Bay City, Michigan 48706
Front Page 03/29/2024 07:09 About us
www.mybaycity.com June 2, 2013
(Prior Story)   Outdoors ArTicle 8183   (Next Story)


A bevy of Michigan officials, headed by Gov. Rick Snyder, right, open the Mackinac conference.

WATER LEVELS UP: Lake Huron Rises Fast, But Still 20 Inches Below Average

Great Lakes Governors, Premiers Agree on Joint Policy Agenda

June 2, 2013       Leave a Comment
By: Dave Rogers

Printer Friendly Story View

Lakes Huron and Michigan continued their meteoric rise from near record lows in late winter.

The lakes rose another 5 inches in May, compared to the usual 3 inches for the month. The lakes remain 20 inches below the long-term average and two inches below the May 1 level of 2012. But Huron and Michigan are recovering from seasonal, winter lows at among their fastest pace ever.

The improving lake level conditions are good news not just for recreational boaters but also for Great Lakes shipping industry. Many of the lakes' largest freighters have had to transit the lakes with less than full loads, increasing prices and energy use and raising costs for raw material shippers such as taconite plants.

Meanwhile, the current is running so fast in the Saginaw River that some ships are having difficulty turning around and leaving the port.

Commercial Vessel Passages for the month of May totaled 18, reports Todd Shorkey of boatnerd.com. This is three less than the same period in 2012, but is actually one more than the five year average. For total vessel passages for the year, there have been 21, which is 14 passages less than the same period in 2012.

Over the next month, Lakes Superior and Michigan-Huron are forecasted to rise 3 and 2 inches, respectively, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The water levels of lakes St. Clair, Erie and Ontario are projected to rise 2, 1, and 3 inches, respectively, in the next thirty days.

Great Lakes area governors and Canadian premiers in the Great Lakes region has agreed to work together in promoting trade and maritime commerce.

The Council of Great Lakes Governors adopted a series of resolutions Saturday at the Detroit Chamber of Commerce Policy Conference on Mackinac Island. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder said he hopes the governors will begin meeting more often since the last previous meeting was in 2005.

Regulatory barriers, deteriorating infrastructure and low water levels are hampering the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River from reaching their commercial potential, states one resolution. The group agreed to set up a task force among the eight states and two Canadian provinces in the region and for U.S. and Canadian governments to consider the lakes as a whole when providing funding.

###

Printer Friendly Story View
Prior Article

February 10, 2020
by: Rachel Reh
Family Winter Fun Fest is BACC Hot Spot for 2/10/2020
Next Article

February 2, 2020
by: Kathy Rupert-Mathews
MOVIE REVIEW: "Just Mercy" ... You Will Shed Tears, or at Least You Should
Agree? or Disagree?


Dave Rogers

Dave Rogers is a former editorial writer for the Bay City Times and a widely read,
respected journalist/writer in and around Bay City.
(Contact Dave Via Email at carraroe@aol.com)

More from Dave Rogers

Send This Story to a Friend!       Letter to the editor       Link to this Story
Printer-Friendly Story View


--- Advertisments ---
     


0200 Nd: 03-25-2024 d 4 cpr 0






12/31/2020 P3v3-0200-Ad.cfm

SPONSORED LINKS



12/31/2020 drop ads P3v3-0200-Ad.cfm


Designed at OJ Advertising, Inc. (V3) (v3) Software by Mid-Michigan Computer Consultants
Bay City, Michigan USA
All Photographs and Content Copyright © 1998 - 2024 by OJA/MMCC. They may be used by permission only.
P3V3-0200 (1) 0   ID:Default   UserID:Default   Type:reader   R:x   PubID:mbC   NewspaperID:noPaperID
  pid:1560   pd:11-18-2012   nd:2024-03-25   ax:2024-03-29   Site:5   ArticleID:8183   MaxA: 999999   MaxAA: 999999
claudebot