The International Joint Commission announces it is supporting an environmentally friendly plan for regulating flows and water levels on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. And while the news is exactly what many people in the North County and Canada wanted to hear, our Brian Dwyer tells that's not the case everywhere, especially in Western New York.

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CLAYTON, N.Y. -- It took 12 years and $20 million, but Monday morning, the International Joint Commission took to the internet and released its proposed plan to regulate flows and water levels for Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.

As expected and to the delight of the North Country and Canada, the IJC chose plan BV7.It raises the levels during the fall and winter months, and also has much more fluctuation than the current plan allows, which is best for the ecosystem.

"Wetlands need and they've been designed to have, fluctuation over an annual basis and over the long term," Save the River Executive Director Jennifer Caddick said. "Those wet and dry cycles we see over 10 to 20 years. That's really been cut short by the current plan."

But not everyone shares in the excitement.

"Orleans, Monroe, Wayne, Cayuga and Oswego Counties will bear the brunt of the damage on the U.S. side," LORA Founder Jack Steinkamp said.

Jack Steinkamp founded the Lake Ontario Riparian Alliance in 1994. The group has taken its fight to YouTube, wanting the water levels to be left alone and fearing change could cause millions of dollars in erosion damage to property owners with no specific mention of mitigation.

Steinkamp also says he's concerned there's no specific mention of money being budgeted to track the effects of BV7 and is worried about the future of a dam that was built, promising protection from water damage.

"It's really lopsided nationally," Steinkamp said about the plan. "It's lopsided geographically in New York State. It looks like New York State doesn't care about the shoreline. They don't care if it washes away or if people live on it."

The Alliance isn't alone. Another group, Save our Sodus, also has its concerns about infrastructure and more and doesn't feel the IJC answered enough questions Monday.

"I think it's early for us to say that this plan is going to be better or worse than we anticipated or we had been communicated about until we get more detail," Save our Sodus President Ed Leroux said.

There is one thing everyone can agree on and that's no matter how you feel about the issue, make your voice heard. The IJC will host public hearings on BV7 in late spring.

In advance of those hearings, Save the River is hosting a conference Saturday in Clayton and a representative from the IJC will be on hand to discuss the plan and answer questions. It will be held at the Clayton Opera House starting at 10 a.m.. You can pre-register or register at the event itself.