High water levels slow Seaway ships

The heavy melt over the last few days, combined with rain, means a lot of places are dealing with high water levels, both in their rivers and in some cases on their roads. Another impact of high waters is in St. Lawrence Seaway, where ships passing through are being slowed down to prevent shoreline erosion.

St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation Office of Lock Operations and Marine Services Director Lori Curran told North Country Now that water levels are high between the locks at Massena and the Iroquois Dam across from Lisbon, because the the Moses-Saunders power dam near Massena is holding back some of the water that would naturally flow downstream.

Apparently, the speed restrictions aren’t unusual, but they’re usually imposed later in the year — last year, the Seaway imposed the restrictions in May.