Those who reside in the Great Lakes region may have enjoyed the mild winter, but the mild weather comes with a price - lower lake levels.
According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, all of the Great Lakes are four to nine inches below their levels of one year ago, but are expected to make their seasonal rise in the next few months. Across the region the Great Lakes were hit with lack of precipitation and ice formation this winter.
The largest freshwater lake in the world, Lake Superior, also the coldest and deepest of all the Great Lakes, remained open water in many areas this year due to the mild temperatures. The last time the lake fully froze over was 1997.
Those in the shipping industry have reported clear sailing across the lakes, which is rare this early in the season.
The cause of lower water levels can be directly attributed to the change in climate.
"The levels started going down in 1998-1999," said Phil Ross, acting chief of watershed and hydrology with the USACE Detroit district, adding that the lakes are doing what they do every year.
Whether or not the levels meet that of previous years has yet to be determined as some snow still remains in the Canadian portion of the Lake Superior basin.
The consequences of low lake levels vary. Low levels will make it hard for larger boats to make it into harbors, which means only smaller vessels will be able to dock in some areas. Tourism itself could be directly affected. On the other hand, less water leads to more beach area, which is also likely to attract people. New beach area also leads to new vegetation growth, which can provide a new home for aquatic species when the levels rise again.
In regards to the shipping season, freighters will likely lighten their loads in order to avoid running aground in shallow areas. The costs can be substantial to those who have to be dredged out after running aground.
While the levels remain low, the region experiences water fluctuations on a cyclical basis. The last time the region experienced high water levels was in the mid-1990s.
"We think eventually the levels will rise," said Ross. Until that time he is reminding boaters to be aware of the water depth before venturing out.
