Great Lakes Water Levels

[Czar]

Has anyone heard any reports from the Army Corps Of Engineers concerning whether the great lake levels will rise, lower or stay the same this year? Thanks for the info. Good fishing to all.

[Merc Man]

Prediction is they will drop, excessive evaporation due to no ice cover is the cause.

[Fritz]

If they don't have ice this year they never will.

[John]

Check out the following link
http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/data/now/wlevels/levels.html

[cisco]

It's not an ice cover/evaporation issue, as the five lakes have only frozen over three times in the same year since records have been kept. We have been substantially below normal in the small watershed for the lakes over the past several years. February is almost always a low water level month.

As of now, predictions put summer levels at 8 to 12 inches below last year, with minor variations between the five bodies of water. The predictions are highly tentative, however, as there still exists potential for heavier snow pack, plus somewhat higher than normal spring precipitation. We need rain -- lots of rain.

[RIVERRUNNER]

All I know is this, the gov. says great lakes system was on a high cycle, now normal,b.s. I think water was taken out of the system.You don't have high water then low the next year, It's not rain, snow ,sun a cycle is a 20 year period not 2 d'ont believe anything any governments say on this issue. signed cover up

[Scott]

I thought the same as you until I listened to the talk to some old timers. I've heard them talk about 30 years ago and how far the land ran out the front of East Harbor cut. I've talked to locals on St. Clair that talk about walking on the sand from the end of the river nearly all the way through St. Annes and to the Grasse Islands, without getting wet. I read that most State Ramps are still useable because they built them using data including the "cycle" you mentioned as "BS". For once,I think the state may have done something correctly. From what I saw last year, the state ramps were mostly useable and many private ramps were not. I think they have a point.

[rickyp]

Oh my God, the low water levels on the great lakes are a government conspiracy. Why wasn't I smart enough to think of that??? You MUST be kidding, right?????

[cisco]

This reminds me of the notion a few years ago when some folks said Illinois was draining too much thru the canal and Illinois River. What they did not realize was the simple fact that enough water to make a difference on Lake Michigan would flood all of central Illinois.

Ever try to empty a bathtub using an eye dropper?

It is in violation of Federal treaty with Canada to channel Great Lakes water out of the watershed basin, but even if it were done, it would be the most monumental water control measure ever taken -- certainly not some clandestine act.

Incidentally, when considering Lake Michigan's surface area, you must also factor in Lake Huron. They are technically one body of water, separated only by the Straits of Mackinaw.

[bob oh]

Hey, 30 years ago doesn't make you an old timer!!!!!!!
Bob ;-)))))

[bob oh]

How about Erie and Ontario, they're connected also!!
Bob

[cisco]

They're ALL connected. What's unique is the fact Michigan and Huron are the same elevation -- no Niagra Falls, no Soo Locks, no rivers or waterfalls. They are one body of water, unless you buy the notion that the Straits of Mackinaw actually separate rather than join the two large bodies.

I thought that was rather clear in my previous post.

[ErieAngler]

What about ALL the great lakes and the Atlantic ocean?????? They're connected too!

Geography 101

[...and...]

all of the other oceans that are connected to the Atlantic Ocean! In fact, I bet when I flush my toilet at home you can watch the lake level....

[ErieAngler]

I was waiting for that.

Toilets must be the key to the gov't's clandestine operation to remove the water from the great lakes, St Lawrence seaway, and oceans. They must be exporting the flush water someplace...........


I GOT IT! Now I know why all those space shuttles keep going up. Hauling the flush to stockpile it on what they are telling us is a space station. I'll figure out why and let you know.....

[Ron Floyd]

>All I know is this, the
>gov. says great lakes system
>was on a high cycle,
>now normal,b.s. I think water
>was taken out of the
>system.You don't have high water
>then low the next year,
>It's not rain, snow ,sun
>a cycle is a 20
>year period not 2 d'ont
>believe anything any governments say
>on this issue. signed cover
>up
Did you ever look at a navigation map (NOAA)? There is a value know as low water datum, this is an established bench mark to track water heights through out the Great Lakes. I am not going to go into to much detail about how to read the map, or how it was established, but if the water level is higher than the established benchmark, the water is high, if lower the water is low. The water is very close to the established benchmark. Therefore the water levels are normal.

[cisco]

Talk about conspiracy theories -- I caught the tail end of a program the other night in which "scientists" were "proving" the U.S. never did land men on the moon. (Evidently we were treated to six moon shots via TV science fiction.) The guy being quoted said we do not have the technology to make a safe spacesuit for the moon, and he also said "How come the flag planted was being blown in the wind?"

Conspiracies, conspiracies -- sure glad Mr. Heston can help me.

[rickyp]

Amen to that Cisco. Kinda scary isn't it?

[Bob Z]

Weekly Water Levels

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SXUS08 KDTX 231520
OMRDTX

GREAT LAKES WATER LEVELS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
10:20 AM EST FRI FEB 23 2001

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE MEAN LAKE LEVELS FORECAST OVER THE NEXT WEEK.

LAKE LEVEL... INCHES FROM CHART DATUM

SUPERIOR -12
MICHIGAN AND HURON -9
ST CLAIR 7
ERIE 16
ONTARIO 17

CEH


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
National Weather Service
Generated 2112 UTC, Saturday, Feb 24, 2001
Document URL http://weather.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/fmtbltn.pl?file=marine/great_lakes_levels.txt&title=Weekly Water Levels

[MT Walliguy]

I heard the levels will be much lower this year. Rumor is that ex-prez Clinton made a last minute pardon of 40 billion gallons of H2O. Can't figure out where the water went or who paid for it.
Spooky, real spooky.

[rickt]

The low water levels of Lake Michigan is actually a conspiracy being conducted by fisherman with smaller boats. We collaborated and came up with the idea to eliminate the large fast pleasure boats. Every night before going to bed we turn every faucet in the house on and leave them running all night. This way we hope to drop the water level 18" by spring thus eliminateing large boats and wakes. Since there will not be any large wakes the chaps on the pwc's will all stay home.

[cisco]

No, it has to be something the Indians are doing. There's probably a treaty clause somewhere which grants unlimited use of Great Lakes water. Perhaps outfits like Perrier and Evian are front operations for the Ojibwe.

[Buckeye]

40 billion gallons is less than 1/4" off the surface of Lake Erie. Hard to believe?

[cisco]

And, because they are one giant body of water, 1/4 inch off the surface of Lake Michigan is also 1/4 inch off the surface of Lake Huron -- multiply the Erie totals many, many times over.

[Buckeye]

If 40 billion gallons taken from all those bodies of water combined you'd have to measure the level loss with a micrometer.

The point I was trying to make is 40 billion gallons could dissappear tomorrow and you'd never know it. The Upper Great Lakes are below chart datum and until we start getting above average rain and snowfalls year after year over the entire watershed we will most likely stay at or go below the long term average.

One acre inch of water is 27,000 gallons. 640 acres to a square mile. 17,280,000 gallons on a square mile 1" deep. 40 billion gallons divided by 17,280,000 gal/sq mi.@1" deep = 2314 square miles @ 1" deep. Just estimating that 2314 sq. miles is about 1/4 the surface area of Lake Erie that 40 billion gallons would then cover only 1/4" deep on the entire surface of L. Erie.

[MT Walliguy]

Made a mistake in previous post. My friend told me it was 400 billion ACRE FEET.
Sorry for the mistake.
MT Walliguy