Great Lakes Water Levels Hit Low

Water levels in lakes Michigan and Huron in the United States and Canada have hit near-record lows.

Lake Michigan measured 575 feet on Christmas Eve, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration gauges, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel said. Lakes Michigan and Huron, which meet at the Straits of Mackinac, are technically one body of water, and share measurements.

The recorded low for Lake Michigan, in 1964, was two inches higher than the Christmas Eve reading, but that figure is a monthly average. The lake’s historic peak in 1986 was 6 feet higher.

Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm asked the Army Corps of Engineers in October to begin design on a dam-like structure for the St. Clair River, but such an intervention could affect downstream water levels in lakes Erie and Ontario.