August Gate Schedule Changed Due to Hydropower Facility Outage
Due to a unit outage at one of the hydropower facilities, the gates of the Compensating Works at the head of the St. Marys Rapids will be maintained at their current settings in August (Gates #7 and #8 open 122 cm, Gates #9 through #12 open 104 cm, and Gate #16 open 20 cm). Gate #1 will remain at its typical setting which supplies a flow of about 15 m3/s (500 ft3/s) to the channel north of the Fishery Remedial Dike. The St. Marys Rapids flow will be approximately 512 m3/s (18,100 ft3/s), which is equivalent to approximately three gates fully open.
The International Lake Superior Board of Control is responsible for managing the control works on the St. Marys River and regulating the outflow from Lake Superior into Lake Michigan-Huron. Under any outflow regulation plan, the ability to regulate the flow through the St. Marys River does not mean that full control of the water levels of Lake Superior and Lake Michigan-Huron is possible. This is because the major factors affecting water supply to the Great Lakes (i.e. precipitation, evaporation, and runoff) cannot be controlled and are difficult to accurately predict. Outflow management cannot eliminate the risk of extreme water levels occurring during periods of severe weather and water supply conditions. Actual flows will vary hour-to-hour and day-to-day depending on hydrologic conditions and variations in flow at the hydropower facilities. Additional information can be found on the Board’s homepage: https://ijc.org/en/lsbc.