Full Force

iTrader: (5)

Looking at the land out in West lake Erie by me, we started this spring about a foot below normal, and it got worse all summer, we are down around 24" or more overall, the lake didnt freeze last year and dry conditions are to blame from what I know, we need it to freeze to not let it evaporate.... and we need the rains all around to fill it up!

Soon we will get even stronger west winds and the western marinas will actually completely dry out and boats will sit in mud if they are in the water, late Oct. and Nov. are good for this...

88bullet

iTrader: (1)

its so low on ontario that in our harbor the sailboats were stuck in the mud. looking at the markers and walls we are down all of 3 feet. never seen it this low in my life. its getting hard to even launch for these late season runs

jbraun2828

+1 these lakes need to freeze to avoid major evaporation. Along with no snow last winter and hardly any rain this summer. Lake Mi is at a record low. My mother was just telling me twenty five years ago houses were falling in the lake and the water levels were at all time highs. Goes in cycles I guess

BBCLiberator

iTrader: (2)

Agree on Western Erie, I am right at the mouth of the Detroit River/Lake Erie at our Rack and launch service I thought many of the larger boats were crazy for having their boats put in at all on certain days. Lots of broken drives and destroyed impellers where I was at this year. On average ~2ft down, but with West Winds there were days boats were on the bottom.

Twin O/B Sonic

Just stumbled on this today. Pelee Island ferry ran aground in same channel it's used every day for years.

Stranded Lake Erie ferry passengers await tow.



Work begins Friday morning to free a Pelee Island ferry that became stuck on a sandbar in Lake Erie near Kingsville, Ont., stranding 33 people aboard.

The Jiimaan was carrying 18 passengers and 15 crew members, along with truckloads of soybeans and grapes, when it came to a halt at 1:45 p.m. Thursday due to low water levels, 60 metres from shore.

The Canadian Coast Guard said strong winds and large waves made it unsafe to try to remove passengers.

Those aboard spent the night on the ferry, which is stuck in the channel it uses every day to travel between Kingsville and the island.

Days of high winds moved the sand into the channel and lowered water levels, said Susan Schrempf, president and CEO of the Owen Sound Transportation Company, which operates the ferry.

“Apparently there will be no early-morning rescue [on board],” one passenger said on her Twitter feed.

Chris Armour, marine co-ordinator with the Trenton Search and Rescue Centre, said a Great Lakes Towing tug boat from Detroit is heading to the scene and that passengers will remain on the vessel until it is brought to Kingsville.

Armour said the tug boat is expected to arrive at the scene around 9 a.m. ET.

Divers will inspect the hull for damage.

http://updatednews.ca/2012/10/12/str...ers-await-tow/

MILD THUNDER

iTrader: (3)

Yup. Lake michigan way down. On some launch ramps around here, its becoming a problem for me. Some were marginal when the lake was up, and now they just suck .

The free standing docks, like Michigan city, south haven, Mi, are a real P.I.T.A now. You pretty much need a man lift to get out of your boat.

Im surprised George Bush is getting the blame for this yet.

benjen

Obviously the lack of rain and snow have not helped. But, it seems to me a year or two ago the people in the know said the lakes were going down as a result of the milder winters we have been having. Apparently with less time frozen there is more time for natural evaporation to occur.

ThisIsLivin

I've been on Northern Lake Huron for over 30 years and have never seen it this low. In the 80's the levels were 4' higher than they are now. It's been going down ever since. The only good thing is, I have more beach front property. If this keeps up, I'll be able to build another place in front of mine. The Lake side of the Cheboygan River Dam is almost to shallow to make it through the locks.