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Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Hydrology What's New | Weekly Levels Forecast | Overview | Datums | Education Laws | References | Related Resources Levels & Hydrology Section: Home | Levels | Hydrology | Flows 
What's New Warm winter keeps Lake Superior nearly ice-free Duluth News Tribune (3/10) If you like to ice fish for lake trout off the North Shore of Lake Superior this wasn’t your winter. Warmer than normal air translated to warmer water conditions, leading to an unusually small amount of ice on the big lake and, in many areas, no ice at all. 
Weekly Water Levels Forecast 
Update for Friday March 19, 2010
(includes data summary)
Weather conditions: High pressure and sunny skies brought unseasonably warm temperatures and spring-like weather across the Great Lakes basin this past week. Record high temperatures were recorded in several locations across the northern part of the basin. This Friday may be the last day of above average temperatures as a low pressure system makes its way into the basin. Look for cooler temperatures and a chance for rain and snow this weekend. The cool temperatures are expected to persist into next week. Water Level Conditions: Currently, Lakes Superior and Michigan-Huron are near their levels from 2009. Lake St. Clair is 7 inches below its level of a year ago while Lakes Erie and Ontario are 15 and 16 inches, respectively, below their levels of a year ago. Much of the difference between last year's and this year's levels of Lakes Erie and Ontario can be attributed to the significant amount of snow that fell in 2009 versus what has fallen this year. Over the next month, the water levels of Lakes Superior and Michigan-Huron are expected to increase by 1 and 2 inches respectively. Lake St. Clair is predicted to rise an inch over the next thirty days while Lakes Erie and Ontario are expected to rise approximately 5 and 6 inches, respectively, over the same timeframe. Over the next few months, all of the Great Lakes are expected to be below their levels of a year ago. See the USACE Daily Levels web page for more water level information. Forecasted water levels: The outflow from Lake Superior into the St. Mary's River is forecasted to be below average. The outflow from Lake Huron into the St. Clair River is forecasted to be near average. Near average flows are expected for the Detroit River and Niagara River. The St. Lawrence River is expected to have above average flows in March. Ice build-up in the connecting channels can greatly affect flows and may cause significant fluctuations in water levels. Alerts: Users of the Great Lakes, connecting channels and St. Lawrence River should keep informed of current conditions before undertaking any activities that could be affected by changing water levels. Mariners should utilize navigation charts and refer to current water level readings.
Overview Carved by glaciers, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River system is a series of steps that drains from Lake Superior in the west to the Atlantic Ocean in the east. Covering more than 94,000 square miles, the Great Lakes and their connecting channels form the largest fresh, surface water system on earth, holding about 18 percent of the world's supply. Ever since the last glaciers retreated about 10,000 years ago, the system's water levels and outflows have been fluctuating, affecting the lakeshore environment and human activities. Unlike oceans, where ebbs and tides are constant and predictable, Great Lakes water level fluctuations are almost never regular, nor can their levels be predicted accurately in the long term. This is because the many factors affecting Great Lakes water levels and flows are never constant and likely can not be predicted accurately in the long term. The major influences on Great Lakes hydrology are weather and climate, which affect the balance of water in the Great Lakes and their connecting channels. Water enters the system as precipitation, runoff (including snowmelt) from the surrounding land, and groundwater inflow. Water leaving the system consists of evaporation from the water's surface, groundwater outflow, consumptive uses and diversions. The GLIN hydrology section discusses these factors and links to resources from many relevant agencies. We hope that an understanding of the Great Lakes system's dynamics will promote living in harmony with one of the most precious natural resources of this planet. Coordinating Committee Co-chairs: John Kangas U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Great Lakes and Ohio River Division john.w.kangas@usace.army.mil Peter Yee Environment Canada, Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Regulation Office peter_yee@pch.gc.ca
Datums Coordinating Committee on Great Lakes Basic Hydraulic and Hydrologic Data Datums - explanation of datums used for water levels and navigational charts Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canadian Hydrographic Service Establishment of International Great Lakes Datum 1985 Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canadian Hydrographic Service
Education TEACH Great Lakes: Water Levels Water levels are part of the ebb and flow of nature. Learn about the three types of water level fluctuations, how levels are measured on the Great Lakes, and what's causing the recent drop.
Laws Boundary Waters Treaty United States and Canada, 1909 Great Lakes Charter
References Great Lakes Water Levels Home Page U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Detroit District A regularly updated page of links to information on Great Lakes hydrology. Includes current conditions, recent water levels, forecasted levels, general news and information, multimedia, reference materials, and more! Coordinating Committee on Great Lakes Basic Hydraulic and Hydrologic Data Great Lakes Atlas U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) This Environmental Atlas and Resource Book is an excellent resource on the Great Lakes, including physical characteristics, natural processes, people, concerns, joint management and new directions (mirrored on Environment Canada's site). Hydrologic Cycle Online Meteorology Guide University of Illinois, Department of Atmospheric Sciences
Related Resources GLIN: Agencies and Organizations, Hydrology GLIN: Environmental Research in the Great Lakes Region GLIN: Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Water Flows GLIN: Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Water Levels GLIN: Weather and Climate in the Great Lakes Region
This page was created under the guidance of the binational Coordinating Committee on Great Lakes Basic Hydraulic and Hydrologic Data. This symbol is used throughout the GLIN hydrology section to indicate data or references prepared under the auspices of the Coordinating Committee.
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