New plan to restore the health of Lake Ontario and the St Lawrence River needs your support now!

By Kate Reilly, WWF-Canada Freshwater Intern
As we have mentioned before, a new plan, known as Bv7, has been developed by the International Joint Commission (IJC) to change how the water levels and flows in Lake Ontario and the St Lawrence River are managed. This plan is good for nature and good for people, and you have the chance to show your support for it at the public information sessions that are being held in communities around the Lake and River during May and June.
The proposed plan will restore more natural water levels and flows to the lake and river, revitalizing the wetlands and river habitats vital to birds, fish, and other animals. And the plan has economic benefits too, showing that environmental restoration can go hand in hand with economic development. You can find out more about why WWF backs the plan here.

Four Beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas), swimming at the surface of the St. Lawrence River, Quebec, Canada. © Robert Michaud /WWF-Canada

So show the IJC your support for a healthier lake and river by coming out to the information session nearest you. These sessions start this week and run through June in communities around the region. If you can’t make it to a meeting, send your message of support to the IJC online by June 15. You can use and adapt this letter to add your voice to the growing number supporting the IJC’s efforts to put the plan put into action:
I write to express my strong support for Plan Bv7 and call for the full and speedy adoption of this new approach to water level regulation in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.
I support this plan because Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River enhance the quality of life for all citizens who live, work and recreate in and around the lake and river.  The more natural rhythms of water levels and flows proposed in Plan BV7 will benefit migrating and nesting waterfowl, key wetland habitats, beaches and dunes, and valued fish species like the northern pike.

What is most encouraging is that the benefits of Plan Bv7 are not limited to the environment – recreational boating, hunting, fishing, hydroelectric production, and commercial shipping are also strengthened under this new approach to regulation. I support this plan because it demonstrates that environmental improvements and economic development can go hand in hand.

I write to you today as a citizen of the Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River community to voice my support for this new approach to water level regulation, which will restore the health of an ecosystem that is a global and local treasure.