From the “tell us something we didn’t already know” department today comes official word from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, that record high levels continue to be reached in portions of the Great Lakes and could very well be possible on all of the lakes this summer.
The Army Corps says that based on preliminary data, new record high monthly mean water levels were set on Lakes Erie, St. Clair and Superior in the month of May, and adds that record high water levels are possible on all the Great Lakes and Lake St. Clair this summer.
Persistent wet conditions across the Great Lakes basin this spring have fueled the recent rises. Precipitation in May was 21-percent higher than average over the Great Lakes basin as a whole, and contributed to extremely high water supplies to the lakes. The new record May levels are between one and three inches higher than the previous records for the month set in 1986.
Keith Kompoltowicz is Chief of Watershed Hydrology at the Detroit District for the Corps. He says, “As we expected, record highs were set in May on a few of our Great Lakes, and our June forecast shows additional record highs likely this summer.”
The Great Lakes region will continue to see the threat of coastal flooding and shoreline erosion especially during storm events. Localized water levels are often impacted by winds and can be significantly higher during storms. Water levels and flow rates in the connecting channels of the Great Lakes are also high and may, depending on winds and other atmospheric conditions, lead to localized flooding.
The Corps has authority to support communities in flood-fighting by providing technical expertise, and in certain instances, provide flood-fight supplies, such as sand bags and plastic sheeting. Such assistance must be requested by state authorities, and communities should contact their county emergency management offices, who can begin coordination with the state and the Corps.
The Corps, Detroit District, in coordination with partners in Environment and Climate Change Canada, released the official six month forecast for the Great Lakes. The Monthly Bulletin of Water Levels for the Great Lakes is completed at the beginning of each month, with the latest edition covering the period from June to November. To find the Monthly Bulletin of Water Levels for the Great Lakes click the link below:
The photo accompanying this story on Moody on the Market shows high water levels along the Black River channel in South Haven on Sunday, June 2, 2019.
