Two Great Lakes hit lowest water level on record

[The Straight Story]

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Two of the Great Lakes have hit their lowest water levels ever recorded, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Tuesday, capping more than a decade of below-normal rain and snowfall and higher temperatures that boost evaporation.

Measurements taken last month show Lake Huron and Lake Michigan have reached their lowest ebb since record keeping began in 1918, and the lakes could set additional records over the next few months, the corps said. The lakes were 29 inches below their long-term average and had declined 17 inches since January 2012.

The other Great Lakes — Superior, Erie and Ontario — were also well below average.

"We're in an extreme situation," said Keith Kompoltowicz, watershed hydrology chief for the corps district office in Detroit.

The low water has caused heavy economic losses by forcing cargo ships to carry lighter loads, leaving boat docks high and dry, and damaging fish-spawning areas. And vegetation has sprung up in newly exposed shoreline bottomlands, a turnoff for hotel customers who prefer sandy beaches.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/feds-look-reducing-river-flow-lake-huron

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. This is a serious problem, and I hope that the measures before Congress will be implemented.

[A HERETIC I AM]

2. They should just barge the water in...

( as one DU'er ridiculously suggested not
long ago as a solution to the lower Mississippi river flow)

[surrealAmerican]

3. This won't surprise anyone who lives here.

They look it, too.

[Motown_Johnny]

6. It's unbelievable, isn't it?

I live near Lake St Clair and the water level is freakishly low.

and then there is the small amount of snow we are getting this year, again



I don't see any relief this year.

[Scuba]

4. Climate change is one threat to our Great Lakes. For 10 years of study ...

... The far right-wing Milwaukee Urinal Sentinel has actually done very good work. From invasive species to the changing fishing industry to restoring the Chicago Continental Divide, you can find a lot of good information here:

http://www.jsonline.com/news/31339794.html

[longship]

5. Very little snow this season.

Much of it is lake effect snow, which is moisture from the lake. I have not had my driveway plowed once this season. Last winter, only twice, for only moderate snow each time.

It's colder this year than last, but much less snow and it got above 50F in Jan before the cold came in.

But neighboring Muskegon River was above flood stage a couple days ago. I don't know what that's about.

Hopefully we'll get rain in spring. I could do without the snow.

I worry about my well. Cannot afford to drill a new one.

[Bohunk68]

7. Much the same here in

the Northern Foothills of the Catskills. Been keeping records for 32 years and they show an increase of 1.6 degreesF from 1980 to 2013. There has also been a increase of moisture content during the same period, with the exceptions of the last two winters which are the lowest two I have on record. We were at 68% of annual total precip. last year. January was warmer than usual by 1.6 F, eerily the same as the overall average. We're in for a wild ride, my friends. What was that curse about living in interesting times?

[reteachinwi]

8. Gov.(Wis) Walker's base lives here.

Waukesha’s application asserts that the city needs a new source of water to address water quantity and quality concerns. Waukesha now gets its public water supply from groundwater wells in deep aquifers, where water levels have dropped more than 500 feet and are continuing to decline up to 9 feet every year. The groundwater in the deep aquifer also contains high levels of radium, a carcinogen. Waukesha’s 2010 average day demand was 6.9 million gallons of water per day and peak day demand was 8.7 million gallons of water per day. Waukesha’s wastewater is currently discharged to the Fox River in the Mississippi River Basin.
http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/wateruse/waukeshadiversionapp.html

They want Milwaukee to supply Lake Michigan water that is now in short supply. Shortsightedness, thy name is Wanker.

[Bay Boy]

9. And asian carp on the way...

...maybe the low water levels will slow their migration.

[JVS]

10. Geologically speaking, that's one lake

But bad news nonetheless.