that the discharge of the St. Lawrence River varies considerably from one year to the next? At the Sorel hydrometric station, maximum flows three times greater than the minimum flows were recorded during the period from 1932 to 2001. For example, in the mid-1930s, a very dry period, flows lower than 7000 m3/s were recorded; they stand in sharp contrast with the discharge of nearly 20,000 m3/s recorded in 1943. Interannual fluctuations depend largely on the inflows from Lake Ontario and vary with climatic conditions. Engineering works operated to regulate water flows cause mainly seasonal fluctuations.

