Lake Superior drops two inches 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 February.

This is the outflow recommended by the regulation plan for the month of February and is a decrease from the January outflow, which was 1,590 m3/s (56.2 tcfs).

The February 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 supply to the Lake Superior basin was near the long-term average while the water supply to the Lakes Michigan-Huron basin was above the long-term average.

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

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

Currently, the Lake Superior level is about 20 cm (8 inches) below its long-term average beginning-of-February level, but is 4 cm (2 inches) above the level recorded a year ago.

This past month the level of Lake Superior fell by 6 cm (2 inches), while on average the level falls by 7 cm (3 inches) in January.

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

The level of Lakes Michigan-Huron is now about 30 cm (12 inches) below its long-term average beginning-of- February level, and is 26 cm (10 inches) higher than it was a year ago.

Currently Lakes Michigan-Huron is at its chart datum level.

The level of Lakes Michigan-Huron is also expected to decline in February.

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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