir. Edwin W. Nelson, Chief Engineering Consultant, Office of the Division Engineer, North Central Division, Corps of Engineers, Chicago, Illinois. Mr. Snyder was appointed Chairman on 15 July 1957 to replace Brigadier General P.D. Berrigan upon his resignation as member and Chairman of the United States Section, and on the same date Ivir. Nelson was appointed a member. General Berrigan became a member and Chairman of