UPDATE ON LAKE SUPERIOR OUTFLOWS AND EXPECTED CONDITIONS - JANUARY 2017
Date

The International Lake Superior Board of Control, under authority granted to it by the International Joint Commission (IJC), has set the Lake Superior outflow to 2400 cubic metres per second (m3/s) for the month of January, effective January 4th.  The outflow is being set to the normal maximum winter flow prescribed by Plan 2012, and may at times vary due to weather events and changes in hydrologic and ice conditions.

The January outflow will be released by discharging about 2306 m3/s through the three hydropower plants and passing most of the remaining flow through the control structure at the head of the St. Marys Rapids. The gate setting of the control structure will be maintained at the equivalent of one-half gate open (four gates open 20 centimetres (cm) each) for the month of January. The one-half gate equivalent setting is the normal winter maximum, and is typically maintained from December through April. There will be no change to Gate #1, which supplies a flow of about 15 m3/s to the channel north of the Fishery Remedial Dike.

The net water supplies to Lake Superior were above average in December.  The level of Lake Superior fell 8 cm last month, which is the average decline in December.  The Lake Superior level at the beginning-of-January is 14 cm above average, 8 cm below the level recorded a year ago at this time, and 30 cm above its chart datum level.

The net water supplies to Lake Michigan-Huron were below average in December.  The level of Lake Michigan-Huron dropped 8 cm last month, while on average the lake declines 4 cm in December.  The level of Lake Michigan-Huron is 18 cm above its long-term average beginning-of-January level, 12 cm lower than it was a year ago, and 48 cm above its chart datum level. 

The levels of Lake Superior and Lake Michigan-Huron are both expected to continue their seasonal declines in January.

 

United States
Cindy Jarema
(313) 226-6127
Cynthia.A.Jarema@usace.army.mil

Canada
Jacob Bruxer
(613) 938-5862
Jacob.Bruxer@canada.ca