Recent flooding along the Lake Ontario shoreline has spurred a series of State programs, including the Coastal Lakeshore Economic and Resiliency (CLEAR) initiative, to reconcile land uses with risks from flooding, erosion, and sedimentation. This research assesses the status of efforts to shift land use management institutions to take a more preventive approach to flood risk in the region. While the CLEAR process provided a needed forum to foster coordination across working groups and jurisdictions, many steering committee members expressed skepticism about its potential to yield positive results on the ground for several reasons. Through focus groups, I identify three key factors that undermine preventive regional action. First, some local leaders blame high water levels on the International Joint Commission (IJC), the Canadian-American governing body that manages outflows through dams. Second, there is no additional funding available to support the implementation of projects proposed through CLEAR, and it was awkwardly timed as a planning exercise after a major implementation project. The complaints of steering committee members signal the salience of disaster response over preventive measures.