Why are the Great Lakes water levels so high? Water levels in the Great Lakes are influenced by precipitation, runoff, and evaporation: The lakes have had record ice cover during several past winters resulting in less water evaporating from the lakes during the winter.
Lake Erie water levels dropped in August. … According to the Corps of Engineers’ August 2021 Great Lakes Water Level Summary, Lake Erie water levels over the next six months are forecast to be 5 to 11 inches below 2020 levels and 7 to 19 inches below record-high levels.
In the latest water level report from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Lake Erie’s water level rose by 5 inches in July, putting it 20 inches above the long-term average for the month. That said, the lake is still at least 6 inches below last year’s peak and is expected to drop by another 5 inches by Aug. 30.
The Great Lakes are in a period of the year when their water levels usually rise. But all of the Great Lakes are not rising or just barely rising. This is a continued sign that for the current time, the Great Lakes water levels are receding quickly from the record high levels over the past few years.
64 m
Lake Erie provides drinking water for more people than any other, but algae blooms are making it toxic. Every year, an explosion of microscopic life reigns over western Lake Erie, forming a green slick of algae and bacteria so massive and vibrant that it can be seen from space.
There are no sharks in Lake Erie,” pronounces Officer James Mylett of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
Over 90% of the water entering Lake Erie comes from the upstream lakes – Superior, Michigan and Huron – as well as the rivers and streams that flow into these lakes. The remaining water comes from rain and snow in the Lake Erie drainage basin, including the streams and rivers that flow into Lake Erie.
It is flooded in multiple spots. Our Fire Department reports water as high as 40″ near Perry’s Monument. … The high water is due to an unusual weather pattern setting up over the Great Lakes. The National Weather Service issued lakeshore flood and Gale Warnings for Ottawa, Erie, Sandusky and Lucas counties.
Precipitation and evaporation together create seasonal cycles in lake levels. Water levels tend to be higher in the spring and summer—a response to winter snowmelt and spring runoff—and lowest in the winter because of summer and fall evaporation.
Lake Erie | |
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Max. depth | 210 ft (64 m) |
Water volume | 116 cu mi (480 km3) |
Residence time | 2.6 years |
Shore length1 | 799 mi (1,286 km) plus 72 mi (116 km) for islands |
Lake sturgeon
Lake sturgeon are the largest fish in Lake Superior. They among the oldest fish in the lake too. Did you know that a lake sturgeon can live to be older than 100 years? This species of fish has also been around for a long time—about 150 million years.
Light that hits the surface of the lake from straight above penetrates more deeply, reflecting less. When the lake is deep, and the angle of incoming light is smaller, Lake Michigan’s color appears deep blue. This is because the light travels down with little obstructions and dissipates far below the surface.
Pollutants. Although the Great Lakes are large, they are sensitive to pollutants. Outflows from the Great Lakes are relatively small (less than 1 percent per year) in comparison with the total volume of water. Pollutants that enter the lakes are retained in the system and become more concentrated with time.
The water in the Great Lakes is owned by the general public according to the Public Trust Doctrine. The Public Trust Doctrine is an international legal theory – it applies in both Canada and the United States, so it applies to the entirety of the Great Lakes.
The Great Lakes region includes parts of eight states in the U.S. and Ontario in Canada. … Great Lakes observers have amassed ample evidence that climate change is causing the lakes’ high water cycles to get higher and low cycles to get lower, and predict that these cycles could happen more rapidly.
During the 1960s, Lake Erie was declared a “dead lake” due to eutrophication and pollution.
Beach conditions | |
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Predicted water quality data at local beaches via Nowcast | |
E. Coli 29 cfu/100ml 09/30/2021 | E. Coli 1 cfu/100ml 09/30/2021 |
Today’s Erie sea temperature is 47 °F.
The answer is yes! It is safe to eat Lake Erie walleye 52 meals a year, or an average of once a week. All fish from Lake Erie are safe to eat some of the time, but walleye are among the safest, covered only by the general “one meal a week” advisory that covers most game fish in Ohio.
Alligators are rarely found in the Great Lakes. Although some alligators thrive in freshwater, it’s just too cold in the north for them to survive. They don’t typically live farther north than North Carolina.
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