Lake Superior down some in February

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 March, effective March 3.

This is the outflow recommended by the regulation plan for the month of March and is a decrease from the February outflow, which was 1,760 m3/s (62.2 tcfs).

The March outflow will be released by discharging about 1,456 m3/s (51.4 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 #1 that supplies the Fishery Remedial Works.

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

Lake Superior is currently 10 cm (4 inches) below its chart datum level.

The level of Lake Superior is expected to remain stable in March.

Currently, the Lake Superior level is about 15 cm (six inches) below its long-term average beginning-of-March level, and is the same as the level recorded a year ago.

This past month the level of Lake Superior fell 8 cm (three inches), while on average it falls 5 cm (two inches) in February.

The level of Lakes Michigan-Huron fell 2 cm (one inch) this February, while on average it falls 1 cm (1/2 inch) during February.

The level of Lakes Michigan-Huron is now about 19 cm (seven inches) below its long-term average beginning-of-March level, and is 5 cm (two inches) higher than it was a year ago.

Currently Lakes Michigan-Huron is 10 cm (four inches) above its chart datum level.

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.

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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