FINAL REPORT - International Joint Commission

FINAL REPORT
Coastal Processes
The assessed values of approximately 25,000 affected properties (buildings only) on Lake Ontario and the
upper St. Lawrence River is approximately $3.3 billion U.S., with an additional $380 million U.S. in property
values on the floodplain of the lower St. Lawrence River downstream of Cornwall. This value is expected
to increase as demand for waterside living continues to grow.
From 1990 to 2000, there was an increase in shoreline development of about 6% on the Lake and 2% on
the upper St. Lawrence River and, with shoreline property values having doubled in the past decade, this is
expected to continue. On the lower river, laws and regulations have been progressively implemented to
manage construction within the floodplain in such a way that limited changes to shoreline development are
expected. However, there has been conversion of seasonal homes to permanent dwellings, a trend also
seen on the Lake. Approximately 600 homes on the Lake are at imminent risk to losses from flooding or
erosion due to their proximity to the existing shoreline. On the River, any flooding above the 100-year
flood-line would result in greatly increased damages.
Commercial Navigation
The St. Lawrence Seaway opened in April 1959. The Seaway, combined with the eight locks on the
Welland Canal, allow ocean-going vessels and lakers to access all of the Great Lakes. The Montreal-
Lake Ontario section of the Seaway is an integral part of this system. This section encompasses a series
of seven locks which allow ships to navigate between the lower St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario.
From the Atlantic Ocean through Montreal Harbour, the system allows for deeper draft and is used by
ocean-going vessels, many of which are too large to use the Seaway.
Each year, marine commerce on the Great Lakes/Seaway System generates more than $4.3 billion in
personal income, $3.4 billion in transportation-related business revenue and $1.3 billion in federal, state
and local taxes. Over 30 million tons per year, representing some 2,950 ship movements, pass through
the Montreal-Lake Ontario section of the system. About 85% of total tonnage consists of iron ore, coal,
limestone and grain. Montreal Harbour is the most important container port in eastern Canada and one of
the fifteen largest in North America, handling about a fourth of the container volume of the New York/New
Jersey Harbour. According to the Port of Montreal, container traffic grew from about 7.1 million metric
tonnes in 1994 to 10.8 million metric tonnes in 2004. Vessel size and draft has increased substantially
over the past 40 years. On the Seaway, vessels of up to 225.4 m (740 ft) in length and 23.8 m (78 ft) in
the width now regularly transit the system, and vessel draft has increased to 8.08 m (26.5 ft). However,
transportation growth is generally north-south while the Seaway is east-west, and the Seaway infrastructure
is aging. A Seaway feasibility study is currently underway to look at what can be done to make more
efficient use of the Seaway. With all of this, it is difficult to determine if the sector is growing or declining,
but containerized shipping through the Port of Montreal is expanding as part of a worldwide boom in
containership trade.
Recreational Boating and Tourism
For the 2002 boating season (April to November), $429.7 million U.S. was spent on boating-related trips.
Of the $178 million in total U.S. expenditures, $68 million U.S. resulted from tourist-related spending.
The rural portions of Lake Ontario, Thousand Islands area and Lac St. Pierre are very dependent on
tourism related to recreational boating. The 2002 survey identified an estimated 133,000 U.S. boaters and
177,000 Canadian boaters. The number of U.S. boaters increased 10% between 1994 and 2002, and the
number of boats in Quebec increased 22% between 1995 and 2000, with a slight trend towards larger,
faster boats. It is expected that these trends will continue throughout the region.
14 Options for Managing Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River Water Levels and Flows