Legal Definitions - Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation

The Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) is a United States government agency responsible for managing and maintaining the American portion of the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Specifically, the SLSDC is a wholly-owned corporation within the U.S. Department of Transportation. Its primary role is to develop, operate, and maintain the section of the St. Lawrence Seaway that extends from Montreal, Canada, to Lake Erie in the United States. This includes ensuring the safe and efficient passage of vessels through locks and channels. The SLSDC also collects tolls from ships using this waterway, with the rates for these tolls being determined through negotiations with its Canadian counterpart, the St. Lawrence Seaway Authority of Canada.

Here are some examples illustrating the role of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation:

• Imagine a large cargo ship, laden with steel coils, navigating from Lake Superior towards the Atlantic Ocean. As it enters the U.S. portion of the St. Lawrence Seaway, the ship relies on the locks and channels maintained by the SLSDC. The corporation's staff ensure that the locks operate smoothly, the navigation buoys are correctly placed, and the shipping lanes are dredged to the proper depth, allowing the vessel to safely continue its journey through the critical waterway.

  This example demonstrates the SLSDC's core function of operating and maintaining the physical infrastructure of the U.S. Seaway to facilitate commercial shipping.

• The SLSDC might initiate a multi-year project to upgrade the Eisenhower Lock, one of the key locks within its jurisdiction. This project could involve replacing aging machinery, improving control systems with modern technology, or reinforcing structural components. Such development efforts are crucial for ensuring the long-term reliability and efficiency of the Seaway for future generations of maritime trade.

  This illustrates the SLSDC's responsibility for "developing" the Seaway, focusing on infrastructure improvements and modernization to enhance its capacity and safety.

• A shipping company based in Europe plans to transport a shipment of wind turbine components from Germany to a port on Lake Michigan. When calculating the total cost, the company factors in the tolls charged for transit through the St. Lawrence Seaway. These specific toll rates, which apply to both the U.S. and Canadian sections of the Seaway, were established through collaborative discussions and agreements between the SLSDC and the St. Lawrence Seaway Authority of Canada, ensuring a unified pricing structure for international users.

  This highlights the SLSDC's role in charging tolls and its necessary coordination with the Canadian authority to manage the binational waterway's financial aspects.