Collaborative Approaches Leading to Improved Outflow Management of the Great Lakes

During the twentieth century, the levels of the Great Lakes have been modified by outflow management from Lakes Superior and Ontario. Recent studies have been undertaken to improve this management engaging stakeholders to help identify refinements to not only consider existing interests like commercial navigation and hydropower, but also interests new to the management process: recreational boating and ecosystems. The International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Study which was completed in May 2006, proposed alternatives to the regulation plan for Lake Ontario, Plan 1958-D, which were developed using shared vision planning principles and techniques. The on-going International Upper Great Lakes Study, scheduled for completion in the Spring of 2012 that will identify alternatives to the present regulation plan for Lake Superior, Plan 1977-A, is also applying shared vision planning to arrive at alternatives. This paper describes the collaborative approaches used in these two case studies pointing out their similarities and differences which can serve as a guide for other large-scale studies and projects.