subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite mapBuy a Classified
Tue, Nov 10 2009 

Published: June 09, 2008 09:06 pm    print this story  

LAKE ONTARIO: Water levels topic of meeting today

International Joint Commission to hear lake level concerns today

By Bill Wolcott
E-mail Bill

Niagara Gazette

NEWFANE— Shoreline property owners on Lake Ontario are preparing to buck an environmental plan on a new strategy to regulate the levels of Lake Ontario. They’ll make their case at a public hearing today at 7 p.m. at the Olcott Fire Hall.

Two members of the International Joint Commission will conduct the meeting to discuss a $20 million study that was conducted over the past five years. Its purpose was to see if a better plan could be developed. Three plans have been proposed to replace the current Plan 1958.

Tony McKenna, a member of the plan’s Public Interest Advisory Committee, said environmentalists are pushing for Plan B-plus, which would to stretch the current range of water levels. That is, the deepest Great Lake would get higher highs and lower lows.

A study that concluded Plan B-plus would protect the wetlands has not been backed up.

Plan B-plus would adversely affect the shoreline, which has been eroded over the years, according to McKenna. Property owners say they are paying taxes on land that is now under water. While water levels on the other Great Lakes are going down, Lake Ontario is going up.

“I used to have beach. Now I get the beach about two weeks after Labor Day,” said Herb Linderman, who has 150 feet of lakeshore property on Somerset Drive in Somerset. “In a two-week period, all of a sudden I get a beach and what good is it then. I am not at all happy with them.

Homeowners who seek to protect their property have to get a joint permit from the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Army Corps of Engineers.

“It’s a very difficult process to get something through in a timely manner,” McKenna said. “The DEC is not trying to help you out. They are trying to protect the environment. It’s a very difficult process. It’s very expensive and hard to find somebody to do it.”

Work can only be done in the fall, when the water level is lowest.

According to McKenna, it was the intent of the Joint Commission to find a plan that would improve the way the system works without harming any one of the stakeholders: Power, shipping, municipal water uses, shoreline property owners, recreational boaters and the environmentalists.

The most effected areas are along the South shore of Lake Ontario in Niagara, Orleans, Wayne and Monroe counties. The IJC has come out with an alternative plan — Plan 2007 — which has a relief process. However, that relief process does not come into effect until the water levels are even higher than under the 1958 plan.

“It appears that the IJC intends to implement Plan 2007 — which is the good news,” McKenna said. “But, they want to allow for a switch to Plan B-plus as soon as possible.”

He wants to unite the property owners against Plan B-plus.

print this story  



autoconx
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Premier Guide

Find a job! Find a Home! Find a car!

Featured Jobs

Inventory Control
Inventory Control
Carousel Pickers
Order Pickers
Receivers/Shippers
Packers
Pay: $10/hr
Sh
...>MORE

Certified Pharmacy Tech's & Certified Medication Tech's
Certified Pharmacy Tech’s & Certified
Medication Tech’s Competitive wages. Call Lisa McKensie Ransomville Manor 79
...>MORE

Nursing
NURSING. ElderWood Senior Care, "Care Without Compromise". We invite you to stop by and learn how you can become part of...>MORE

Facilities Director
Facilities
Director 
Strategically manage commercial and residential portfolios onsite in US and Canada. Exe
...>MORE

FLOOR ASSISTANT
Floor asst. needed for approx. 30-35 hrs/wk in a podiatry office, no exp. nec., will train, call between 12-2:30 pm for ...>MORE

RN
RN, Director of Quality / Education: to plan, organize, develop and direct all staff development and CQI programs. North...>MORE

Insulation Installer
Insulation Installers. Exp. preferred but will train the right candidates. Start $8-$10/hr. Earn $15. in less than 30 da...>MORE

Assistant Director
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Alumni Relations (ft) sought by the Alumni Relations Department of Niagara University, a private
...>MORE

Echo Tech
ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY TECHNICIAN, Full-time. Certification by ARDMS or registry eligible. Up to $7500 Sign On Bonus!; MEDICAL...>MORE

Nurse Practitioner
NURSE Practitioner, PT including one evening, resume 533 Meadow Dr, Suite 2, N. Tona, NY 14120 or fax 693-4807...>MORE

See all ads

Feature Autos

Mercury 1999 Grand Marquis
Mercury ‘99 Grand Marquis 4 dr, leather, all options, 49k org mi., showroom cond. $6000. 860-2854, ...>MORE

Ford 1999 Ranger
FORD 1999 Ranger, 5 speed, 130K, fair condition, $2000 or best offer, 716-310-0531...>MORE

1991 Dodge Caravan
DODGE 1991 Caravan, exc body, runs great, full power, needs TLC. $1200 or BO. Call 754-4608....>MORE

1995 Plymouth Neon
Plymouth ‘95 Neon, 4 cyl, auto, 4 dr, exc in & out, 1 owner, only 56k orig. mi, no rust. $2195. 523-7102 ...>MORE

Ford 1995 Crown Victoria
Ford 1995 Crown Victoria 4 dr, loaded, new tires must see & drive $3500. red. 860-2854...>MORE

2000 Dodge Caravan
DODGE 2000 Caravan, V6, power everything, excellent body, runs great, $2195. Call 754-4608....>MORE

VW 2001 Beetle
VW 2001 Beetle, loaded, GLX turbo, exc. cond, all service records, fun to drive, blue bk $5600, take best offer, 990-06...>MORE

Chevy 2003 Impala
CHEVY 2003 Impala
25,600 miles, loaded
Exc. Cond. $10,000/bo
297-2199
...>MORE

Ford Windstar 1998
FORD 1998 Windstar $1000 or best offer.
298-5220
...>MORE

Dodge 2001 Neon
Dodge 2001 Neon 4 dr, auto, a/c, new tires, c/d no rust, inspected, $3900. white 860-2854...>MORE

See all ads





 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2009. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index