Lake Superior level expected to fall in January

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 1,560 cubic meters per second (m3/s) (55.1 thousand cubic feet per second (tcfs)) for the month of January, effective January 1, 2011.

This is the outflow recommended by the regulation plan for the month of January and is the same as the December outflow.

The January outflow will be released by discharging about 1,464 m3/s (51.7 tcfs) through the three hydropower plants and passing most of the remaining flow through the control structure at the head of the St. Marys 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 cm, or about eight inches each).

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

This past month the water supplies to the Lake Superior and Lake Michigan-Huron basins were well below normal.

Lake Superior is currently 18 cm (7 inches) below its chart datum level.

The level of Lake Superior is expected to fall in January.

Currently, the Lake Superior level is about 35 cm (14 inches) below its long-term average beginning-of-January level, and is 26 cm (10 inches) lower than the level recorded a year ago.

This past month the level of Lake Superior fell 10 cm (4 inches), while on average it falls eight centimetres (three inches) in December.

The level of Lakes Michigan-Huron fell eight centimetres (three inches) during December, while on average it falls four centimetres (two inches) during December.

The level of Lakes Michigan-Huron is now about 48 cm (19 inches) below its long-term average beginning-of-January level, and is 34 cm (13 inches) lower than it was a year ago.

Currently Lakes Michigan-Huron is 16 cm (6 inches) below its chart datum level.

The level of Lakes Michigan-Huron is expected to fall slightly in January.

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

Major General John W. Peabody, 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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