Lake Levels Low Around the Midwest
From Lake Superior to east-central Minnesota and northern Wisconsin, lake levels are down near historic lows. After a dry summer and fall, snowfall last winter was below normal across the region, leaving it short of moisture. Northern Minnesota was especially dry this spring, leading to a fire that consumed part of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Although that area has received more rain, portions of east-central Minnesota and northern Wisconsin have gotten 2 to 5 inches less than normal since April 1.
That has pushed lake levels down as much as 2 feet on some lakes, causing problems for boaters and lake residents who aren't accustomed to the lower waterlines. Not only is it harder to launch and to trailer boats at public landings, but also formerly hidden reefs and rock bars are catching the unaware and the careless.
Lakes in northern Wisconsin are as much as several feet lower than normal. Shell Lake is down 5 or 6 feet from its high and 1 to 2 feet lower than its ordinary high-water mark. Lake Superior is near a historic low. Last month, it was within an inch of its all-time low for June.
Lower water levels also mean lakes heat up faster and see more growth of aquatic vegetation, including invasive Eurasian milfoil. Lakes in southern Minnesota are near normal and those in the northwest are higher than normal. Rainfall throughout the 1990s and into the first half of this decade was greater than normal, leading to higher lake levels and a different set of expectations for many.
July 3, 2007 7:04 AM | Category: Drought