GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Lake Michigan could again set record-high lake levels this summer, according to the body which governs the Great Lakes.
Lake Michigan and Lake Huron – which are considered one body of water, in hydrologic terms – are about 10” higher than where they were a year ago, according to Jane Corwin, U.S. section chair of the International Joint Commission.
The IJC is a U.S.-Canadian panel which monitors and recommends policy for the Great Lakes. It held a webinar Friday.
“There is a considerable range of uncertainty in the forecast and levels this summer will be determined by how it rains. If conditions are dry, the lakes will peak at a level lower than last year. If conditions are wet, the lakes will significantly exceed previous records,” Corwin said Friday.
Even an average amount of rainfall will result in water levels higher than last year, and again set records, she said.
While the IJC has some control on the amount of water entering Lake Michigan/Huron from Lake Superior, rainfall is the predominate factor determining lake levels.
Building a control structure such as dam is likely not a viable option. Funds may be better spent with on shoreline protection and other projects, she said.
The last three years have set a record, dating back to 1895, for most rainfall in a three-year period on the lakes.
