Water levels on lakes Erie and St. Clair remain down from when they peaked several years ago but are still above average, say Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority officials.
Average daily levels on Lake Erie at the beginning of September were around 174.52 meters. This was down about 35 centimeters from last year’s peak daily average water level record set on July 21.
The all-time record high monthly average for September was 174.87 meters in 2019. Water levels at the beginning of September were still 33 centimeters above what would be considered normal for the month.
“Water levels on Lake Erie peaked in June and are now into their seasonal decline,” officials stated. “Forecasts suggest water levels could drop around 13 centimeters by the beginning of October.”
Average daily levels on Lake St. Clair at the beginning of September were around 175.46 meters. This is a drop of about 35 centimeters from last year’s peak daily average water level record set on July 17.
The all-time record high monthly average for September was 175.88 metres, set in 2020. Water levels at the beginning of the month were 34 centimeters above what would be considered normal.
Levels on Lake St. Clair peaked in June and are also now into their seasonal decline. Water levels could drop about 10 centimeters by the beginning of October.
“While current water levels on the lakes are still around 30 to 35 centimeters above average for this time of the year, water levels on both Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair have fallen back down below September water levels seen from 2017 to 2021,” officials added.
With lower levels, the risk of shoreline flooding has decreased. Along the Lake St. Clair shoreline in the Lower Thames Valley watershed, it is expected that sustained gale force winds above 60 kilometers per hour would now be needed to produce shoreline flooding.
For the Lake Erie shoreline, some areas are also looking at wind speeds closer to gale force before flooding occurs.
“While significant flooding has not been seen for several months now down on Erie Shore Drive, this may have more to do with the lighter winds seen over the last few months,” officials said. “Current water levels on Lake Erie are only a centimeter below what were seen last winter when flooding was still being seen in the area.”
Flooding along the road could still occur with sustained winds at around 35 km/h from a southerly direction.