LAKE ERIE WATER LEVELS IN NORMAL SEASONAL DECLINE
Boaters urged to remain alert in marina, harbor, reef and tributary areas
COLUMBUS, OH -- Recreational boaters and other users of the Great Lakes are advised to remain informed of current water level conditions during this period of seasonal decline, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
Lake Erie waters currently are 11 inches below average and 9 inches below levels registered at this time last year. Levels are forecasted to drop another 3 inches by late September.
While this time of year offers excellent boating and fishing opportunities on Lake Erie, to ensure safety, boaters should continue to closely monitor conditions that could be affected by low water levels in tributary streams, bays and marinas and near the lake's reefs, said Jeff Hoedt, chief of the ODNR Division of Watercraft.
Though boating generally declines following Labor Day, boating opportunities, conditions and fishing action remain very good throughout September - especially in Lake Eries western basin.
Autumn traditionally brings a decline in Lake Erie water levels as less rain falls on the Great Lakes region and more surface water is lost through evaporation. The lake is expected to reach its low point for the year in mid-winter, then begin rising again with snowmelt and spring rains. However, deviations from anticipated weather patterns could result in levels higher or lower than those projected.
ODNR experts stress that Lake Erie's current lower-than-average water levels are part of the natural life cycle of the Great Lakes. Those levels are far below the lake's record highs of the mid-1980s, but are nearly 2 feet above the record lows of the 1930s.
Additional information on Lake Erie water levels can be obtained on the ODNR web site at www.dnr.state.oh.us .
For Further Information Contact:
John Wisse, ODNR Watercraft
(614) 265-6695
-or-
Jane Beathard, ODNR Media Relations
(614) 265-6860