Lake Superior drops 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.

This is the outflow recommended by the regulation plan for the month of March and is the same as the February outflow.

The March outflow will be released by discharging about 1,458 m3/s (51.5 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 8 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 Lakes Superior and Michigan-Huron basins were above their long-term averages.

Lake Superior is currently 12 cm (5 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 17 cm (7 inches) below its long-term average beginning-of-March level, but is 9 cm (4 inches) above the level recorded a year ago.

This past month the level of Lake Superior fell by 3 cm (1 inch), while on average the level falls by 5 cm (2 inches) in February.

The level of Lakes Michigan-Huron rose by 7 cm (3 inches) this February, while on average the level falls by 1 cm (1/2 inch) in February.

The level of Lakes Michigan-Huron is now about 23 cm (9 inches) below its long-term average beginning-of-March level, and is 28 cm (11 inches) higher than it was a year ago.

Currently Lakes Michigan-Huron is 6 cm (2 inches) above its chart datum level.

The level of Lakes Michigan-Huron is also expected to rise slightly 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 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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