St. Lawrence River could rise if N.Y. request to lower Lake Ontario is approved

A request by the state of New York to release more water from a dam in Cornwall in order to lower water levels in Lake Ontariohas the agency in charge in a tricky situation.

If the request is accepted, the excess water from Lake Ontario, which is nearing a record level,would be diverted to the St. Lawrence River.

That would in turn affect water levels inLac Saint-Louis, at the confluence of the St. Lawrence and Ottawa rivers,which is past its record high flood level.

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JeanAubry-Morin, a Canadian member of the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board, said it's a balancing act.

"We're doing everything that we can to relieve everyone that can be quite difficult," he told CBC News.

New York Gov.Andrew Cuomo made the request to release water from the Moses-Saunders PowerDamon Tuesday.

Cuomo was sympathetic to the flooding situation in Ontario and Quebec.

"In a situation like this, preparation is key and getting ahead of the situation is key. Once the damage occurs, then you're playing cleanup, so the best course is to get ahead of it and be prepared," said Cuomo onTuesday.

The river board follows strict protocols to ensure water levels are evenly distributed on both sides of the border.

Aubry-Morin said the shared water is usually readjusted once a week, but recently it's been more likethree to four times a day.

Quebec already coping with floods

Several communities in Quebec are already coping with the aftermath of floods.

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Aubry-Morin said that the board would take current water levels in Quebec into consideration before adding any water into the St. Lawrence.

Because of the snow melt and spring showers,the international board redistributes water into the appropriate body of water every year.

What's abnormal about this year,Aubry-Morin says is the amount of precipitation the provinces have seen in the last six weeks.

"It's a one-in-20-yearsituation," he said.

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