Re: Water Levels

From: Dave Wobser
Location: OH
Email: WobseratGreatLaker.com
Remote Name: 205.188.208.40
Date: 12/24/02
Time: 09:44:27 AM

Comments

The primary low water problem is western Lake Erie. The western half is relatively shallow. When we get several days of strong west-southwest winds it blows the water over to Port Colborne, and sucks the water out of the Detroit River. This makes for low water in the Livingston Channel and the lower river. You will hear the boats chceking the water level at Gibralter, which is a gauge located near Gibralter, MI near the mouth of the Detroit River. The wind also makes for low water in the western basin of the lake which is some cases has minimum depth in channels. Interesting note - Lock 8 in the Welland Canal at Port Colborne is only there to compensate for the varying levels of Lake Erie. When the wind is out of the northeast, there is very little lowering in the lock. The last couple days the change could be as much as 4 feet. The same thing happens in the lower St. Marys River, especially at Rock Cut which has a rock bottom. Soo Traffic and the Lockmaster are often asked for the level in the upper pool (above the locks) and the lower pool (Soo Harbor). There is also a gauge at the entrance to the Rock Cut. I have seen the water above the Mac lock change as much as a foot in 15 minutes. The depth over the sills of the locks is another concern as the water level varies. A sustained hard southwest also can cause problems in the Maumee River (Toledo) and the Saginaw River (Bay City). The wind can suck the water out of the river to lower it enought to cause depth problems. That was part of the problem last year when the Nanticoke got stuck at the railroad bridge in Toledo. The wind had created an extra strong current headed for the lake. After wind laid down and the water came back in, she was pushed off the bridge. A third problem that the wind causes is keeping one of those big boats in the river channels when there is a big cross wind.