Lake level down 11" this year...

Alwhite00

Alwhite00

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Talking to the harbor master as they were closing down for the season yesterday about the lake levels and he said he just checked it and it was down 11" - I asked if that was from last year and he said no, From this spring.

The next door marina had sailboats that were sitting on the bottom. Not sure how the heck you get that out but I hope we get some water for next year. Where is all the friggin water going? This is Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron. (Caseville)

LK
 
RotaryRacer

RotaryRacer

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Re: Lake level down 11" this year...

This is a widespread issue on lake Michigan and Huron this year. We are currently tied for the all time low water level.

I have a customer coming in tonight whose boat draws 6" more water than we have in our haul out well. Luckily we can tie a rope to the mast and pull it to the side to get it in...we hope. We also have to deal with lake freighters and the water they displace as they pass by. They can pull the water down 12" as they pass. It will be interesting to see how this goes.
 
airdvr1227

airdvr1227

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Re: Lake level down 11" this year...

It's certainly not going to Erie.
 
Bob_VT

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Re: Lake level down 11" this year...

11" is not too bad compared to many I have heard of.......... pray for a big winter and spring run off.
 
RotaryRacer

RotaryRacer

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Re: Lake level down 11" this year...

What you have to know is that the Great Lakes (Michigan and Huron specifically) are down 11" since spring. We are 14" below where we were last October.

We are 29" below long term average for October. As noted previously, we are currently tied with all time low water level recorded in 1964.

The really scary thing is we are 12" below chart datum. So when you have a 1000' freighter that needs 29' of water to float and now you have only 28' of water...well, bad things happen.

The really scary thing, it is projected to drop another 3" in the next month and another 6" in the next 2 months. By spring we could be another 12" below where we are now.

Hope for lots of snow and a really cold winter that freezes that lakes to prevent evaporation.
 
D

DonHof

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Re: Lake level down 11" this year...

Boy you are lucky! The lake where I fish is down about 4 feet.

Don
 
H

H20Rat

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Re: Lake level down 11" this year...

DonHof said:
Boy you are lucky! The lake where I fish is down about 4 feet.

Don
Click to expand...

Some of the lakes I boat at have about 10-15 ft of yearly variation... Entirely different mentality when it varies that much, you NEVER leave a boat unattended in the water for more than a couple days, you risk having it high and dry when you come back.
 
79Merc80

79Merc80

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Re: Lake level down 11" this year...

Where I am at now (North Idaho) the lakes are maintained at a constant level as much as possible. But, I grew up in the SF Bay Area of CA and the lakes in CA (Easpecially nothern CA) can very as much as 100' a year. Today, Trinity Lake is 48' down and Shasta Lake is 81' down. Most of the wat6er fr4om these lakes are sent to southern CA. The state of CA is devided in half by population and by precipitation. Northern CA has 25% of the population and 75% of the precipitation and southern CA is reversed, which is why we don't have 51 states.

Craig
 
90stingray

90stingray

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Re: Lake level down 11" this year...

I would say our closest lake is a good 10 feet low. All ramps have been close except one... and its almost unusable. Heres hoping we get a ton of snow this winter.
 
RotaryRacer

RotaryRacer

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Re: Lake level down 11" this year...

I feel bad for all of you reservoir boaters that have had all your lakes dry up this year.

I'm not sure if everyone understands what the Great Lakes being this low really means. You have to understand that many marinas, boat ramps, docks, shorelines structures and all the essentials were all established over the past 100+ years and we are seeing the lowest water levels in the past 50. A dam controlled reservoir that has an annual fluctuation of 10-100 feet on a semi regular basis is designed and all structures in or on the water are designed to compensate for it. Granted, there was a country wide water shortage this year and many lakes are/were at all time lows....since being built over the past 60-70 years.

Think about this, the lakes Michigan and Huron have a combined surface area of 45,300 square MILES.

Being 12" lower means that we lost 9,447,100,000,000 GALLONS of water...Yes, you read that right 9.4 Trillion gallons.
 
jigngrub

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Re: Lake level down 11" this year...

RotaryRacer said:
I feel bad for all of you reservoir boaters that have had all your lakes dry up this year.

I'm not sure if everyone understands what the Great Lakes being this low really means. You have to understand that many marinas, boat ramps, docks, shorelines structures and all the essentials were all established over the past 100+ years and we are seeing the lowest water levels in the past 50. A dam controlled reservoir that has an annual fluctuation of 10-100 feet on a semi regular basis is designed and all structures in or on the water are designed to compensate for it. Granted, there was a country wide water shortage this year and many lakes are/were at all time lows....since being built over the past 60-70 years.

Think about this, the lakes Michigan and Huron have a combined surface area of 45,300 square MILES.

Being 12" lower means that we lost 9,447,100,000,000 GALLONS of water...Yes, you read that right 9.4 Trillion gallons.
Click to expand...

Meh, your area can be designed to compensate for it too.

They make a thing called a dredge that will deepen channels.

They also make coffer dams that will hold water out while and area is being reworked.


Wet and dry years are cyclic, as you mentioned yourself this has happened before back in '64... and we all know it's happened before that too.

I'm sure the lakes have flooded on alternate cycles too.

Humans and wildlife will always adapt, improvise, and overcome these cycles.


The next time it floods, folks will complain about that too.
 
RotaryRacer

RotaryRacer

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Re: Lake level down 11" this year...

jigngrub said:
Meh, your area can be designed to compensate for it too.

They make a thing called a dredge that will deepen channels.

They also make coffer dams that will hold water out while and area is being reworked.
Click to expand...

You obviously still have no idea how large the affected area is. While you are technically correct, things can be done to mitigate the issue, this historic low water has left many, many people high and dry.

Look at a map. Zoom out so you can see the entire US. Look at just lake Michigan and Huron. See how big they are? Now look at the Chesapeake bay. I'd guess if the Chesapeake bay water level dropped 12" on average within a 6 month period we'd hear something about it. Granted everything on the Chesapeake is designed to compensate for tides. The thing is if the low tide was another 12" lower every day and there was no rebound in sight, do you know how many people would be in a world of hurt? I'm pretty sure in a lot of places that water front property just became worthless. The only way to make it useable is to spend huge sums of money to build longer docks and dredge longer channels.

Now look at how big Michigan and Huron are again.

We hope it is a cyclic thing. Will we adapt and improvise? Sure. Will it be painful in the meantime? Yes.
 
jigngrub

jigngrub

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Re: Lake level down 11" this year...

RotaryRacer said:
You obviously still have no idea how large the affected area is. While you are technically correct, things can be done to mitigate the issue, this historic low water has left many, many people high and dry.

Look at a map.
Click to expand...

If you'll look at that same map and shift your gaze to the southeast you'll see the Gulf of Mexico, see how big it is? Yeah, I know how big it it.

I also know how big the great lakes are, and I know they're immense for freshwater lakes.

I also know that poor people aren't notorious for being water front property owners, and shipping magnates don't collect food stamps.

I also know that no one wants to spend money to fix their problems brought on by the low water because they figure it's only temporary... which it probably is.


Some people will scream bloody murder that they're suffering when they're actually only being inconvenienced.
 
RotaryRacer

RotaryRacer

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Re: Lake level down 11" this year...

Right.

I own a small marina. If we're lucky, by spring we'll still have cash in the bank. If we have to dredge in the spring. We'll have $0. Hard to do business without money.

Oh, and who do you think pays to dredge the navigable waterways? NOT the shipping magnates. It is the US Army Corps of Engineers. Tax payers. While the shipping companies do pay taxes, the revenue stream for the Corps is much bigger than that.

Just let me complain a little....actually, I don't think I have complained. I've stated facts and noted it is a big deal.
 
RotaryRacer

RotaryRacer

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Re: Lake level down 11" this year...

jigngrub said:
If you'll look at that same map and shift your gaze to the southeast you'll see the Gulf of Mexico, see how big it is? Yeah, I know how big it it.
Click to expand...

Yes, it is huge. What's your point?

US Gulf Coast shoreline = 1,680 miles
Mexican Gulf Coast shoreline = 1,743 miles

Lake Michigan shoreline = 1,638 miles
Lake Huron shoreline = 3,827 miles
 
B

backyardhockey3

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Oct 13, 2010
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Re: Lake level down 11" this year...

[ Where is all the friggin water going? This is Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron. )

LK[/QUOTE]

The number of municipalities taking water out of the Great Lakes is staggering. Some are way out of the watershed, 50 miles or more. Even those cities in the watershed don't return the water they use. Very unnatural. Political, so doesn't matter what makes sense. With so many straws the lakes will be ponds in 50 years.
 
M

MrBigStuff

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Re: Lake level down 11" this year...

Rotary- I suspect jigngrub is responding to comments you made like this one-

> I'm pretty sure in a lot of places that water front property just became worthless.

A bit over dramatic as time will likely cure any short term fluctuations. And I have a similar sentiment- I don't shed any tears for people who bought waterfront property thinking it would never change. The place I grew up along lake Michigan had home owners crying to anyone who would listen how the erosion was encroaching on their precious homes and the state or feds HAD to do something to stop it.

I do however feel sorry for your predicament, being a business owner that has to weather something like this. It is certainly going to weed out anyone who is unprepared or unable to hold out until it changes back.
 
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