Great Lakes Water Levels Study Offers Public Comment Opportunities at July-August Meetings

Copies of Progress Report now available. Comment period on Phase 2 ends August 31

July 15, 2011

The International Upper Great Lakes Study (IUGLS) is holding public meetings this summer in the United States and Canada to provide information regarding the status of the second and final phase of its work, examining Great Lakes water levels.

Those who attend the meetings will have an opportunity to hear from Study Board members and researchers about preliminary findings and potential regulation plans. Those who are unable to attend, or have further comments, can submit them via a form on the IUGLS website or by email (please indicate "Phase 2 comments" in the subject line). The comment period for the Phase 2 portion of the Study begins Monday, July 18, and ends Wednesday, August 31, 2011.

A list of meetings in Canada and the U.S. can be found on the IUGLS website. A full map, with meeting locations, dates and times is also available on the site.

During the meetings, overview presentations will be given regarding Phase 2 of the Study. Topics to be covered include:

• The potential to improve the regulation plan for Lake Superior outflows at Sault Ste. Marie; 
• The need for ongoing monitoring to allow for adaptive management; 
• An exploratory analysis of restoration scenarios for Lake Michigan-Huron water levels; 
• New data on potential climate change impacts for the Great Lakes; 
• A discussion of the ongoing impacts of Glacial Isostatic Adjustment; and, 
• Multi-lake regulation options.

You can download a copy of a Progress Report that addresses these issues. A copy of a presentation to be given at the meetings also will be made available on the IUGLS website.

If you prefer to send comments via traditional mail, please do so at the following addresses (please indicate “Phase 2 comments” at top of your letter):

In Canada 
International Upper Great Lakes Study
234 Laurier Avenue West, 22nd Floor
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6K6

In U.S.
International Upper Great Lakes Study
P.O. Box 32869
Detroit, MI 48232

The Study Board is working with a Public Interest Advisory Group  to bring a wide range of perspectives to the study process, including those of shoreline property owners, boaters, anglers, governments, Native Americans, First Nations, hydroelectric power producers, and environmental and shipping organizations.

Input received at the public meetings and during the public comment period will help inform the drafting of a final, peer-reviewed Phase 2 report to be submitted to the International Joint Commission (IJC) in March 2012. After that time, the IJC may hold its own public consultation on the Phase 2 report before making any recommendations to the U.S. and Canadian governments.

You can also follow the International Upper Great Lakes Study on Facebook and Twitter.

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