Lake St Clair Water ???
11-01-2012 | 08:43 PM
#22
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,087
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From: LSC, MI
I live on the Clinton River and the water level dropped the beginning of October. Normally have 1 foot of water at my seawall and 5 foot at the end of my dock in the summer. Water levels normally drop in the fall and winter, especially during a dry season, and I have dirt at my seawall and 3-4 feet of water at the end of the dock. This last storm surge was crazy I had 1 foot of water at the end of my dock and about 15 foot of dirt from the seawall to the waters edge, I've never seen that before. The water is now back to normal fall/winter level now.
As everyone knows there are no tides on the Great Lakes, water levels on the Great Lakes are mostly wind driven. And there are water level monitoring stations for all the BIG COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC AND VESSELS (had to put that in caps because some people don't know the difference between big ship/vessels and our little pleasure/fast boats. I tried to get into that in another thread). Big deep draft vessel need this info because sometimes 1 foot less of water means they can't get into port to offload their cargo.
Here is the link to water level monitoring stations.
http://glakesonline.nos.noaa.gov/monitor.html
And there is another good website for St Clair River current. All of the guys that run around Lake Huron and the St Clair river and your boats run 70mph in the lake but run 75mph after they pass the Blue Water Bridge heading into the river is because of the river current. The river current speed is normally 3-4 knots after the bridge so you get pushed by the current when heading south down the river. You don't have a 75mph boat.
Here is the link to that current speed.
http://glakesonline.nos.noaa.gov/glc...te_gl0301.html
Not trying to be a a$$. I have worked on a big ships in the Great Lakes for many years. Water levels and current speed affect big ships more than you can imagine. Everything I see is normal. No "crazy water sucking plans by Illinois waterway" or anything else. It's just the natural cycle of the lakes.
As everyone knows there are no tides on the Great Lakes, water levels on the Great Lakes are mostly wind driven. And there are water level monitoring stations for all the BIG COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC AND VESSELS (had to put that in caps because some people don't know the difference between big ship/vessels and our little pleasure/fast boats. I tried to get into that in another thread). Big deep draft vessel need this info because sometimes 1 foot less of water means they can't get into port to offload their cargo.
Here is the link to water level monitoring stations.
http://glakesonline.nos.noaa.gov/monitor.html
And there is another good website for St Clair River current. All of the guys that run around Lake Huron and the St Clair river and your boats run 70mph in the lake but run 75mph after they pass the Blue Water Bridge heading into the river is because of the river current. The river current speed is normally 3-4 knots after the bridge so you get pushed by the current when heading south down the river. You don't have a 75mph boat.
Here is the link to that current speed.
http://glakesonline.nos.noaa.gov/glc...te_gl0301.html
Not trying to be a a$$. I have worked on a big ships in the Great Lakes for many years. Water levels and current speed affect big ships more than you can imagine. Everything I see is normal. No "crazy water sucking plans by Illinois waterway" or anything else. It's just the natural cycle of the lakes.
11-20-2012 | 03:52 PM
#23
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 99
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From: harrison township mi
Now that the wind had stoped, the water came back about 8" here on Anchor Bay. It is still way to low for most boating. The odd thing I noticed when the water was down, NO Zebra Mussels on the sea walls. For the last 20 years my sea walls were covered with them now this last year not a one. Where did they go ?????
11-20-2012 | 04:58 PM
#24
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Posts: 1,541
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From: MI
11-20-2012 | 07:36 PM
#25
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,087
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From: LSC, MI
She has no idea how the Great Lakes water levels work and is just trying to get more campaign money from rich MI boaters.
Chicago is not the only place the ACOE regulate water levels. ACOE also run the Soo Locks and water running into the St Marys river from Lake Superior. Then remember the big A$$ Niagara falls from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario? Well the Welland canal is how ships get around Lake Erie to lake Ontario and water levels are also regulated there, but the Welland Canal is Canadian owned and not run by the ACOE. All of these places work together to regulate the water levels for commercial traffic. If commercial traffic can not run and deliver their cargo the economy all around the Great Lakes would come to a stand still. During the dry season (fall and winter) the water levels fall and then these three places work together to try and bring the water levels up so commercial traffic can still move around the lakes. Do I care that the water level is down at my house? NO because my pleasure boat is out of the water in the fall/winter. Is the water level up in the summer? YES it always is. I work on a big ship with a 13 foot draft and we can go where every we want to at any time of the year in the Great Lakes.
Chicago is not the only place the ACOE regulate water levels. ACOE also run the Soo Locks and water running into the St Marys river from Lake Superior. Then remember the big A$$ Niagara falls from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario? Well the Welland canal is how ships get around Lake Erie to lake Ontario and water levels are also regulated there, but the Welland Canal is Canadian owned and not run by the ACOE. All of these places work together to regulate the water levels for commercial traffic. If commercial traffic can not run and deliver their cargo the economy all around the Great Lakes would come to a stand still. During the dry season (fall and winter) the water levels fall and then these three places work together to try and bring the water levels up so commercial traffic can still move around the lakes. Do I care that the water level is down at my house? NO because my pleasure boat is out of the water in the fall/winter. Is the water level up in the summer? YES it always is. I work on a big ship with a 13 foot draft and we can go where every we want to at any time of the year in the Great Lakes.
11-20-2012 | 09:03 PM
#27
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Joined: May 2012
Posts: 1,541
Likes: 219
From: MI
She has no idea how the Great Lakes water levels work and is just trying to get more campaign money from rich MI boaters.
Chicago is not the only place the ACOE regulate water levels. ACOE also run the Soo Locks and water running into the St Marys river from Lake Superior. Then remember the big A$$ Niagara falls from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario? Well the Welland canal is how ships get around Lake Erie to lake Ontario and water levels are also regulated there, but the Welland Canal is Canadian owned and not run by the ACOE. All of these places work together to regulate the water levels for commercial traffic. If commercial traffic can not run and deliver their cargo the economy all around the Great Lakes would come to a stand still. During the dry season (fall and winter) the water levels fall and then these three places work together to try and bring the water levels up so commercial traffic can still move around the lakes. Do I care that the water level is down at my house? NO because my pleasure boat is out of the water in the fall/winter. Is the water level up in the summer? YES it always is. I work on a big ship with a 13 foot draft and we can go where every we want to at any time of the year in the Great Lakes.
Chicago is not the only place the ACOE regulate water levels. ACOE also run the Soo Locks and water running into the St Marys river from Lake Superior. Then remember the big A$$ Niagara falls from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario? Well the Welland canal is how ships get around Lake Erie to lake Ontario and water levels are also regulated there, but the Welland Canal is Canadian owned and not run by the ACOE. All of these places work together to regulate the water levels for commercial traffic. If commercial traffic can not run and deliver their cargo the economy all around the Great Lakes would come to a stand still. During the dry season (fall and winter) the water levels fall and then these three places work together to try and bring the water levels up so commercial traffic can still move around the lakes. Do I care that the water level is down at my house? NO because my pleasure boat is out of the water in the fall/winter. Is the water level up in the summer? YES it always is. I work on a big ship with a 13 foot draft and we can go where every we want to at any time of the year in the Great Lakes.
11-20-2012 | 09:36 PM
#28
Thread Starter
Gold Member
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 3,496
Likes: 63
From: NewBaltimore Mi
[I work on a big ship with a 13 foot draft and we can go where every we want to at any time of the year in the Great Lakes. ]
Maybe not this year on Lake St Clair, even the Coast Guard & Sheriff had to call for a tow. This was posted in the Detroit News.
Plus this lake level chart shows we are below the norm for this time of year.
Low Great Lakes water levels predicted into 2013
Forecast: Lake Michigan/Huron may hit record low
By Jim Lynch
The Detroit News
From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...#ixzz2Cp9xekJe
Maybe not this year on Lake St Clair, even the Coast Guard & Sheriff had to call for a tow. This was posted in the Detroit News.
Plus this lake level chart shows we are below the norm for this time of year.
Low Great Lakes water levels predicted into 2013
Forecast: Lake Michigan/Huron may hit record low
By Jim Lynch
The Detroit News
From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...#ixzz2Cp9xekJe
11-21-2012 | 08:39 AM
#29
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,087
Likes: 0
From: LSC, MI
Well we do have to stay in the shipping channel when we cross Lake St Clair as always.
And yes water levels are lower as the news article states and are forecasted to possible reach the all time low record next year. The article also states that ACOE says this is due to natural causes like a very dry year we have had and not because of manmade influences. And as far as people running aground that’s their fault, know where you operate. I must have seen at least 10 people aground outside of the middle channel this year. And that shoal by metro beach in the article is huge (look at a chart) I even stay away from in it my little 24 when the level is high. The guy trying to go across it late in the year is not very bright.
And yes water levels are lower as the news article states and are forecasted to possible reach the all time low record next year. The article also states that ACOE says this is due to natural causes like a very dry year we have had and not because of manmade influences. And as far as people running aground that’s their fault, know where you operate. I must have seen at least 10 people aground outside of the middle channel this year. And that shoal by metro beach in the article is huge (look at a chart) I even stay away from in it my little 24 when the level is high. The guy trying to go across it late in the year is not very bright.
11-21-2012 | 02:44 PM
#30
Registered
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 341
Likes: 12
From: Lake St. Clair
I live on the Clinton River and the water level dropped the beginning of October. Normally have 1 foot of water at my seawall and 5 foot at the end of my dock in the summer. Water levels normally drop in the fall and winter, especially during a dry season, and I have dirt at my seawall and 3-4 feet of water at the end of the dock. This last storm surge was crazy I had 1 foot of water at the end of my dock and about 15 foot of dirt from the seawall to the waters edge, I've never seen that before. The water is now back to normal fall/winter level now.
As everyone knows there are no tides on the Great Lakes, water levels on the Great Lakes are mostly wind driven. And there are water level monitoring stations for all the BIG COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC AND VESSELS (had to put that in caps because some people don't know the difference between big ship/vessels and our little pleasure/fast boats. I tried to get into that in another thread). Big deep draft vessel need this info because sometimes 1 foot less of water means they can't get into port to offload their cargo.
Here is the link to water level monitoring stations.
http://glakesonline.nos.noaa.gov/monitor.html
And there is another good website for St Clair River current. All of the guys that run around Lake Huron and the St Clair river and your boats run 70mph in the lake but run 75mph after they pass the Blue Water Bridge heading into the river is because of the river current. The river current speed is normally 3-4 knots after the bridge so you get pushed by the current when heading south down the river. You don't have a 75mph boat.
Here is the link to that current speed.
http://glakesonline.nos.noaa.gov/glc...te_gl0301.html
Not trying to be a a$$. I have worked on a big ships in the Great Lakes for many years. Water levels and current speed affect big ships more than you can imagine. Everything I see is normal. No "crazy water sucking plans by Illinois waterway" or anything else. It's just the natural cycle of the lakes.
As everyone knows there are no tides on the Great Lakes, water levels on the Great Lakes are mostly wind driven. And there are water level monitoring stations for all the BIG COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC AND VESSELS (had to put that in caps because some people don't know the difference between big ship/vessels and our little pleasure/fast boats. I tried to get into that in another thread). Big deep draft vessel need this info because sometimes 1 foot less of water means they can't get into port to offload their cargo.
Here is the link to water level monitoring stations.
http://glakesonline.nos.noaa.gov/monitor.html
And there is another good website for St Clair River current. All of the guys that run around Lake Huron and the St Clair river and your boats run 70mph in the lake but run 75mph after they pass the Blue Water Bridge heading into the river is because of the river current. The river current speed is normally 3-4 knots after the bridge so you get pushed by the current when heading south down the river. You don't have a 75mph boat.
Here is the link to that current speed.
http://glakesonline.nos.noaa.gov/glc...te_gl0301.html
Not trying to be a a$$. I have worked on a big ships in the Great Lakes for many years. Water levels and current speed affect big ships more than you can imagine. Everything I see is normal. No "crazy water sucking plans by Illinois waterway" or anything else. It's just the natural cycle of the lakes.
