[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 166 (Monday, August 29, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52833-52834]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-18503]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice: 11839]


International Joint Commission Invites Public Comment on Lake 
Champlain-Richelieu River Flood Study Final Report

ACTION: Notice of public hearing on Lake Champlain-Richelieu River 
Flood Study Final Report.

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SUMMARY: The International Joint Commission (IJC) announced today that 
it is inviting public comment on the final report of its International 
Lake Champlain-Richelieu River Study Board's (LCRRSB) Flood Study Final 
Report. The study explores the causes, impacts, risks, and solutions 
for flooding in Lake Champlain and the Richelieu River. Comments will 
be accepted at public hearings, webinars, and by mail, email and on-
line through September 30, 2022. The LCRRSB's full report can be found 
on the IJC website at: www.ijc.org/lcrr.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christina Chiasson (Ottawa) (613) 293-
1031 at ijc.org">christina.chiasson@ijc.org or Kevin Bunch (Washington, DC) 
(202) 632-2014 at ijc.org">kevin.bunch@ijc.org.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

September 7-8, 2022, Public Hearings on LCRRSB's Flood Study Final 
Report

    Date: September 7, 2022.
    Time: 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. EST.
    Location: Royal Military College Saint-Jean, Auditorium Vanier, 15 
Rue Jacques-Cartier Nord, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec.
    Date: September 8, 2022.
    Time: 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. EST.
    Location: Hotel Vermont, Juniper Room, 41 Cherry St. Burlington, 
Vermont.
    The International Joint Commission will receive comments in person 
at the public hearings. Public input is essential to the Commission's 
consideration of potential recommendations to the Governments of the 
United States and Canada.
    For more information on the upcoming virtual webinars, visit 
www.ijc.org/lcrr.
    The LCRRSB study findings and recommendations cover four key 
themes:

 Reduction in water levels via structural mitigation measures
 Effects on impeding flows during floods of existing and 
additional wetlands in the basin
 Enhancements to flood forecasting and flood response in the 
basin
 Floodplain management best practices and lessons learned in 
other watersheds

    The LCRRSB was established by the IJC in 2016 to assist in 
responding to a reference by the governments of the United States and 
Canada under Article IX of the Boundary Waters Treaty. The reference 
was precipitated by major flooding in the Lake Champlain-Richelieu 
River basin in 2011. The basin forms in the United States between New 
York and Vermont, with much of Lake Champlain forming a border between 
the two states. The northern part of Lake Champlain crosses into 
Quebec, where it flows into the Richelieu River. The Richelieu River in 
turn joins with the St. Lawrence River near Montr[eacute]al and 
continues flowing east to the Atlantic Ocean.
    The governments requested the IJC to coordinate the full completion 
of Option B under the under the 2013 IJC Plan of Study. As part of this 
reference, the IJC was asked to evaluate the causes and impacts of the 
2011 flooding, and to make recommendations to mitigate future flood 
risks in the basin.
    IJC recommendations to the two federal governments under Article IX 
of the Boundary Waters Treaty are not binding and not to be considered 
decisions of the two governments.
    The main study recommendations include:
    1. That selective excavation of the riverbed near Saint-Jean-sur-
Richelieu, Quebec combined with the construction of a submerged weir 
would reduce high water levels during floods and would have the added 
benefit of raising water levels on Lake Champlain during dry years. A 
moderate diversion of high flows through the Chambly Canal could also 
be considered for additional flood-reduction benefits.
    2. The preservation of existing wetland areas, which can minimize 
water levels during floods while also stabilizing water levels during 
droughts in the basin.
    3. The governments are encouraged to operationalize the improved 
modeling and forecasting tools and coherent risk assessment systems and 
support/maintain them after the Study. The agencies responsible for 
flood forecasting in the basin should continue collaboration and make 
available forecasting data so that forecasts on both sides of the 
border are of the highest possible quality and are accompanied by a 
concerted and consistent cross-border interpretation.
    4. Improving floodplain mapping for the use of emergency managers 
and enhancing communication campaigns

[[Page 52834]]

around flood risk in the basin. The Board also recommended that 
jurisdictions in the basin review their floodplain management policies 
through the lens of making these areas more resilient for possible 
future floods.
    The full study board report and recommendations can be found at 
www.ijc.org/lcrr.
    The International Joint Commission was established under the 
Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 to help the United States and Canada 
prevent and resolve disputes over the use of the waters the two 
countries share. The Commission's responsibilities include 
investigating and reporting on issues of concern when asked by the 
governments of the two countries. For more information, visit the IJC 
website at ijc.org.

Susan E. Daniel,
Secretary, U.S. Section, International Joint Commission, Department of 
State.
[FR Doc. 2022-18503 Filed 8-26-22; 8:45 am]
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