A copy of the Executive Summary is included with this newsletter. For this reason, it is important to look at what basinwide precipitation and the levels of the Upper Great Lakes are, since that water will eventually be making its way into Lake Ontario. During the month of May, precipitation was below average on each of the Great Lakes basins except the Lake Erie basin. Were it not for the International Joint Commission implementation of Criterion K, instructing the St. Lawrence River Board of Control to release excess amounts of water from Lake Ontario through the St. Lawrence River, Lake Ontario could be more than 12 inches above its current level. As always, readers are reminded that lake level forecasting is not an exact science.
Lake level forecasts four months into the future are more art than science.
Actual lake levels may differ substantially than those presented in this forecast. Lake Ontario levels will be particularly dependent upon precipitation and the outflows of the lake through the St. Lawrence River. Shoreline residents are advised to evaluate their property damage risks and develop a response plan in the event of Summer and Fall storms on top of high water levels. New York Sea Grant has shoreline erosion control information packets available to assist landowners in planning shoreline protection projects. Also available is a directory of Western New York Marine Contractors.