Ogdensburg Flood Gates Open

[John Jarosz]

Jojo asked me to post these pics of the Ogdensburg Flood gates. They are open:

[John Pensyl]

Those pictures are of Whalen park in Louisville, NY just east of wilson hill wildlife management area. The ogdensburg flood gates are almost always open. I'd they were closed that water would be even lower. The low water is caused from the high water release at the moses saunders dam and long sault dam down river from this area. It has nothing to do with the iroquois flood gates at ogdensburg.

[John Pensyl]

The gates at Ogdensburg are used during extreme periods of high water to slow flow through the bottle neck in the river to prevent flooding and again during ice formation. They were closed completely most of the summer which is very rare. Most years you can drive ur boat right through/under them. This year you had to use the locks to get through that area of the river. They've been open since mid September when lake ontario started to reach manageable levels. Right now the IJC is taking advantage of a brief window of opportunity to let off as much water as possible. With shipping season over and normal ice formation delayed by warm temps they are dumping ever inch of water possible through the dams. Lake st. Lawrence above the dam is being g drained faster than the water can make it through the neckdown of the river to refill it. When this began 14 days ago lake Ontario was at 246 feet and lake st. Lawrence was at 244. Within 7 days lake Ontario is still at 246 but lake st. Lawrence dropped a foot per day 9 feet in total. The past few days its held steady at 235'. At 231' municipalities lose access to drinking water. That area of the river is a giant reservoir that was flooded when the seaway was created. With water levels this low some of the old roads and home foundations from before the seaway was created are visable from up above. It's pretty cool stuff.