MASSENA, N.Y. (WWTI) — In just over a month, the Great Lakes- St. Lawrence System will open for the 2023 navigation season.

The Montreal/ Lake Ontario section, which includes the St. Lawrence River, and Welland Canal are set to open for the next navigation season on Wednesday, March 22 at 8 a.m., according to a press release from the Seaway System.

Further down the system, the Sault Ste. Marie Locks and Canal in Michigan will open the following Saturday, March 25, also at 8 a.m.

Officials added that in the Montreal and Lake Ontario portion of the Seaway, the maximum allowable draft will be 80.0 dm, or 26 feet, 3 inches. The maximum draft will increase to 80.8 dm once the South Shore Canal is clear of ice.

The maximum allowable draft in the Welland Canal will be 80.8 dm, or 26 feet, 6 inches at the start of the season.

Ships equipped with an approved and operational draft information system will be permitted to
transit at a draft of up to 7cm above the maximum allowable draft.

However, ship transits will be subject to weather and ice conditions, officials said in the press release. Some areas may be restricted until navigation aids are installed.

The full notice can be read on the Seaway System’s website.