LEVELnews
Great Lakes–St. Lawrence River Water Levels
Volume 21, Number 3
11 March 2013
Water Level Changes Reflect Wetter Conditions
A series of winter storms resulted in generally wetter than normal conditions throughout the Great Lakes basin in February. Near-average water supplies to Lake Superior combined with below-average outflows from the lake in February resulted in the lake’s level falling slightly less than average during the month. The above-average water supplies to the other lakes resulted in each of them rising more than they typically do during the month of February.
- Lake Superior’s level fell by 4 cm during February, 1 cm less than its average February
decline of 5 cm. - Lake Michigan–Huron’s level increased 3 cm during February instead of remaining unchanged
as it has on-average over the 1918–2011 period of record. On a monthly basis, there was
a notable rise in level for Lake Michigan–Huron from January to February. February’s monthly
mean level was 4 cm higher than January’s, and 2 cm higher than the lake’s February record
low set in 1964. - Lake Erie’s level rose by 10 cm during February, 8 cm more than its average February
increase of 2 cm. - Lake Ontario’s rose by 10 cm during February, 7 cm more than its average February
increase of 3 cm. - Montreal Harbour’s monthly mean level in February was 35 cm higher than the harbour’s
monthly mean level in January. The Harbour’s February level was 59 cm below average
and 23 cm lower than it was during February of last year.
| Lake | Compared to Monthly Average (1918–2011) | Compared to One Year Ago |
|---|---|---|
| Superior | 31 cm below | 2 cm above |
| Michigan–Huron | 68 cm below | 35 cm below |
| St. Clair | 24 cm below | 45 cm below |
| Erie | 12 cm below | 51 cm below |
| Ontario | 8 cm below | 47 cm below |
| Lake | Compared to Beginning-of-Month Average (1918–2011) | Compared to One Year Ago |
|---|---|---|
| Superior | 30 cm below | 2 cm above |
| Michigan–Huron | 66 cm below | 32 cm below |
| St. Clair | 13 cm below | 34 cm below |
| Erie | 10 cm below | 47 cm below |
| Ontario | 6 cm below | 42 cm below |
Water Level Forecast
Relative to their beginning-of-March levels and assuming average water supply conditions, the levels of each of the lakes, except Lake Superior, are expected to rise during March. The level of Lake Superior is expected to fall slightly as it typically does at this time of year. Montreal Harbour's monthly mean level in March is expected to rise compared to its February level.
For a graphical representation of recent and forecasted water levels on each of the Great Lakes and Lake St. Clair compared to their respective period-of-record monthly averages and extreme levels, please refer to the February 2013 edition of the Canadian Hydrographic Service’s monthly water levels bulletin.
St. Lawrence Board Public Teleconference
The International St. Lawrence River Board of Control will hold a public teleconference on
Tuesday, March 26, 2013, from 7:00–8:30 p.m. EDT, to discuss the regulation of outflows and water levels in the Lake Ontario–St. Lawrence River system. Participation in the meeting can be in person, by phone or by Webinar.
For information on how to participate in the teleconference and to download the meeting materials, please visit the Activities page on the Board’s website or contact either of the Board’s Secretaries:
Gail R. Faveri
Secretary, Canadian Section
International St. Lawrence River Board of Control
Boundary Waters Unit
Environment Canada
867 Lakeshore Road
P.O. Box 5050
Burlington ON L7R 4A6
Tel.: 905-336-6007
Email: gail.faveri@ec.gc.ca
John W. Kangas
Secretary, U.S. Section
International St. Lawrence River Board of Control
111 North Canal St., Suite 600
Chicago, IL 60606-7205
Tel.: 312-353-4333
Email: john.w.kangas@usace.army.mil
| Lake | % |
|---|---|
| Great Lakes Basin | 101% |
| Lake Superior | 75% |
| Lakes Michigan–Huron | 107% |
| Lake Erie (including Lake St. Clair) | 100% |
| Lake Ontario | 114% |
| Lake | % |
|---|---|
| Lake Superior | 83% |
| Lakes Michigan–Huron | 91% |
| Lake Erie | 98% |
| Lake Ontario | 97% |
*As a percentage of the long-term February average.
Note: These figures are preliminary.
For more information:
Chuck Southam (Editor)
Boundary Water Issues Unit
MSC - Operations Ontario
Environment Canada
P.O. Box 5050
Burlington ON L7R 4A6
Tel.: 905-336-4955
Fax: 905-336-8901
Email: water.levels@ec.gc.ca
Jacob Bruxer
Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Regulation Office
MSC - Operations Ontario
Environment Canada
111 Water Street East
Cornwall ON K6H 6S2
Tel.: 613-938-5725
- Date Modified: