FINAL REPORT - International Joint Commission

Adaptive Management Program Summary Table
Study
Monitoring
PI/Algorithm Area Data collected Possible links to existing programs*
Meadow marsh Some of 32 Plant densities 1. New York State’s Comprehensive Wildlife
community surface study wetlands by type and Conservation Strategy – CWCS. Requires
area elevation 25% non-Federal cost sharing.
2. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grant to
Least Bittern, Black Lake Ontario Marsh-nesting
NYSDEC to implement the state wildlife
Tern reproductive
obligate bird
management plan.
index
populations, focus
3. Environment Canada Durham Region
Yellow Rail, King
on species at risk
monitoring program.
Rail preferred
4. Bird Study Canada’s Marsh Monitoring
breeding habitat
Program.
coverage
Muskrat house Upper River Populations New program required.
density in drowned
river mouths,
Thousand Islands
area.
Erosion Lake Ontario Bank recession 1. New satellite imagery capture and analysis
program.
2. State and provincial permitting programs.
Shore protection Lake Ontario New and replacement State and provincial permitting programs.
structures
Boating benefits Gananoque area, Shallow water Would use a new network of existing
Lac St. Louis, incidents boating groups.
Alexandria Bay,
North Sandy Pond
* No existing programs will provide the monitoring needed, but they provide an authority and cost efficiencies that
should be explored.
In addition, the IJC would encourage or fund research into improved six to twelve-month forecasts of net total
supply to Lake Ontario.
ANNEX 4
3. The protocol for changing the regulation plan
The Board of Control would have overall management responsibility for adaptive management. The Board
would issue a report every five years on the performance of the new plan. The report would include a
comparison of modeled and measured impacts, the Board’s conclusions on whether the plan was
achieving the expected results, and recommendations for any model and plan changes. The Board would
formulate and evaluate plan modifications and would present its report to the public as part of its public
information program. The IJC would be free to accept, modify or reject the proposals. The Board would
direct hydrologic forecasting research.
Options for Managing Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River Water Levels and Flows
247