LAKE HURON—While Great Lakes water levels remain an issue of great concern for its residents and the nation, there is some respite this fall compared to last year’s drastic seasonal decline.
The Expositor spoke with Environment Canada’s Chuck Southam of the boundary water issues unit last Monday regarding Lake Huron’s fall seasonal decline.
Mr. Southam explained that the Lake Huron water levels peaked on July 19 and began to fall after that date, but held steady through the summer months thanks to some wet weather.
“We’ve fallen about 11 centimetres (Since July 19)—one centimeter more than the average decline for this time of year,” he explained. “Last year’s peak was June 22, and by this time we had already fallen 33 centimetres.” That’s three times as fast.
“We’re closer to our regular seasonal decline,” Mr. Southam added. “I’m mildly enthused, but we would have to have very, very wet conditions to hold levels through the fall. Right now, it doesn’t look as though we are going to set any record low levels.”
“What I’d love to see this year as the exact inverse of last year,” he continued.
As of October 7, Lake Huron is 46 centimetres below average, 24 centimetres higher than this time last year, and 27 centimetres higher than the period of record low from last year.
The Expositor will touch base with Mr. Southam again in early January for another levels update.
For more on low water levels, please see Robin Burridge’s story on ‘Stop the Drop’s’ Colin Dobell and his recent visit to the Northeast Town council in this paper.
