With the big spring thaw underway (mostly) and warmer weather on the way, Lakes Michigan and Huron are on track to get closer to their long-term water levels than they were last summer.
“Water levels on Lake Michigan- Huron typically rise from March through July. Lake Michigan- Huron has risen one inch since early March, but is 13 inches higher than this same time last year. Although the above two lakes are higher, they are still 16 inches below the long term average for this date.
The rise in the lakes in the past month was the result of melting snow. Precipitation didn’t help much to the rise in lake levels, as March was fairly dry. The dry pattern in March was good for helping Michigan avoid major flooding. However, heavy rain would have really boosted lake water levels. March precipitation over the Lake Michigan-Huron drainage basin was only 1.49 inches, which was 69 percent of normal.”
Read more about the projected lake levels for this summer at the link above.
A commission of U.S. and Canadian experts is recommending immediate study in to causes for the historically low levels in the Great Lakes, and possible actions that can be taken.
From The Wall Street Journal:
“In a report in March 2012, a panel formed by the International Joint Commission didn’t take a stand on whether to try to fix the situation in the St. Clair, northeast of Detroit on the Michigan-Ontario border. After extended public hearings last summer, though, the commission is now recommending serious consideration by the two nations of how to slow the river’s water flow.
‘Although future water levels are uncertain, we cannot ignore the damage from record low water levels,’ Joe Comuzzi, Canadian chairman of the commission, said in a statement. ‘From Georgian Bay to Door County, from shoreline property owners to the shipping industry, we heard calls for action, and we urge governments to act in response to our recommendations.'”
Follow the link for the complete article, including the commission’s recommendations.
