Great Lakes Water Levels Expected To Stay Above Average, Below Records

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lakemichigan837474-6

Great Lakes water levels are now down to below their 2019 and 2020 levels, when record highs were set across the system. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers physical scientist Deanna Apps tells WSJM News the lake levels are still above their averages, but below their recent highs. That’s despite a rainy July.

“Actually, in the Lake Superior Basin, it was pretty dry over the last month, but the rest of the Great Lakes basin saw a large amount of rainfall during the month of July and even toward the end of June,” Apps said.

Apps says late spring and summer are typically when the lakes reach seasonal peaks before beginning seasonal declines in the late summer or early fall. However, she cautions that doesn’t mean we don’t have to worry about additional erosion.

“Especially during periods of active weather, maybe storms that are moving through that can have higher wave action along the shore, there is still some concern there, that there could still be some impact, but mainly during significant weather events.”

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ most recent six-month forecast indicates Great Lakes water levels will remain below record high levels. However, they will still be above average on all lakes, except Lake Ontario.