Sudden drop in Lake St. Clair water level amazes residents

**English** · April-04-10, 11:13 PM

Sorry if this has been posted; I've been out of town. Have any Eastsiders noticed this?

Sudden drop in Lake St. Clair water level amazes residents
http://www.windsorstar.com/opinion/b...500/story.html

**izzyindetroit** · April-04-10, 11:26 PM

I definitely have noticed on the canals, seems to be down 12-18 inches.

**Hermod** · April-05-10, 04:15 AM

Very common in the spring when ice dams the St Clair River above Marine City. The water can suddenly drop eighteen inches. If the Corps of Engineers forecasts normal water, it will be back up by May 1st.

**Bobl** · April-05-10, 09:06 AM

Sunday before last [[March 28), there was wet sand where there had been nearly two feet of water at the park where I frequently walk. An ice breaker could be seen out at the channel, escorting two freighters.
I am more concerned with the odor from the newly uncovered lake bottom. It smelled like raw sewage.

**Hermod** · April-05-10, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by Bobl

Sunday before last [[March 28), there was wet sand where there had been nearly two feet of water at the park where I frequently walk. An ice breaker could be seen out at the channel, escorting two freighters.
I am more concerned with the odor from the newly uncovered lake bottom. It smelled like raw sewage.

Wet mud always smells like that. I used to live in a tidal flat area. When the tide went out, there was a horrible stench and it wasn't because of sewage.

**Bobl** · April-05-10, 09:36 AM

H: Thanks for writing. I feel better, now! It looked exactly like the tide had gone out.

**Hermod** · April-05-10, 10:01 AM

Originally Posted by Bobl

H: Thanks for writing. I feel better, now! It looked exactly like the tide had gone out.

The bottom of any shallow lake or tidal flat is a thick repository of decaying vegetable matter. Wet down your mulch pile for a few weeks, then turn it over. It will smell like that.

Bullet · April-05-10, 10:22 AM

Mmmmm...swamp stench....

**Bobl** · April-05-10, 12:37 PM

Lake St Clair is beautiful today. Blue, with a narrow ribbon of silty water from the Spillway snaking out to the channel. Two white swans, performing their synchronized swimming and head bobbing routine. I gave them an eight point five...

**English** · April-05-10, 03:06 PM

Interesting. I'm wondering if the lack of snow this winter had anything to do with it.

**Gistok** · April-05-10, 03:33 PM

Drove down Lakeshore Dr. yesterday, and was amazed to see people walking on what appeared to be a sandy beach area past the cement breakwater between Moran and Moross. This area is usually always underwater.

**313WX** · April-05-10, 08:28 PM

Originally Posted by English

Interesting. I'm wondering if the lack of snow this winter had anything to do with it.

I know the National Weather Service issues a low water advisory for the far western end of Lake Erie regularly. I'm sure it could be related to the string of warm winters and hot summers we had in the past 3 decades. Since the 1970s, we haven't had any significant/prolonged cold outbreaks to completely freeze over the Lakes.

**Hermod** · April-06-10, 04:42 AM

Originally Posted by 313WX

I know the National Weather Service issues a low water advisory for the far western end of Lake Erie regularly. I'm sure it could be related to the string of warm winters and hot summers we had in the past 3 decades. Since the 1970s, we haven't had any significant/prolonged cold outbreaks to completely freeze over the Lakes.

Look at historic graphs of water levels in the lake. They go up and down over the years. We went from a very, very low year in 1950 to one of the highest years ever recorded in 1952. The variations in water levels have very interesting effects on navigation in and around the St Clair Flats.

**Hermod** · April-06-10, 04:48 AM

http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/data/now/w...t/St.Clair.gif

The above is a chart of "mean annual" water levels for Lake St Clair from 1910 to 2010. This will put it into perspective for you.

**Quonset Hut** · April-06-10, 05:52 AM

Originally Posted by Hermod

http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/data/now/w...t/St.Clair.gif

The above is a chart of "mean annual" water levels for Lake St Clair from 1910 to 2010. This will put it into perspective for you.

Interesting, that chart is close to what happened from 1965 to 2005 on Lake Michigan, north of Whitehall. Most lakeside houses there are up 50+ feet of bluff, but there was some space for a small development on the beach. Well, the lake came back in the late 60's and in the 80's my friend's family spent more in seawalls and shoring up then they did for the land and original structure. Only two of about ten houses got built, with lawsuits and refunds for the unusable lots.

**East Detroit** · April-06-10, 06:07 AM

Overlay a chart of Northern snowfall over the lake level chart...

**MikeM** · April-06-10, 12:29 PM

The effect of ice jams on water levels last month:

St Clair River, Middle Channel:

http://www.lre.usace.army.mil/_plugi...TOKEN=29911199

Lake St Clair, Windmill Point:

http://www.lre.usace.army.mil/_plugi...TOKEN=29911199

**Single Malt** · April-06-10, 12:39 PM

Near recreation areas, it would be interesting to get a metal detector out. What could one find??

**Bobl** · December-05-10, 03:06 PM

Snow flurries, driven by a harsh wind. The Lake is as low as I ever remember. Hundreds of white swans, offering a chorus of whoops to those who will listen. Are they complaining about imminent winter blasts, or relishing having the Lake to themselves?

**bibs** · December-05-10, 04:30 PM

My father just took his boat out and he told me that the lake level dropped about 16 inches recent. A sustained wind from the west can drop the lake another couple of inches for a pretty dramatic effect. I would love to drive along lake shore drive to see how low it is but unfortunately, I'm lnow iving out of state.

**Hermod** · December-05-10, 07:08 PM

Originally Posted by bibs

My father just took his boat out and he told me that the lake level dropped about 16 inches recent. A sustained wind from the west can drop the lake another couple of inches for a pretty dramatic effect. I would love to drive along lake shore drive to see how low it is but unfortunately, I'm lnow iving out of state.

Sustained w-SW-S winds will increase levels as they back up the channels. A northeast wind will run with the current and drop water levels.

Annually, water levels drop with the ice damns then rise again in the spring. They slowy decline during the summer droppingf to a lower level in the fall.

**Hamtragedy** · December-05-10, 10:46 PM

Would that explain the giant freighter sitting in front of Chene Park Sunday afternoon?

**BillyBBrew** · December-05-10, 11:08 PM

M/V American Century [[one of the thirteen 1,000 foot ships on the lakes) is currently in the Belle Isle anchorage waiting for water levels to rise in the downriver area. The William Livingstone channel [[near Gibraltar and alongside Bob-Lo Island) was blasted out of limestone in the early 1900's. The limited depth and rock bottom cause concern to deep draft ships when the water level gets low. She has been anchored since early this morning.