Hilton, N.Y. - A large group of people living along the southern shore of Lake Ontario filled an auditorium in Hilton Wednesday night to voice their concerns over a plan to adjust lake levels.
The plan is authored by the International Joint Commission, or IJC, and would, at times, add more water to the lake.
The commission is now soliciting public comments on the proposal.
The majority of the audience believes any increase would magnify the risk of flooding and erosion.
"It's being ruled by strictly an environmental interest and they're not considering people who live on the shoreline," said Jack Steinkamp, a member of Lake Ontario Riparian Alliance, which opposes the proposal.
IJC says a change in regulation is needed to protect wetlands around the lake.
"The environment has been ignored by regulations for the last 50 years," said David Klein, who called the plan well-balanced.
The issue dates back to the 1950s when IJC began to control the level of Lake Ontario to prevent devastating floods.
Newer studies suggested the lack of occasional flooding has reduced wetlands around the lake.
IJC says it would expand the range of lake levels just enough to promote wetland growth while limiting added risk to homeowners.
