Regulation of Namakan and Rainy lakes and the water quality of Rainy River brought together in a joint annual meeting the International Rainy Lake Board of Control and the International Rainy River Water Pollution Board.
Lee Grim, a member of the Rainy Lake Board of Control representing the U.S., reported that a large chunk of an Aug. 14 meeting centered around concerns and questions regarding the 2015 review of the rule curve that was set in 2000. The curve, Grim said, guides the levels of Rainy and Namakan lakes.
“There is always a lot of questions regarding the rule curve and how it is determined,” Grim told The Journal Monday.
Grim explained that water levels are controlled by a hydroelectric dam on the Rainy River in International Falls and Fort Frances and two water-control dams located at Kettle Falls — the outlet of Namakan Lake.
The dams are owned and operated by H2O Power LP on the Canadian side and by Boise Inc. on the United States side. The companies manage the water levels of Rainy and Namakan lakes in accordance with the rule curves established by the International Joint Commission. The IJC has delegated the oversight of the rule curves to the International Rainy Lake Board of Control, which has both a U.S. and Canadian representative as well as technical staff. There is a similar group known as the Lake of the Woods Control Board for that area.
“The rule curve was first introduced by the IJC in 1949 after many studies and public hearings,” Grim said.
A series floods, which occurred in 1950 and 1954, led to reevaluation and modification of the rule curves in 1957. The rule curves were modified again in 1970 due to high and low water events on Rainy and Namakan Lakes from 1957 to 1968, Grim said.
“The latest revision of the rule curves happened in 2000 after the International Steering Committee sought further changes to the curve on both Rainy and Namakan,” Grim said.
An assessment work group developed a plan of study for producing a body of scientific defensible evidence to be used for the rule curve review. Grim said since then, the process of 19 different studies including impacts of walleyes in the Namakan basin, impacts of fisheries in the river, and impacts on aquatic vegetation have been studied.
At last week’s meeting, the commission announced it will conduct hearings in the basin in 2015 to receive public input on the 2000 rule curves, Grim said, adding the commission has not yet made any final decision on how the review will be structured.
“The proof (of what will work best) will be in the details,” Grim said of the studies.
Concerns have been voiced by many First Nation and tribal people about the production of wild rice as it relates to the rule curve.
“Wild rice harvest to First Nation people is what logging is to us,” Grim noted. “It is their economic driver and stable food.”
Grim said the major concern is whether the rule curve is helping or working against the growth of wild rice. Peter Lee of Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario, is putting together a proposal to inventory and gain traditional knowledge from tribal people and also concentrate on what has happened with wild rice germination since rule curves have been introduced, Grim said.
Grim said the local board and the IJC are considering getting involved and helping with parts of the study.
“Other parts of the study have to do with trying to find places where they can reestablish wild rice,” said Grim. “We’re going to work together cooperatively.”
