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HOUGHTON — Lake Superior’s water levels are rebounding compared to last year, but they remain below average.

“As of the 21st, Lake Superior was at 600.5 feet,” said Keith Kompoltowicz, a meteorologist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Detroit. “That is below average by about 10, 11 inches but it’s six or seven inches higher than it was last year.”

The long-term average water level for the month of April is 601.3 feet. Last year’s average Lake Superior water level for the month of April was 599.9 feet.

Last year saw dropping water levels in Lake Superior culminating in record lows for the months of August, when the water dropped to 600.4 feet, and September, when the average level was 600.5 feet, before heavy rainfall in September and October reversed the trend.

Kompoltowicz said the Corp’s latest forecasts show water levels remaining above last year’s.

“Through September, our forecasts are anywhere from 10 to 15, 16 inches above where we were last year,” he said.

However, those water levels will still be between eight and 10 inches below average.

More typical winter weather contributed to Lake Superior’s improved condition, Kompoltowicz said. For instance, cold temperatures earlier in the season led to less evaporation.

“We see evaporation every year, we didn’t see as much as last year because we had a colder start to the winter and that caused the ice to form a lot quicker than it did in previous winters,” Kompoltowicz said.

Surface ice formation on Lake Superior slows the evaporation of water from the largest of the Great Lakes.

During the winter of 2006-2007, less surface ice formed and, Kompoltowicz said, “we saw very much greater than average evaporation.”

Lake Superior’s lowest water levels last year occurred in March, when the average water level was 599.7 feet. This year’s average water level for March was 600.3 feet.

The lowest recorded water level for Lake Superior occurred in April of 1926, when the water level hit 599.5 feet.



Dan Schneider can be reached at dschneider@mininggazette.com'>dschneider@mininggazette.com'>dschneider@mininggazette.com'>dschneider@mininggazette.com

 

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