Lake Huron water levels - constant change

The Lake Huron Coastal Centre keeps close track of water levels on Lake Huron because lake levels drive many of the coastal processes along our shores.

It relies on gauges operated by Environment Canada and the US National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Looking back over the last century, lake levels have fluctuated as a result of short- and long-term variations in precipitation, evaporation and runoff.

Lake Huron water levels were very high in 1973-75, 1985-86 (highest on record), and 1997 and very low in 1934-35 and 1964-65 (lowest on record).

Water levels dropped again from highs in 1997, in part because 1998 was the hottest year (+2.3 Celsius degrees (ºC) and fifth driest year (-8.9%) in the Great Lakes region for the 51-year period of record at that time.

The drought that began in 1998 and lasted until 2002 (excluding 2000) affected the water balance of the Great Lakes significantly; summer temperatures ranged from 0.9 to 1.3ºC above average while exceedingly below normal summer precipitation occurred in 2001 (-26.8%) and 2002 (-15.4%), and ranged from -1.0 to -4.3% in the other years.

Lake Michigan-Huron (which functions as one lake hydrologically) water levels were affected the most.

The start of 2013 had levels on Lake Huron dipping to a record low, reflecting a hot dry summer and fall in 2012.

It was a short-lived low as levels rebounded slightly in February and March, and significantly in April.

The April rebound saw levels rise 24 centimetres in that month alone, the second highest increase for a single month on record. Much of 2013 had above average precipitation.

Is this the beginning of a full recovery of Lake Huron to long-term average levels?

While it’s too early to say, it should be noted that after the 1964-65 lows, it took a few years for levels to rebound.

Monthly updates on lake levels are available through Environment Canada’s Level News at http://www.ec.gc.ca/eau-water

Or contact the Coastal Centre at (226) 421-3029.