BV7 ~ fighting with or working with nature?

The body regulating water levels on Lake Ontario, the International Joint Commission (IJC), has released a proposal for a new management plan. Lake levels have a significant impact on the economic and environmental viability of harbors in upstate New York and Canada.  The last proposal, known commonly as plan BV7, was highly controversial and received such backlash during the public comment period that the commission re-drafted it.  The IJC’s, new proposal aims to strike a compromise between the concerns of environmental groups and harbor residents.  For years management plans have focused on maintaining levels conducive to maximum economic benefit and minimal damage to shoreline property.  However, losses of ecosystem diversity and drops in bird and fish populations have raised concerns about the environmental impact of unnatural water levels.  Plan BV7 tried to correct this issue by introducing more extreme highs and lows to water levels more frequently.  But, residents argued this plan would come at the price of recreational boating revenue and damage to shoreline property.  READ MORE: http://innovationtrail.org/post/new-water-management-plan-lake-ontario