I was looking at some pictures

[spincast]

Frankie65 and G launching, Jordan, Aug, 2011

 

 

take a look at the dock in the back ground too

G and me launching,Labour day 2012 - same spot

 

 

 

The dock in the background from pic 1

 

I was kind of shocked at the launch - but i was gobsmacked once I checked last years photo out

 

 

So - let's just say....a 4 ft drop in water level (might be alittle high, but hey, this was an excercise)

 

Searched internet to tell me how many sq kms of Lake O surface area, times 4 ft drop. How many gallons does that equal (multiply the answer below by 4 for those used to litres)

 

6,106,609,605,912. US Fluid Gallons

wow.

 

5 great lakes?

 

sure hope we get some rain and snow between now and 2013

[Sandbag]

Amen brother.....

 

Been a very dry couple of years now

 

Your pictures sure bring it all together. I`m sure there are all sorts of variables ie. dams, hydro plants etc etc., but year over year sure makes you realize the changes that have taken place.

 

Cheers

 

Craig

[SlowPoke]

Wow, that is quite a drop.

This is exactly why I bought a boat with higher sides

[kickingfrog]

News mentioned that it the difference from this August to last was 25 centimetres (10 inches).

[Pikeslayer]

Rick,

A little insight here;

 

My link

[Christopheraaron]

I vote to stock the great lakes with water!

[SlowPoke]

Rick,

A little insight here;

 

My link

Good read, thanks for posting.

[spincast]

Good read, thanks for posting.

 

indeed, and well balanced , reporting both sides of the discussion thanks Simon - always good to get some scientific insight - but the fact remains - these photos are a 12 month span - not 40 years. And there is at least a 2.5 ft drop, if not more between those 2 photos.Further, this is the lwest these lakes have been since 2005 (according to the people at the marina, who have a pretty good handle on things, if not scientific)

 

 

The dam at Cornwall has made a decision to lower the lake this much - but they dont point out why. You wonder if perhaps maintaining water levels in the St Lawrence and its shipping channels may have something to do with that? We have had the worst drought since 2005.

Edited September 8, 2012 by spincast

[Live2fish85]

I know Erie has dropped lower then I have ever seen. My parents bay is insane trying to get the boat in spots usually 2' are maybe 6".

[SirCranksalot]

Water levels in the Great Lakes are available on-line as hourly to yearly data, on Am as well as Can websites(both of which get their data from the same source, the IJC.

 

See here, for e.g

 

http://www.waterlevels.gc.ca/C&A/wldata/colllast.htm

 

http://www.great-lakes.net/envt/water/levels/levels_current.html

 

 

I attended the IJC study group public info session in Collingwood a year or two ago. The main point that I remember is that the 2 main determinants of Lake Huron water level are the in-flow from the Huron-Michigan watershed(on the plus side) and evaporation(on the minus side). The inflow from Superior and outflow into the St. Clair River have less influence. So the level is an environmental issue, not a political one as some people like to make it(unless you regard global warming as a political issue).

[Musky or Specks]

First World problems. My buddy is selling his big sailboat that he keeps at 50 point because he can't get it in and out of the marina anymore. Going to buy one that he can tow and just use it for racing

[mike rousseau]

Rick,

A little insight here;

 

My link

 

 

good read simon... thanks...

 

didnt realize our dam in cornwall was one of only 2 controlling water levels in all the great lakes...

[singingdog]

Letting water out is part of the issue. Lack of water going in is another. I have been recording water levels in about 20 Ontario rivers (whitewater paddling) weekly for over 15 years. This spring, the levels were the lowest I have seen in that time period.

[kickingfrog]

The great lakes are obviously large in surface area and volume but the watershed relative to that size is quite small. The bulk of the water is from the glaciers (and the earth is still rebounding from them as well).

 

In short, at best, regular snowmelt and rainfall may only ever maintain the water levels and if we screw things up too much we may never be able to "fix" them.

 

 

 

Edited for clarity.

Edited September 8, 2012 by kickingfrog

[siwash]

The great lakes are obviously large in surface area and volume but the watershed relative to that size is quite small. The bulk of the water is from the glaciers (and the earth is still rebounding from them as well).

 

In short, at best, regular snowmelt and rainfall only ever will maintain the water levels and if we screw things up too much we may never be able to "fix" them.

 

 

You know I was just looking at the rainfall stats from June to Sept 7. We have actually have had ABOVE normal rainfall in the GTA.. not sure about other parts of S. Ont but I am assuming if it rained heavily in the GTA that it probably rained in other parts of S. Ont.

 

For instance, Markham received 100+mm of rain last week! we got another 30 overnight...there were some major rainfalls in July too... I think over 300 mm (15 inches) has fallen on the region over the past 3.5 months, hardly a drought...

 

I guess lack of snowfall has been a big contributor...

Edited September 8, 2012 by swordfish

[adolson]

I fished downstream of two hydro dams on the Montreal River many times last year, and a handful of times this year, including earlier today. The water level today was crazy low compared to last year, and even earlier this year it was really low compared to the lowest days of last year. I thought it was just due to the dams, but every lake that I fished last year and this year had the same result - much lower water levels, even after all the rain we've had.

 

At the river today, it was so low, I'd say a 3-4 foot drop would be accurate. I walked about 50 feet from last year's shoreline, and found a Beetlespin lure that I broke off on a snag last year. It still had my snap swivel and a piece of my Tuf-Line Duracast tied to it, and the yellow grub had been absorbing the black paint from the jig head. It's interesting to see the structure - stumps and branches in the middle of nowhere.

Edited September 8, 2012 by Dana

[BillM]

The Sutton was up over 2ft when we fished it a few weeks ago. I guess it all depends on the watershed.