Ft.

-1

0

+ 1

+ 2+ 3+ 4+ 5

M.

-0.3

0

+ 0.3

+ 0.6

+ 0.9+ 1.2+ 1.5

2015

FEB

1952

MAR

1952

APR

1973

MAY

1973

JUN

1952

JUL

1947

AUG

1947

SEP

1947

OCT

1945

NOV

1945

DEC

1945

2016

JAN

1946

FEB

1952

1936

MAR

19521935

APR

19731935

MAY

19731935

JUN

19521935

JUL

19471934

AUG

19471934

SEP

19471934

OCT

19451934

NOV

19451934

DEC

19451934

2017

JAN

1946

1935

FEB

1952

1936

MAR

19521935

APR

19731935

MAY

19731935

JUN

19521935

JUL

19471934

CHART DATUM 243.3 FEET (74.2 METERS)

Ft.

-1

0

+ 1

+ 2+ 3+ 4+ 5

+ 6

M.

-0.3

0

+ 0.3

+ 0.6

+ 0.9+ 1.2+ 1.5+ 1.8

2015

FEB

1987

MAR

1986

APR

1985

MAY

1986

JUN

1986

JUL

1986

AUG

1986

SEP

1986

OCT

1986

NOV

1986

DEC

1986

2016

JAN

1987

FEB

1987

1936

MAR

1986

1934

APR

19851934

MAY

1986

1934

JUN

1986

1934

JUL

1986

1934

AUG

1986

1934

SEP

1986

1934

OCT

1986

1934

NOV

1986

1934

DEC

1986

1934

2017

JAN

19871935

FEB

1987

1936

MAR

1986

1934

APR

19851934

MAY

1986

1934

JUN

1986

1934

JUL

1986

1934

CHART DATUM 569.2 FEET (173.5 METERS)

Ft.

-1

0

+ 1

+ 2+ 3+ 4+ 5

M.

-0.3

0

+ 0.3

+ 0.6

+ 0.9+ 1.2+ 1.5

2015

FEB

1986

MAR

1986

APR

1986

MAY

1986

JUN

1986

JUL

1986

AUG

1986

SEP

1986

OCT

1986

NOV

1986

DEC

1986

2016

JAN

1986

FEB

19861926

MAR

1986

1934

APR

19861926

MAY

1986

1934

JUN

1986

1934

JUL

1986

1934

AUG

1986

1934

SEP

1986

1934

OCT

1986

1934

NOV

1986

1934

DEC

1986

1964

2017

JAN

19861936

FEB

19861926

MAR

1986

1934

APR

19861926

MAY

1986

1934

JUN

1986

1934

JUL

1986

1934

CHART DATUM 572.3 FEET (174.4 METERS)

ELEVATIONS REFERENCED TO THE CHART DATUM OF EACH 

Superior

601.94183.47

602.20

183.55602.69

183.70

1986

599.84182.83

1926

601.44183.32

MichHuron

578.97176.47

579.30

176.57

581.30

177.18

1987

576.02175.57

2013

578.38176.29

St.

Clair

574.77175.19574.74175.18576.77

175.80

1986

570.47173.88

1936

573.59174.83

Erie

571.82174.29571.62174.23573.69

174.86

1987

568.27

173.21

1935

570.83173.99

Ontario

244.82

74.62

244.85

74.63

246.59

75.16

1946

242.16

73.81

1935

244.62

74.56

JANUARY MEAN LAKE LEVELS

(IGLD 1985)

* 2017 Ft.

M.

2016 Ft.

M.

** MAX.

Ft.

M.

Yr.

** MIN.

Ft.

M.

Yr.

** AVG. Ft.

M.

* provisional** Average, Maximum and Minimum for period 1918-2015

1985

1985

1973 1973

1936

1934

1926 1934

LAKE ONTARIO

LAKE ERIE

LAKE ST. CLAIR

LEGEND

LAKE LEVELS

RECORDEDPROJECTEDAVERAGE **MAXIMUM **MINIMUM **

The levels on the hydrographs are shown inboth feet and meters above (+) or below (-) Chart Datum. Chart Datum, also known as Low Water Datum, is a reference plane on each lake to which water depth and Federal navigation improvement depths on navigation charts are referred.All elevations and plots shown in this bulletin are referenced to International Great Lakes Datum 1985 (IGLD 1985). IGLD 1985 has its zero base at Rimouski, Quebec near the mouth of the St. Lawrence River (approximate sea level).
Information

Recorded water levels in this bulletin are derived from a representative network of water level gages on each lake 

(see cover map). Providers of these data are the U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA, National Ocean Service, 

and Integrated Science Data Management, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada. The Detroit District, 

Corps of Engineers and Environment Canada derive historic and projected lake levels under the auspices of the 

Coordinating Committee on Great Lakes Basic Hydraulic and Hydrologic Data.

This bulletin is produced monthly as a public service. The Corps also, on a weekly basis publishes online the Great 

Lakes, Connecting Channels and St. Lawrence River Water Levels and Depths, which provides a forecast of depths 

in the connecting rivers between the Great Lakes and the International Section of the St. Lawrence River. This 

Monthly Bulletin of the Lake Levels for the Great Lakes may be obtained free of charge by writing to the address 

shown on the front cover, by calling (313) 226-6442 or emailing hhpm@usace.army.mil. Notices of change of 

address should include the name of the publication. This information is available on the internet at 

http://www.lre.usace.army.mil/Missions/GreatLakesInformation.aspx.

Great Lakes Basin Hydrology

January 2017

According to preliminary estimates, precipitation in the month of January was close to average for the Great Lakes 

basin. Lake Erie received the most precipitation with 135% of average precipitation. The rest of the basin experienced 

close to average precipitation in the month of January. All of the lakes experienced above average water supplies 

and outflows for the month of January. The above average supplies in January was likely due to snowmelt during 

the warmer than normal conditions that persisted for about two weeks. The tables below list January precipitation 

and water supply information for the Great Lakes basin.

All of the lakes were above their long-term average (LTA) water levels for the month of January. Lakes Superior and 

Michigan-Huron declined in January by 3 and 2 inches, respectively. Lakes St. Clair, Erie, and Ontario began their 

seasonal rise in January as they rose by 3, 5, and 6 inches, respectively. Also, Lake Superior was 3 inches below 

its January level from 2016 and Lake Michigan-Huron was 4 inches below its level from last year. Lake Erie was 2 

inches above its level last year, while Lakes St. Clair and Ontario were near their same level as last January.

PRELIMINARY PRECIPITATION (INCHES)

BASIN

January 12-Month Comparison

2017 Average Diff. % of 

Average

Average Last 

12 months 

Average Diff. % of 

(1900-2014) (1900-2014) Average

Superior 1.80 1.94 -0.14 93 31.54 30.52 1.02 103

Michigan-Huron 2.31 2.15 0.16 107 32.40 32.57 -0.17 99

Erie 3.37 2.50 0.87 135 34.42 35.65 -1.23 97

Ontario 2.88 2.74 0.14 105 32.28 35.87 -3.59 90

Great Lakes 2.38 2.21 0.17 108 32.24 32.76 -0.52 98

 LAKE January Net Basin Supplies1 (cfs) January Outflows2 (cfs)

2017

Average

(1900-2008) 2017

Average3

(1900-2008)

Superior 14,000 -13,000 85,000 69,000

Michigan-Huron 112,000 60,000 193,000 161,000

Erie 91,000 29,000 223,000 196,000

Ontario 66,000 32,000 227,000 222,000

Notes: Values (excluding averages) are based on preliminary computations; cfs denotes cubic feet per second.

1 Net basin supply is the net result of precipitation falling on the lake, runoff from precipitation falling on the land which flows to 

the lake, and evaporation from the lake. Negative net basin supply denotes evaporation exceeded runoff and precipitation. 

The net total supply can be found by adding the net basin supply and the outflow from the upstream lake.

2 Does not include diversions.

3 Lake Ontario average water supplies and average outflows are based on period of record 1900-2005

 
Volume 196: 2016 Annual Summary

Background

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit 

District, monitors and forecasts the water levels of 

the Great Lakes. This report summarizes the 

hydrologic conditions of the Great Lakes basin 

during 2016.

In 2016, the levels of the Great Lakes, with the 

exception of Lake Ontario, remained above 

average. This continued a recent trend of higher 

than average water levels. After a 15 year period 

of below average water levels that culminated in

record and near record low levels in 2012 and 

January 2013, the levels of lakes Superior and 

Michigan-Huron surpassed their long term average 

water levels in 2014, and have remained above 

average throughout 2015 and 2016. A summary of 

2016 Great Lakes water levels is discussed in the 

following lake-by-lake sections.

Official water levels are based on monthly lakewide means, and the period of record used for each 

of the lakes includesthe years 1918 to 2015. These 

data have been coordinated between the United 

States and Canada through 2015. All 2016 water 

levels will be officially coordinated and added to 

the historical record in the spring of 2017. The 

elevations used are referenced to the International 

Great Lakes Datum of 1985. The water level of 

each lake is averaged from a network of individual 

gauges around each lake. Also of note is that Lake 

Michigan and Lake Huron are hydraulically 

treated as one lake due to their connection at the 

Straits of Mackinac.

The Great Lakes are large and behave differently 

from smaller, inland lakes. In general, Great Lakes 

water levels do not rise and fall dramatically with 

individual storms. Significant water level 

fluctuations require multiple months, seasons, or 

years of wet or dry conditions.

Each year, all the Great Lakes experience a 

seasonal rise and a seasonal decline due to changes 

in weather patterns. The seasonal rise, typically 

starting in the spring, is caused primarily by an 

increase in precipitation, increased runoff due to 

melting of accumulated snow, and low evaporation 

rates. The typical seasonal decline of the water 

levels in the fall and winter is primarily caused by 

an increase in evaporation, a decrease in 

precipitation, and the accumulation of snowpack 

on the land area.

The term net basin supply (NBS) is used to 

describe the amount of water that is contributed to 

or lost from a lake within the confines of its natural 

drainage basin. USACE uses the residual method 

to compute NBS, shown below: 

Residual Method Net Basin Supply:

NBS = WL – I – D + O

WL: Water Level Change

I: Connecting Channel Inflow

O: Connecting Channel Outflow

D: Diversion into (+) or out(-) of lake

NBS includes water which a lake receives from 

precipitation on its surface, runoff from its own 

land drainage basin, and evaporation of water from 

the lake’s surface. Precipitation and runoff have 

the opposite effect on NBS than evaporation. The 

higher the quantity of precipitation and runoff, the 

higher the NBS. Conversely, a higher quantity of 

Great Lakes

Update
Vol. 196 Great Lakes Update February 2017

Page 2

evaporation, may lead to lower NBS. NBS is far 

and away the main driver of water levels, and is 

discussed in more detail in the following sections 

for each Great Lake.

Figure 1: Lake Superior Water Levels

Figure 2: Lake Superior Residual Net Basin Supply

Lake Superior

Figure 1 shows the 2016 water levels of Lake 

Superior compared with the 2015 water levels, and 

the monthly long-term average (LTA) levels. To 

demonstrate the extent of the water level rise of 

Lakes Superior during the past 3 to 4 years, the 

lower than average 2012 levels were included. 

Each lake’s data has been plotted relative to chart 

datum (a.k.a. low water datum), which represents 

the horizontal line at a value of zero. Chart datum 

for Lake Superior is 601.1 ft. 

Lake Superior water levels remained above 

average for all of 2016. When comparing the 

lake’s monthly levels in 2016 with its 

corresponding monthly LTA levels, Lake Superior 

was an average of 7 inches above LTA in 2016. 

Lake Superior started the year at a level of 602.20

ft., nearly identical to its level in January 2015, 9 

inches above its LTA in January, and 21 inches 

higher than in January 2012. At the end of 2016, 

the lake was 2 inches lower than its level in 

December 2016, but still 6 inches above LTA.

The lake’s seasonal climb in 2016 was just 9

inches, 3 inches lower than its historical average 

rise and its lowest climb since 2012. In addition, 

Lake Superior’s 2016 monthly levels nearly 

mirrored the water levels of the previous year. The 

monthly mean water levels in 2016 were within 2 

inches of the corresponding monthly levels in 2015 

in all months except October. 

Figure 2 shows the Lake Superior NBS for each 

month in 2016 in relation to its corresponding 

monthly average NBS. NBS was above average in 

9 months, including 6 of the last 7 months of the 

year. Precipitation was above average in 6 of the 

last 7 months of the year as well. Nevertheless, 

precipitation received by the lake in all of 2016 

was just near average.

Lake Michigan-Huron

Consistently above average water levels 

characterized Lake Michigan-Huron in 2016. 

After being below its LTA levels for about 15 

straight years, Lake Michigan-Huron had been 

above average for 28 straight months as of 

December 2016. In 2016, levels started 2 inches 

above 2015 levels in January and ended the year 2

inches below 2015 levels in December. Water 

levels in Figure 3 are relative to the Lake 

Michigan-Huron chart datum level of 577.5 ft. 

When comparing the lake’s monthly levels in 2016 

with its corresponding monthly LTA levels, Lake 
Vol. 196 Great Lakes Update February 2017

Page 3

Michigan-Huron was an average of 11 inches 

above LTA in 2016. In addition, Lake MichiganHuron 2016 monthly levels were above its 

corresponding 2015 monthly levels for the whole 

year except for December. 2012 levels are again 

shown to demonstrate the large rise in water levels 

over the past 3 to 4 years.

Lake Michigan-Huron’s seasonal decline in the 

fall/winter of 2015-16 was 7 inches; the average 

fall is 11 inches. In 2016, the lake began rising in 

February or about 2 months earlier than it typically 

begins rising. The lake’s seasonal rise of 11 inches 

matched its historical average seasonal rise. Lake 

Michigan-Huron peaked at 579.79 ft. in June, the 

highest level it has reached since September 1987. 

In June, the lake was nearly 2 and 1⁄2 feet higher 

than it was in June of 2012, and its December level 

was more than 3 feet higher than it was in 

December 2012, when it fell to a record low level 

for the month of December. 

Figure 4 shows the 2016 NBS for Lake MichiganHuron compared to its historical monthly 

averages. In 2016, the Net Basin Supply to Lake 

Michigan-Huron was well above average in 

February and March. The NBS in March was the 

most remarkable in that time period, as it was the 

5th highest in March since 1900. Substantially 

contributing to the high NBS was 3.98 inches of 

precipitation, the 3rd highest amount received by 

the lake in March since 1900. In addition, runoff, 

the other NBS component that positively 

contributes to NBS, was 20% above average, while 

evaporation, the NBS component that subtracts 

from NBS, was 35% below average. Nevertheless, 

the net basin supply to Lake Michigan-Huron was 

below average the last 4 months of the year, 7 out 

of the last 8 months of the year, and in a total of 8 

months. Despite the dry supplies to end the year, 

the inflow from Lake Superior has been above 

average all year, which has contributed to water 

levels remaining above average. Precipitation to 

the lake was 8% above average in 2016.

Figure 3: Lake Michigan-Huron Water Levels

Figure 4: Lake Michigan-Huron Residual Net Basin 

Supply

Lake St. Clair

Heart-shaped and shallow Lake St. Clair is the 

smallest lake in the Great Lakes system, Lake St. 

Clair remained well above average throughout all 

of 2016. The lake started 2016 at a level of 574.74 

feet, 9 inches above its level in January 2015, and 

remained above 2015 levels through June. In 

December, it was at the identical level as it was in 

December 2015, but nearly 2 feet above its level in 

December of 2012, the year when the lake was 

well below average and did not experience a 

seasonal rise. Moreover, when comparing the 

lake’s monthly levels in 2016 with its 

corresponding monthly LTA levels, Lake St. Clair
Vol. 196 Great Lakes Update February 2017

Page 4

was an average of 14 inches above LTA in 2016. 

In addition, in the winter of 2015-2016, the lake 

did not experience a significant and prolonged 

drop in level caused by ice jamming in the St. Clair 

River that restricts flow into the lake. The 

accumulation of ice was far less significant last 

winter due to well above average temperatures 

during the winter, likely the result of the historic 

El Niño.

Figure 5: Lake St. Clair Water Levels

Lake Erie

Lake Erie’s level was above average throughout

2016. In January, at a level of 571.62 feet, the lake 

was 3 inches above its level of a year ago, but by 

December, its level matched what it was in 

December 2015. The lake’s peak level was 4 

inches lower than it was in 2015, and the peak 

occurred in May, two months earlier than in 2015. 

However, Lake Erie’s 2015 peak was the result of 

record-high precipitation in June of that year. The 

lake’s 2016 seasonal rise in late winter and spring 

was 17 inches, 3 inches above average. When 

comparing the lake’s monthly levels in 2016 with 

its corresponding monthly LTA levels, Lake Erie 

was an average of 11 inches above LTA in 2016.

The monthly NBS to Lake Erie was variable in 

2016. There were 3 months in which the NBS was 

above average, 4 months in which it was near 

average, and 5 months in which it was below 

average. Lake Erie NBS was above average in 

February and March, but was above average only 

once in the last 9 months. The above average 

inflow from Lake Michigan-Huron contributed to 

keeping water levels above the LTA, even with 

low NBS. Precipitation received by Lake Erie in 

2016 was 5% below average.

Figure 6: Lake Erie Water Levels

Figure 7: Lake Erie Residual Net Basin Supply

Lake Ontario

Lake Ontario was the only lake that was not above 

its long-term average for all of 2016. It was above 

LTA levels the first 5 months of the year, but 

hovered around 2 to 3 inches below LTA for the 

remainder of the year. Its January 2016 level of 

244.85 feet was about 3 inches above what it was 

12 months earlier, but by July it was 10 inches 
Vol. 196 Great Lakes Update February 2017

Page 5

below its level of a year ago. In general, the lake 

was above its 2015 levels the first half of the year, 

and below its 2015 levels the second half of 2016. 

Nevertheless, by December, the lake’s level nearly 

matched its December 2015 level. Lake Ontario’s 

seasonal rise of 24 inches was nearly identical to 

its average annual seasonal rise of 23 inches. The 

lake’s level peaked in April but it usually peaks in 

June. The early peak was due to the precipitation 

to the lake being about 40% below average in 

April, May, June, and July.

The NBS to Lake Ontario was at or above average 

the first 3 months of the year. The NBS in February 

was nearly 50% above average with precipitation 

and runoff both nearly 50% above average. The 

high runoff was likely due to precipitation falling 

as rain and snowpack melting soon after landfall as 

a result of consistently above average temperatures 

last winter. Lake Ontario NBS, however, was 

below average in 8 of the last 9 months. Also, 

precipitation to Lake Ontario was 10% below 

average in 2016. In fact, in 6 different months in 

2016, the precipitation was less than 65% of its 

corresponding historical monthly average.

Figure 8: Lake Ontario Water Levels

Figure 9: Lake Ontario Residual Net Basin Supply

El Niño Effects on the Great Lakes during the 

Winter 2015-16

Photo 1: The Coast Guard ice-cutter, the Mackinaw, 

arrives in ice-free Duluth Harbor, January 7th, 2016

El Niño is characterized by above average sea 

surface temperatures in the central and eastern 

tropical Pacific Ocean. It is one phase of a 

recurring climate pattern called the El NiñoSouthern Oscillation (ENSO). The other 2 phases 

are La Niña, in which sea surface temperatures in 

the Equatorial Pacific Ocean are below normal, 

and ENSO-neutral, when sea surface temperatures 

are near normal. The El Niño and La Niña phases 

shift back and forth every two to seven years, and 

each phase has different impacts on climate 

conditions worldwide. The effects of El Niño tend 

to have the greatest influence during the Northern 

Hemisphere winter.
Vol. 196 Great Lakes Update February 2017

Page 6

In the United States, El Niño generally brings 

below average temperatures and above average 

precipitation to the southern tier of the United 

States from California to the Atlantic Coast. In the 

northern tier of the United States, El Niño causes 

generally above average temperatures. A study by 

the National Weather Service (NWS) on the 

impact of El Niño on climate in the lower Great 

Lakes and Ohio Valley region during winter noted 

a general trend of above average temperatures and 

below normal precipitation. Below is an image 

from the Illinois State Water Survey 

demonstrating a typical weather pattern in the 

winter during El Niño.

Figure 10: Impact of El Niño on weather conditions in 

North America

The Oscillation Niño Index (ONI) measures the 

strength of the El Niño. It is defined as the 3-month 

running mean of the departure from average of 

ocean surface temperature in the Equatorial Pacific 

Ocean. An ONI of positive 2.0 indicates a very 

strong El Niño. The 2015-2016 El Niño peaked at 

an ONI of 2.3 in the November-December-January 

timeframe, which matched the highest ONI on 

record. 

The very strong El Niño of 2015-2016 

significantly impacted the weather in the Great 

Lakes region during last winter, as it brought 

consistently above normal temperatures to the 

Midwest. 

Figure 11: Temperature analysis of the average of daily 

temperature anomaly in December 2015 and January & 

February 2016

Figure 11 shows that the average daily temperature 

from December to February was 2 to 4 degrees 

Celsius (4 to 8 degrees Fahrenheit) above average 

in the Great Lakes basin. These warm 

temperatures resulted in relatively limited 

formation of ice on all of the Great Lakes, a sharp 

contrast to the 2 previous winters. 

Figure 12 shows the peak ice coverage on Lake 

Michigan was 12% below average in the winter of 

2015-2016. This plot is representative of the other 

Great Lakes.

Figure 12: Annual Peak Ice Coverage on Lake Michigan 

over the past 10 years
Vol. 196 Great Lakes Update February 2017

Page 7

The warmer than average temperatures also 

prevented significant accumulation of snowpack 

as more precipitation fell as rain, and the snow that 

did fall melted during the winter months due to the 

regular occurrence of above freezing temperatures.

Figure 13: SNODAS Snow Water Equivalent around 

Lake Superior for Winter 2009-10 to Winter 2015-16

The peak Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) in the 

winter of 2015-16 in the Lake Superior basin was 

the 2nd lowest since 2009. SWE indicates the 

amount of snow there would be in a liquid state. 

The other lakes experienced either their lowest or 

second-lowest peak SWE since the SNODAS 

record began in 2009.The strong El Niño impacted 

Great Lakes water levels as well. Both Lake 

Superior and Lake Michigan-Huron rose from 

November 2015 to December 2015. Historically, 

both lakes fall an average of 3 inches from 

November to December. Runoff was above 

average in December, so the mild temperatures 

likely resulted in more rain and early melting of 

snow. Although a general trend of below average 

precipitation in the Great Lakes region has been 

linked to El Niño, no pattern of below average 

precipitation developed in the winter of 2015-16.

A New Direction in Lake Ontario and St. 

Lawrence River Regulation

In December 2016, the International Joint 

Commission (IJC) approved implementation of a 

new set of rules and limits, called Plan 2014, to 

regulate St. Lawrence River flows and Lake 

Ontario levels. 

Plan 2014 went into effect in January 2017. The 

old regulation plan, called plan 1958-D, had been 

in place since 1963. The Saint Lawrence Seaway 

is a binational system of dams, locks, canals, and 

channels built in the St. Lawrence River between 

1954 and 1959 to allow for passage of ocean-going 

vessels to the Great Lakes, to substantially reduce 

flooding, and to develop significant hydroelectric 

power capability for both countries. Plan 1958-D 

was developed to regulate the outflow for Lake

Ontario in order to achieve those goals. 

Photo 2: The Long Sault Dam is one of the structures that 

regulates St. Lawrence River flow

While the implementation of Plan 1958-D resulted 

in many significant benefits, it also caused adverse 

environmental impacts to native plant life, fish, 

and other wildlife. Plan 2014 is the culmination of 

an effort that began in 2000 to address these 

environmental concerns and to prepare for climate 

change. 

The main departure of Plan 2014 from Plan 1958-

D is to allow for a wider range of water levels on 

Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. The 

IJC’s website explains, “Plan 1958D with 
Vol. 196 Great Lakes Update February 2017

Page 8

deviations (Plan 1958DD), has unnaturally 

compressed water levels and harmed coastal 

ecosystems on Lake Ontario and the upper St. 

Lawrence River. These impacts were not 

understood when the project was approved.”

The website continues, “Plan 2014 is designed to 

provide for more natural variations of water levels 

of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River that 

are needed to restore ecosystem health”, which 

will help restore plant diversity and habitat for fish 

and wildlife. In addition, the website states that 

Plan 2014, “will continue to moderate extreme 

high and low levels, better maintain system-wide 

levels for navigation, frequently extend the 

recreational boating season and slightly increase 

hydropower production. More year-to-year 

variation in water levels improves coastal health.”

For more in-depth information on Plan 2014, visit 

the following website.

http://ijc.org/en_/Plan2014/home

The International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence 

River Board (ISLRBC) is tasked with executing 

Plan 2014, as well as developing regulation plans 

and conducting special studies requested by the 

IJC. ISLRBC’s website is:.http://ijc.org/en_/islrbc

More Information

Update articles will be included in various editions 

of the Monthly Bulletin highlighting topics of 

interest and explanations relevant to Great Lakes 

water levels. February’s Monthly Bulletin will 

typically include an annual summary of conditions 

from the prior year. This year, look for more 

general topics to be covered. On deck will be a 

look at coastal processes caused by waves and 

fluctuating water levels and an explanation of lake 

effect snow. These subjects will be covered in the 

early summer and late fall.

The Monthly Bulletin is sent by postal mail. To be 

added to the postal mailing list, please send an 

email to hhpm@usace.army.mil or call 1-888-694-

8313 and select option 1. Alternatively, the 

Monthly Bulletin can be viewed on our website. In 

addition to the Monthly Bulletin, the Detroit 

District issues the Weekly Great Lakes Water Level 

Update and the Weekly Great Lakes Connecting 

Channels Water Levels and Depths. Both products 

are updated each Thursday, and can be located, 

along with the Monthly Bulletin, here:

http://www.lre.usace.army.mil/Missions/GreatLakesInform

ation/GreatLakesWaterLevels/WaterLevelForecast.aspx

Also available is the Great Lakes Water Level 

Outlook, which is produced quarterly and is a 12 

month simulation of water levels given any 

number of different climate scenarios.

The Detroit District also has a Facebook page 

which can be found here:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Detroit-District-USArmy-Corps-of-Engineers/144354390916

The Detroit District welcomes comments on all of 

our forecast products. Please email questions and 

comments to hhpm@usace.army.mil. To contact 

the District by phone call toll free 1-888-694- 8313 

and select option 1. The Detroit District’s mailing 

address is:

Department of the Army

Detroit District Corps of Engineers

ATTN: CELRE-EHW

477 Michigan Avenue

Detroit, MI 48226