Latest news with #waterlevels
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Data: Water levels along Great Lakes staying steady
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — It has been nearly five years since Lake Michigan and Lake Huron , causing and damaging several lakeside properties. After five years of steady drops, the lake has returned to average levels and could even stay below the mean this summer. For the month of April, the average water level for — hydrologically, just one lake — was 578.35 feet. That is about 6 inches below the lake's long-term average and nearly 4 feet below the peak measured in July of 2020. Lake Michigan Summer Beach Guide But what's the difference between 2020 and 2025? Why do the lake levels fluctuate? Lauren Fry, a research physical scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab, says it comes down to three primary factors. 'We call it net base and supply,' Fry told News 8. 'That's the combined influence of the precipitation over the lake plus any runoff from the land surface into the lake, minus the evaporation from the lake.' For Lake Michigan/Huron, the record levels of 2020 were years in the making. 'If we looked over the previous five years, (those were among) the wettest five years on record. That was the culmination of several sequences of very wet years that led us up to that record-high water level,' Fry said. , 2019 and 2017 were the two wettest years on record for the Great Lakes basin. The basin collected 42.65 inches and 41.14 inches of precipitation in those years. Since 1895, only one other year cracked 40 inches: 2011 (40.68 inches). 'This time of year, in 2020, there was pretty much no drought in the basin in the spring of 2020. But now, looking at the end of March drought monitor for North America, there are a number of areas that have some level of drought,' Fry said. Pigeon Hill: Another piece of West Michigan lost to time That includes much of Michigan's lower peninsula, along with stretches in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. Much of Minnesota and northern portions of Wisconsin are also considered to be in a . The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is always analyzing data and issuing a for each of the Great Lakes. The current forecast shows it's more likely than not that Lake Michigan/Huron will fall short of the long-term average when it peaks later this summer. The summer peak hasn't come in below the long-term average since 2013. Levels on Lake Michigan/Huron have been trending steadily lower since 2020, but data shows the levels shouldn't drop notably in the coming year. The Great Lakes Basin has collected anywhere between 34 and 36.2 inches of precipitation in each of the five years. They were not the wettest years on record, but consistently higher than most years. Geography plays a role in how that precipitation formula impacts the lakes differently. Lake Michigan/Huron hit record highs in July 2020, but not the others. Erie and Ontario actually hit record highs the year before and were slightly lower in 2020. Same with Lake Superior, which was just inches shy of its all-time record in 2019. Fear of chapel falling in gone, Camp Geneva has a beach again While the basin numbers are high, more precise data would favor Lake Michigan/Huron. That lake and the nearby areas that feed into it received a higher portion of the precipitation than the other lakes. Therefore, Lake Michigan/Huron rose sharply in 2020, while the others fell short of their 2019 numbers. Because of the 2020 spike, we know the negative impacts of high lake levels, but what about low levels? Fry says there are several potential problems, including water access. 'Your boat in your marina might have a harder time. You might have to have more dredging, navigation impacts. Big freighters may have less ability to carry as much freight,' Fry surmised. A lakeshore legend: Carousel keeps Silver Beach's history alive Fish habitat on the Great Lakes wouldn't be impacted much by a drop in levels but other parts of the system could be. 'It (likely) wouldn't be in the lakes, but it'd probably be in the feeder system. Wetlands and stuff that drain into (the lakes),' Fry said. 'If the lakes are low, that means they are low, too.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
BBC News
5 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Colchester council closes Castle Park lake due to collapsed weir
A lake in a city park has been closed off because of the impact on water levels caused by the collapse of a weir nearly 17 months City Council decided to shut the boating lake earlier because of disruption to water flow from the Middle Mill weir collapsed in December Democrat councillor Martin Goss, portfolio holder for waste, neighbourhoods and leisure, said it was not a decision "we've taken lightly" given the attraction's popularity. Permanent low-height barriers are due to be installed in the coming days, the council says, and temporary fencing near the drainage area has already been lake was usually topped up using water from the weir, but that was no longer possible - the council added.A spokesperson said that manually adding water to the lake was "financially unjustifiable" because it would "quickly drain away".Goss added: "The safety of our residents and visitors must always come first."With the collapse of the weir and the resulting impact on water levels, keeping the lake topped up is simply not feasible."Work to repair the weir started this week and is expected to be completed in August. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
North-west England in drought due to low water levels in reservoirs and rivers
The north west of England is now in drought due to low water levels in reservoirs and rivers following one of the driest springs on record. The Environment Agency (EA) said Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire, and Cumbria and Lancashire, have moved from 'prolonged dry weather' to 'drought' status. Despite recent rain, water levels in the region remain low, the Environment Agency said, although no other areas of the country are in drought. A spokesperson said: 'The north west of England has entered drought status due to low water levels in reservoirs and rivers. 'No other areas in England are in drought and we continue to monitor the situation closely.' The agency also said hosepipe bans were a matter for water companies but they were expected to follow their drought plans, taking appropriate steps to reduce demand and leakage, to ensure more water is left in the environment for farmers and wildlife. The EA said it continued to regulate the region's water company, United Utilities, to operate within their agreed action plan to make use of available water while protecting the environment. Officials warned that periods of dry weather could have consequences for wildlife, including killing fish, more algal blooms and low rivers preventing species from moving up or downstream, as well as limiting water resources for those who need them. A United Utilities spokesperson said: 'We are grateful for the support of customers as we've seen demand reduce thanks to their efforts in saving water where they can, combined with more recent rainfall and cooler temperatures. 'Reservoirs, however, are still lower than we'd expect at this time of year and so we're continuing to move water around our integrated network to get it to where it is needed, as well as bringing extra water into the system from other sources around the region. 'Leakage is at its lowest level and we're repairing record volumes, with customers supporting us by reporting more leaks and we'd ask that they continue to do that as well as doing all they can to save and recycle water, to help protect their local environment.' Experts warned that the north west of England had seen an exceptionally dry spring, and that drought conditions would become more intense in the UK with climate change – putting strain on water resources. Dr Jess Neumann, associate professor of hydrology at the University of Reading, said the north west of England had seen the driest spring in nearly 100 years, which had led to low water levels in reservoirs and rivers. 'The north west of the country is reliant on reservoirs to source around two-thirds of its water supply. 'The 2025 drought is serious – reservoir levels are well below what they should be at this time of year. 'This raises important questions about how water will be managed this summer, but also going forward long term. 'Water is becoming a scarce resource and the UK supply is under significant stress,' she warned. The news the north west of England had moved into drought status comes as the Government announced plans to fast-track the approval of major new reservoirs, warning drinking water supplies would run out in the next decade without action to boost water infrastructure. Officials blamed rapid population growth, crumbling assets and a warming climate for pressure on water supplies, and admitted new reservoirs would not come online for a decade or more. Prof Hayley Fowler, professor of climate change impacts at the University of Newcastle, said the dry and drought conditions the UK was experiencing were consistent with what was expected from climate models, especially in the summer months. 'With global warming we expect more prolonged and intense droughts and heatwaves punctuated by more intense rainfall, possibly causing flash floods. 'In recent years, we have experienced more of these atmospheric blocks, causing record heat and persistent drought,' she said.
Sky News
6 days ago
- Climate
- Sky News
Drought declared in North West England
North West England has officially entered a drought, the Environment Agency has said. The region entered drought status on 21 May due to low water levels in reservoirs and rivers, the agency said. The area has seen the third-lowest rainfall between February and April on record since 1871, while England as a whole has seen its driest period over those three months since 1929. It comes despite recent rainfall. A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: "Across the North West we officially entered drought status on 21 May due to low water levels in reservoirs and rivers. "Despite the rain over the weekend levels remain low and we are encouraging people to be aware of the impacts of drought as we enter the summer period." The spokesperson added: "With further unsettled periods and rainfall over the coming weeks we will continue to closely monitor the situation and implement our North West Drought Plan." England's overall reservoir storage was at 84% at the end of April - lower than at the same time of the year in the drought of summer 2022. The Environment Agency has warned of a "medium" risk of drought in England this summer if there isn't sustained rainfall. The regulator has said there are currently no hosepipe bans planned, but warned water companies might have to implement measures including restrictions in the months ahead. It comes as the government has stepped in to take control of the planning process for two major new reservoirs, warning UK water supplies are under threat. Environment Secretary Steve Reed designated two new reservoir projects in East Anglia and Lincolnshire "nationally significant", which escalates them from local planning to central government. The new reservoirs, the first for more than 30 years, are being proposed by Anglian Water, which wants to build the Lincolnshire reservoir south of Sleaford and is partnering with Camridge Water for the Fens Reservoir between Chatteris and March in Cambridgeshire. On Monday, provisional figures from the Met Office showed the UK has had its sunniest spring since records began in 1910. The UK recorded 630 hours of sunshine between 1 March and 27 May - beating its previous sunniest spring in 2020 by four hours, the forecaster said.
CBS News
28-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Plummeting water levels leads to fish kills at Northern Colorado lake; owners wait for access to water rights
One of the largest lakes in Northern Colorado is experiencing low water levels in the middle of a season when it's normally almost full. Lake Loveland in May 2025. CBS Lake Loveland, located in the heart of the city of Loveland, has had drastically low levels in recent weeks, as the lake's ownership group waits for access to spring runoff from the Rocky Mountains. Lake Loveland may be named after the city; however, it is owned by the Greeley Loveland Irrigation Company, which largely provides water for farming irrigation in Weld County. CBS News Colorado viewers said they noticed the lake was far lower than normal for this year, many saying they couldn't help but to notice the hundreds of dead fish peppered along the clay. "It is kind of sad to see it that way," said Harrison Bennett, a resident who walks his dog along the lake often. "The water is really low for this time of year. Usually by now, it is really full." Many residents, including Bennett, said they were not sure why the water levels were so low of late. And the amount of dead fish in the water and clay only increased that concern. "I've seen a lot of dead fish ... It is sad," Bennett said. "(The cause of the low levels) was a mystery to me. I was wondering that." CBS Colorado learned the low levels are the result of the lake having lower priority when it comes to accessing snowmelt from the Rocky Mountains. While those with the Greeley Loveland Irrigation Company did not return CBS Colorado's request for interview on this story, a manager for the organization did say they are waiting for several other lakes with higher priority to be filled before they are able to retrieve their access to the water. CBS Colorado hoped to learn more about what would happen to the fish that were killed, including whether the farmers the lake serves have been impacted by lack of access to fresh water, and what the timeline might be to fill the lake. Until then, some residents have found ways to still recreate at the property. A man named Jesse, who wished not to share his last name publicly, has used the drying lake bed as a way to play with his grandson. The duo brought remote control trucks to the lake and were using the uneven clay ground as a way to race and jump their remote controlled cars. "We are out here just having fun with them, jumping the hills and crashing," Jesse said. "We like that the water is down low." The duo burned through two sets of batteries in the last two days, each battery lasting more than three hours on average. "The only time I have seen it this low is when they were clearing out the sand," Jesse said. While the lake's ownership group continues to wait for access to its water rights, Jesse said he is among those who are OK with the level being low. "Maybe the fishermen (don't enjoy it) because they can't fish. But it doesn't bother me at all," Jesse said.
