ML070160391

JAFNPP - SEIS Web Reference - Great Lakes: Lake Ontario

ML070160391
Person / Time
Site:	FitzPatrick
Issue date:	01/16/2007
From:	FitzPatrick, Environmental Protection Agency
To:	Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
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Download: ML070160391 (3)

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Great Lakes: Lake Ontario Great Lakes Recent Additions l Contact Us l Print Version Search:

EPA Home > Great Lakes > Lakes > Lake Ontario >

About the Lakes Policies and Strategies Monitoring and Indicators Ecosystems Toxics Reduction

& Pollution Prevention Funding Great Lakes Partners LakeWide Management Plans Progress Updates 2006 Biennial Report Lake Ontario LaMP Update 2005 Lake Ontario LaMP Update 2004 2004 Biennial Report LaMP Update 2003 Lake Ontario LaMP 2002 Biennial Report Biennial Report Highlights April 2002 LaMP Update 2001 LaMP Update 2000 LaMP Update 1999 Lake Ontario Lakewide Management Plan Lake Ontario Stage 1 LaMP Problem definition - Final June 1, 1998 Executive Summary Lake Ontario AOCs EighteenMile Creek, New York Niagara River, New York Niagara River Toxics Management Plan Oswego River/Harbor, New York Rochester Embayment, New York St. Lawrence River at Massena, New York Other reports Lake Ontario Lower Aquatic Foodweb Study Archives Report of The Niagara River Toxics Committee October 1984 For Further information contact:

Lake Ontario Physical and Environmental Features of the Lake Ontario Basin Lake Ontario is the last of the chain of Great Lakes that straddle the Canada/United States border. Its shoreline is bordered by the Province of Ontario on the Canadian side and New York State on the U.S.

side. Lake Ontario is the smallest of the Great Lakes, with a surface area of 18,960 km2 (7,340 square miles), but it has the highest ratio of watershed area to lake surface area. It is relatively deep, with an average depth of 86 meters (283 feet) and a maximum depth of 244 meters (802 feet), second only to Lake Superior. Approximately 80 percent of the water flowing into Lake Ontario comes from Lake Erie through the Niagara River.

The remaining flow comes from Lake Ontario basin tributaries file:///Gl/ADRO/DLR/REBB/Fitzpatrick/dSEIS%20Preparat...20References/2.2.5/Great%20Lakes%20Lake%20Ontario.htm (1 of 3)1/16/2007 1:04:04 PM

Great Lakes: Lake Ontario Conrad de Barros Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Energy (613) 549-4000 ext 2622 Barbara Belasco United States Environmental Protection Agency (212) 637-3848 Rimi Kalinauskas Environment Canada (416) 739-5836 Robert Townsend New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (518) 402-8284 (14%) and precipitation (7%).

About 93 percent of the water in Lake Ontario flows out to the St.

Lawrence River; the remaining 7 percent leaves through evaporation. Since Lake Ontario is the downstream Great Lake, it is impacted by human activities occurring throughout the Lake Superior, Michigan, Huron, and Erie basins.

Ecosystem Goals for Lake Ontario

1. The Lake Ontario Ecosystem should be maintained and as necessary restored or enhanced to support self-reproducing diverse biological communities.

2. The presence of contaminants shall not limit the uses of fish, wildlife, and waters of the Lake Ontario basin by humans and shall not cause adverse health effects in plants and animals.

3. We as a society shall recognize our capacity to cause great changes in the ecosystem and we shall conduct our activities with responsible stewardship for the Lake Ontario basin.

Objectives G Aquatic Communities (benthic and pelagic): the waters of Lake Ontario shall support diverse and healthy reproducing and self-sustaining communities in dynamic equilibrium, with an emphasis on native species.

G Wildlife: the perpetuation of a healthy, diverse, and self-sustaining wildlife community that utilizes the lake for habitat and/or food shall be ensured by attaining and sustaining the waters, coastal wetlands, and upland habitats of the Lake Ontario basin in sufficient quality and quantity.

G Human Health: the waters, plants, and animals of Lake Ontario shall be free from contaminants and organisms resulting from human activities at levels that affect human health or aesthetic factors such as tainting, odor, and turbidity.

G Habitat: Lake Ontario offshore and nearshore zones and surrounding tributary, wetland, and upland habitats shall be of sufficient quality and quantity to support ecosystem objectives for the health, productivity, and distribution of plants and animals in and adjacent to Lake Ontario.

G Stewardship: Human activities and decisions shall embrace environ-mental ethics and a commitment to responsible stewardship.

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2520References/2.2.5/Great%2520Lakes%2520Lake%2520Ontario.htm file:///Gl/ADRO/DLR/REBB/Fitzpatrick/dSEIS%20Preparat...20References/2.2.5/Great%20Lakes%20Lake%20Ontario.htm (3 of 3)1/16/2007 1:04:04 PM