Are Lake Michigan water levels going down?
In just a year, Lake Michigan has gone down 16 inches. Each inch equals 800 billion gallons of water. This time of year, we can expect to see the water levels start to go down, but the drastic drop is easily explained. To put it in perspective, Lake Michigan is still 17 inches above normal water levels.
Is Lake Michigan expected to rise in 2021?
In May 2021, Lake Michigan water levels have declined as seen with a below-average Net Basin Supply. Potentially, this could have been caused by a few factors….
| Compared to… | Current Water Levels are… |
|---|---|
| One year ago | 20 inches lower |
| Long-term June monthly average (1918 to 2020) | 14 inches higher |
Why is Lake Michigan so low this year?
Keith Kompoltowicz, hydrologist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Detroit, says it’s easy to explain. Dry weather is the cause of the fast lake level decline. The lack of precipitation this winter, spring and early summer was the cause.
Are the Great Lakes levels dropping?
The drop in water levels of the Great Lakes has been pretty remarkable. The water level of Lake Superior is down 1″ in the last month, but down a whopping 11″ in the last year. Each inch of water on Lake Superior represents 551 billion gallons, so that’s a loss of 6.06 TRILLION gallons in just one year.
Can the great lakes dry up?
Most evaporation on the Great Lakes occurs in the fall when the lake is still warm from the summer, but the air has turned cold and dry. When the water is warmer than usual, the peak evaporation season begins earlier and lasts longer into the early winter. Ice cover also impacts lake levels.
Can Lake Michigan water level be controlled?
Currently, only Lakes Superior and Ontario are regulated by structures, Mackey explained. Because there is a limited capacity to regulate levels in the upper Great Lakes, the natural flow from Lake Michigan-Huron to Lake Erie through the St. Clair River, Lake St.
Is Lake Superior rising?
Lakes Superior rose about 2 inches from its May mean level to 602.20 feet; Lake St. Clair rose about 2 inches to 576.18 feet and Lake Erie rose about 1 inch to 573.20 feet, according to preliminary data from the Detroit District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Is Lake Michigan receding?
Lake Michigan levels are receding, but recovery from the damage is far from over. In 2020, Lake Michigan set new record high water levels eight months in a row. Now, recovering from the damage will take months, if not years.
Is Lake Michigan still rising?
Over the history of water level records back into the early 1900s, Lakes Michigan and Huron have risen, on average, 10.68 inches from February to June. When comparing the current water level to last summer, Lakes Michigan and Huron are now 20 inches lower. The water level rise over the past few years was four feet.
Will Niagara Falls drained Lake Erie?
Niagara Falls is moving because the water flowing through the Niagara River is slowly eroding away the rocks. Scientists estimate the world’s second largest waterfall will disappear into Lake Erie 23,000 years from now.