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Great Lakes show higher than average water levels for July

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All of the Great Lakes as well as Lake St. Clair are logging above average water levels for the month of July.

Wet conditions and above average rainfall over the last few years contributed to the high water levels.

While all of the lakes are above their averages, no records have been broken.

Melissa Kropfreiter is a hydraulic engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

 

“Each lake is respectively a different amount above. For instance Lake Superior is now four inches above its long-term average, whereas Lake Michigan-Huron are approximately 17 inches above, Lake St. Clair is 21 inches higher, Lake Erie is 22 inches higher, and Lake Ontario is seven inches higher than its long-term average.”

Kropfreiter said high water levels can cause shorelines to erode, but so far impacts on lakeshore habitats are low.

She said Lakes Superior and Erie are closest to their all time July records sitting roughly eight inches below record water levels. Still Kropfreiter said the lakes are not expected to break any records this year.