Fifty years ago, the St. Lawrence Seaway opened amid great fanfare and ringing predictions of economic growth in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River region. Unfortunately, these predictions went unfulfilled, while the introduction of ocean going vessels to the fresh waters brought disastrous environmental consequences.

From the crippling and irreversible alterations wrought by invasive species introductions to the routine discharge of ship-borne pollution, the Lakes and River have been consistently damaged by impacts from commercial navigation for fifty years, spelling disaster for the people who rely directly on the region’s fresh water for drinking, recreation and economic well-being. (Read more about the Seaway’s legacy of pollution and unmet promises.)

An Opportunity for a Better Seaway

Today, we know that there are specific and tangible economic benefits linked to a healthy Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. We need to be restoring this magnificent resource, not allowing the Seaway to further degrade it.

Save The River has joined over 50 other citizen groups from around the region to call on the Seaway to act now to protect our River and Lakes. In a recently released report, we called upon the Seaway to protect the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River by taking the following actions:

1. Eliminate invasive species introductions: More than 185 aquatic invasive species have entered the Great Lakes, disrupting the food chain, fouling beaches and damaging infrastructure. The number one source of invasive species entering the Great Lakes is from the discharge of ballast water from ocean-going vessels.

2. Adapt to climate change: Climate change poses significant and untried challenges for the future of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence River. Scientists estimate that lake levels will drop dramatically – perhaps as much as 3 feet by the 2050s. Industry has an opportunity and a responsibility to think creatively and constructively about how to adapt to the future in ways that avoid further damage to the resource.

3. Abandon unnecessary and costly system expansion proposals: The Seaway operates well below its capacity, yet over the past 22 years stakeholders have had to repeatedly fight back expansion proposals that would seek to allow wider, longer, and deeper vessels to operate on the Great Lakes. Physical expansion would worsen the environmental impacts of the Seaway. The governments of the United States and Canada should make it clear that expanding the Seaway is no longer an option.

4. Use cleaner fuels: While the waterborne mode of transportation may be the most fuel efficient, it does significantly contribute to regional air quality impacts. International vessels on the Great Lakes generally burn the same dirty fuel (bunker oil) that international vessels are allowed to burn under current international mandates. Both international and domestic vessels must reduce these air emissions.

5. Eliminate cargo sweeping and other discharges: While significant steps have been made in stopping regular discharges into the Great Lakes from ships, vessels continue to sweep dry cargo from their decks and into the water. Every year over the past 150 years, an estimated 2,500 tons of cargo residue have been dumped into the Lakes. This pollution vector should be eliminated, and there should be improvements to the monitoring of other vessel discharges to ensure that the waters are protected fro ship-borne pollution.

6. Minimize icebreaking: Commercial navigation during periods of significant ice negatively impact wetlands, shoreline and habitat. Additionally, emergency response capabilities are seriously hindered under ice conditions, making impacts from hazardous material spills much more significant. Further, in the light of climate change, ice cover should be maximized on the Great Lakes in order to minimize the predicted effects of increased evaporation due to climate change.

7. Increase transparency: Good governance and transparency mechanisms are essential for government entities to ensure that decision makers receive, and properly evaluate, all the information necessary to make informed policy or regulatory decisions; and that the public has access to enough information to review government decisions. Lack of transparency, a narrow range of represented interests and insufficient public access to information are a few issues that need to be looked at under a critical eye.

Take Action!

We have a golden opportunity on this 50th anniversary to creative a Seaway that is protective of our waterways.

Sign the petition calling on the Seaway and the navigation industry
to act now to protect our River.

Save The River has been keeping close tabs on the many wind energy projects in development throughout the St. Lawrence River valley. Recently, Save The River submitted comments during the most recent round of review for the St. Lawrence Wind project proposed by Acciona Energy in the Town of Cape Vincent.

In our comments on the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS), we raise significant concerns about the lack of depth and breadth of the environmental impact studies and overall site review process of the proposed project.

Specifically, Save The River highlighted deficiencies in the following areas of the SDEIS:

• Integrating relevant regional and local agency expertise to the fullest extent possible;
• Conducting long-term pre-construction studies;
• Conducting thorough bird and bat studies;
• Rigorous review requirements via the SEQR (State Environmental Quality Review) process; and
• Visual impact analysis.

As a result of the above deficiencies, Save The River strongly recommends that the Town of Cape Vincent Planning Board require Acciona Energy, the developer of the St. Lawrence Wind Project, to take additional time to continue to review the environmental impacts of this project.

Read Save The River’s full letter here.

Save The River’s Position on Development of Wind and other Alternative Energy Projects

As communities along the River grapple with the many difficult questions surrounding wind energy development projects, many people have asked us about Save The River’s stance on wind energy.

Save The River supports alternative energy development, including wind power, in the St. Lawrence River watershed. However, the impacts of such projects must be thoroughly evaluated in accordance with state and federal laws and regulations. Additionally, projects must be planned and sited so that potential ecological damage to the River and its watershed is minimized.

Earlier Letters and Recommendations

Save The River has submitted several formal comment letters to local agencies reviewing wind energy projects in the region including:

Comments on Horse Creek (Clayton) Draft Environmental Impact Statement (6/14/07)

Commentss on St. Lawrence Wind (Cape Vincent) Draft Environmental Impact Statement (6/14/07)

Comment on BP (Cape Vincent) Draft Environmental Impact Statement (2/29/08)

I recently received a specimen at the office that was thought to be the Ruffe, a small invasive fish resembling a yellow perch, that is an invasive species soon to arrive here on the St. Lawrence River.

Although it did look like a Ruffe, it actually was a rock bass that had died and bleached in the sun giving it the speckled appearance that the Ruffe has. From the photo you can see that this fish is deep bodied and not as slender in shape like a perch would be.

Other key features to look for if you think you have a Ruffe are for gill covers with many sharp spines, two very sharp spines on the anal fin, and a dorsal fin that is half spiny and half soft finned. To read more about the identifying characteristics of the Ruffe click here.

Special thanks to Ashley Pike for this observation!

Here’s a report from Riverkeeper Volunteer John Chisholm on Carleton Island:

Hi Sarah,

I noticed today what appears to be the exoskeletons of numerous red shrimp floating near our dock on Carleton. I did collect some in the event they would be helpful. These don’t seem to be the entire shrimp, more like the after effect of a molt or shedding. I’ve attached a picture of some floating on the river surface.

Hope your summer is a good one.

Regards,

John

Photo of Mayflies by John Chisholm

Response:

This is a common sight on the River this time of year. They are actually the shed exoskeletons of mayfly nymphs, which they shed as they metamorphose into adults. Mayflies are one species that can indicate good water quality, so their presence is a good sign for River health!

Can’t wait for Rock for the River VI on Saturday, July 4th? Grab a sneak peak of what’s to come!

Rock for the River VI
Saturday, July 4
Clayton Opera House
7 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Tickets: $30 advance; $35 at the door

Stop by Save The River or call us at (315) 686-2010 to get your tickets today!

For more details and to hear more music from the muscian’s playing at this year’s show,

visit the Rock for the River website.

Our friends at the Algonquin to Adirondack Conservation Association just sent along information about a great presentation being held in a few weeks on the decline of the American Eel population.

Eels once made up 50% of the biomass of many bodies of water in our area and represented a major food source for aboriginal peoples. They are now in serious decline from a variety of causes, most notably the effects of hydroelectric dams. They are now listed as a Species at Risk in Canada, and the Ontario Government is developing a Recovery Strategy for them.

To learn more, join A2A and the Gananoque River Waterways Association on Friday, July 10th at 7 p.m. for a presentation titled “The American Eel at the Edge: The Dramatic Decline of Eels in the Upper St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario”. The presenter is John Casselman, a biologist at Queen’s University and recognized as the expert on eel biology in Canada. The event is being held at the Council Chambers, Lansdowne Community Centre, 1 Jessie Street Lansdowne (same building as the library). Refreshments will be served!

For more information and to RSVP (the event is free), call (613) 659-4824.

Tickets are on sale now for Rock for the River VI!

Tickets are $30 advance or $35 at the door. Purchase tickets by calling Save The River at (315) 686-2010. Or stop by our office on Riverside Drive, in downtown Clayton next to the Opera House – we’re open 7 days a week from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Join us 4th of July weekend for this special musical event celebrating the River! Event founder Jay Nash is bringing some of the best original song writers and musicians from across the land to the Clayton Opera House for an amazing night of live music in support of Save The River.

Visit our Rock for the River page for details and line-up. And, be sure to check out the Rock for the River MySpace page to hear songs from this year’s musicians!

Great news arrived on Friday afternoon (May 29th) that the New York State Supreme Court has thrown out a lawsuit brought by the shipping industry challenging New York State’s tough new ballast rules.

You may recall that last winter New York State enacted tough, new rules to regulate ship ballast tanks as part of efforts to stop aquatic invasive species introductions. Save The River and regional environmental groups applauded the rules.

The New York State Attorney General’s office announced on Friday, May 29th, that the lawsuit had been thrown out of court, which means that the State can continue to implement the rules. While the issue is far from over, we’re encouraged by this forward progress and continue to applaud New York’s actions to regulate ship ballast.