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Lake Superior expected to drop this month

NEWS RELEASE INTERNATIONAL LAKE SUPERIOR BOARD OF CONTROL ************************* Update on Lake Superior outflow The International Lake Superior Board of Control, under authority granted to it by the International Joint Commission, has set the Lak
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NEWS RELEASE

INTERNATIONAL LAKE SUPERIOR BOARD OF CONTROL

************************* Update on Lake Superior outflow

The International Lake Superior Board of Control, under authority granted to it by the International Joint Commission, has set the Lake Superior outflow to 1,620 cubic metres per second (m3/s) (57.2 thousand cubic feet per second (tcfs)) for the month of March.

This is the outflow recommended by the regulation plan for the month of March and is a decrease from the February outflow, which was 1,680 m3/s (59.3 tcfs).

The March outflow will be released by discharging about 1,520 m3/s (53.7 tcfs) through the three hydro-power plants and passing most of the remaining flow through the control structure at the head of the St. Mary's rapids.

The gate setting of the control structure will be maintained at the existing setting equivalent to one-half gate open (four gates open 20 centimetres, or about eight inches each).

There will be no change to the setting of Gate #1 that supplies the Fishery Remedial Works.

This past month the water supply to the Lake Superior basin was below the long-term average for February, while that to the Lakes Michigan-Huron basin was above average.

Lake Superior is currently 20 centimetres (eight inches) below its chart datum level.

The level of Lake Superior is expected to fall slightly in March.

Currently, the Lake Superior level is about 26 centimetres (10 inches) below its long-term average beginning-of-March level, but is 21 centimetres (eight inches) above the level recorded a year ago.

This past month the level of Lake Superior fell six centimetres (two inches), while on average the level falls by five centimetres (two inches) in February.

The level of Lakes Michigan-Huron rose by four centimetres (two inches) this February, while on average these lakes decline by one centimetre (0.4 inches) in February.

The level of Lakes Michigan-Huron is now about 52 centimetres (20 inches) below its long-term average beginning-of-March level, and is 12 centimetres (five inches) lower than it was a year ago, and 22 centimetres (nine inches) below chart datum.

The level of Lakes Michigan-Huron is expected to rise in March.

The Board continues to monitor conditions both on Lake Superior and downstream and will advise the International Joint Commission accordingly on those conditions.

Brigadier General Bruce A. Berwick, commander, Great Lakes and Ohio River Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is the United States board member.

Mr. David Fay is the board member for Canada.

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