How quickly water levels can change on the Great Lakes.

Most of the Great Lakes continue to have declining water levels recently from the record-high levels over the past few years (2020). The water level decline of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron has been the most amazing.

Remember: Lake Michigan and Lake Huron share the same water level because the lakes are connected by free-flowing water through the Straits of Mackinac where Mackinaw Bridge crosses miles there.   To me, they should be one lake! 

The Mackinac Bridge is the longest suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere with 7,400 feet of roadway suspended in the air over the straits of Mackinac. Total length of the bridge, including its approaches, is approximately five miles.

The water levels have been gradually increasing on Lake Michigan and Lake Huron since 2014 (record low for two months).   Lakes Michigan-Huron basically peaked last July, 2020, in this recent water level rise. (Record high levels experienced for 8 months!).  Now in the past year, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron have been declining rapidly.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has measured the decline in water levels on Lake Michigan and Lake Huron at 17 inches since July 2020.  One inch of water on Lake Michigan and Lake Huron represents 800 billion gallons of water. Getting out the big-number calculator shows a 17-inch decline is 13.6 trillion gallons of water on Lakes Michigan and Huron.

Having lived on and watched these Great Lakes water levels for most of my life, they still fascinate me!  Natural cycles vs Global Warming (aka Climate Change)?

At least the flooding and damage from the new record high levels has abated.

Wait a few years ... lower or higher?  Only time tells!