NOAA has a good page on water levels for all 5 lakes. It looks like Ontario is down about a foot from the 15 year average and only slightly lower than a typical September. Lake Erie is enjoying a pretty much a normal year.
Michigan and Huron however are down about 3 feet from the 15 year average and appear to be getting lower each year. In fact, these lakes haven't had "average" levels since 1999. (Maybe it's time to update the average!) Given that the North Channel of Georgian Bay is perennially ranked as one of the planet's top cruising grounds (see: 50 Places to Sail Before you Die (admittedly a US-centric book)) you'd think the cruising community would start to get on this. Here's the water level link. http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/data/now/wlevels/dbd/ Cheers, Colin On Thu, Oct 4, 2012 at 3:49 PM, Walt Dickie <wa...@crresearch.com> wrote: > Absolutely right. Most people around the Chicago area, where I live, look > at the size of Lake Michigan and just assume it has a big drainage area, > which it doesn’t. There’s a ridge that runs through the western suburbs > that demarcates the lake’s drainage from the Mississippi’s. When I go > downtown I go past the sign marking the “Continental Divide” in Oak Park, > IL; it’s about 2 miles from my house and 10 miles from the shore. The rain > that runs off my roof goes into the Gulf of Mexico, not the lake.**** > > ** ** > > *From:* CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com] *On Behalf Of *Ronald > B. Frerker > *Sent:* Wednesday, October 03, 2012 11:26 PM > > *To:* cnc-list@cnc-list.com > *Subject:* Re: Stus-List Great Lakes Water Levels**** > > ** ** > > Levels on the Mississippi should have no effect. The river watershed is > not connected to the Great Lakes. Most of the Great Lakes have little > watershed area; well at least in the US. For eg., the Superior watershed > only goes back 50mi from the western shore. So a light winter can have a > dramatic effect if the flow out of the lake system is normal.**** > > And as I believe Fred pointed out, evaporation is a major factor, > especially when the watershed area is small relative to the surface water > area.**** > > Usually there is little maneuvering room for changing dam releases on the > upper Miss. The changes are usually made on the big dams of the Missouri > since 40% of the lower Miss' summer flow is from the Missouri.**** > > Ron**** > > Wild Cheri**** > > C&C 30**** > > STL**** > > > > --- On *Wed, 10/3/12, Chuck S <cscheaf...@comcast.net>* wrote:**** > > > From: Chuck S <cscheaf...@comcast.net> > Subject: Re: Stus-List Great Lakes Water Levels > To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com > Date: Wednesday, October 3, 2012, 5:13 PM**** > > Great Lakes water level: > Just guessing, but isn't the fall in lake levels due to lower rainfall > amounts? > Also, didn't they raise the level of the Mississippi (by lowering dam > levels upstream to feed it) because they need to keep channels filled for > commercial shipping?**** > > Chuck > *Resolute* > 1990 C&C 34R > Atlantic City, NJ**** > ------------------------------ > > *From: *"dwight veinot" <dwightvei...@hfx.eastlink.ca> > *To: *cnc-list@cnc-list.com > *Sent: *Wednesday, October 3, 2012 6:07:20 PM > *Subject: *Re: Stus-List Great Lakes Water Levels**** > > So what could the government do??? Has someone interfered with nature or > what???**** > > **** > > Dwight Veinot**** > > C&C 35 MKII, Alianna**** > > Head of St. Margaret's Bay, NS**** > ------------------------------ > > *From:* CnC-List > [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com<cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com>] > *On Behalf Of *Stu > *Sent:* October 3, 2012 1:14 PM > *To:* cnc-list@cnc-list.com > *Subject:* Re: Stus-List Great Lakes Water Levels**** > > **** > > The main intention of my first email, was to pass along information on > what is happening to the water levels in the Great Lakes and to let people > know that the governments are doing nothing to improve the situation. > Allowing the level in 1 lake to drop another 5 feet is going to destroy > fishing, boating and most recreational activities on the lake.**** > > **** > > Don't shoot the messenger -- point the gun at the politicians.**** > > **** > > Stu**** > > **** > ------------------------------ > > No virus found in this message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 2012.0.2221 / Virus Database: 2441/5307 - Release Date: 10/03/12* > *** > > > _______________________________________________ > This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album > http://www.cncphotoalbum.com > CnC-List@cnc-list.com**** > > > -----Inline Attachment Follows-----**** > > _______________________________________________ > This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album > http://www.cncphotoalbum.com > CnC-List@cnc-list.com <http://mc/compose?to=CnC-List@cnc-list.com>**** > > ** ** > > _______________________________________________ > This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album > http://www.cncphotoalbum.com > CnC-List@cnc-list.com > >
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