The International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board is expected to issue a statement Tuesday morning concerning discussions at a recent meeting held by the board.

Members are looking at their options to help prevent lakeshore flooding, and it could include a delay in the start of the shipping season on the St. Lawrence Seaway.

The Great Lakes – St. Lawrence region is home to a huge shipping industry. In fact, the Chamber of Marine Commerce describes it as an economic powerhouse and the industrial heartland of both the United States and Canada with a combined GDP well into the trillions of dollars.

It also says the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River navigation system is an efficient, low-cost marine superhighway that connects cities, towns, and businesses to markets throughout North America and around the world.

Every year, ships deliver more than 230 million metric tons of cargo, worth over $75 billion on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence waterway.

Some 230 million metric tons of raw materials and finished goods are delivered by Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River ships every year.

That includes cargo for North American farmers, steel producers, construction firms, food manufacturers, and power generators.

The chamber says Great Lakes vessels are 7 times more fuel-efficient than trucks. Stating, for example, one ship equals 301 Rail Cars or 963 Semi Trucks.

Great Lakes-St. Lawrence shipping supports 328,500 industry jobs in the U.S. and Canada. When outflow is too high, it causes unsafe navigation and increases fuel costs.

Balancing the needs of the shipping industry and waterfront properties is now at the heart of the debate about how to manage water levels.

The shipping season is expected to begin on about March 19. The international board has never delayed the start of the shipping.