The Great Lakes are not as deep as the oceans.

These are datum levels. The NORM. Currently, the Great Lakes no different than the Mississippi River are dying up. There are times in some areas of the Great Lakes where the depth is about 18 to 20 feet high wind events create wave depths to expose the bottom. So, the idea these lakes are water resources other than recreation and tourism is crazy. Not only that, but, legally the Great Lakes have interests by two countries and many states and provinces. The issue of syphoning for industrial purposes meets the interests of many, many parties. It is not possible for the Great Lakes to be exploited.

Larry Bivins 

Gannett Washington Bureau

April 3, 2013

WASHINGTON — As the 2013 Great Lakes (click here) shipping season begins, the latest water levels forecast offers little encouragement for commercial carriers.

Shippers should expect to encounter continued low water levels over the next six months and the possibility of having to leave some of their cargo dockside.

While water levels are not expected to reach record lows, as they did in Lake Michigan and Huron in January, they are forecast to remain well below long-term averages, according to Keith Kompoltowicz, chief of watershed hydrology for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' district office in Detroit....

Dredging is not going to fix this. Dredging is effective when there is actually sediment BUILD UP. That is not problem. The problem IS there is no water.

March 19, 2013
Matt Kelley

Mississippi River levels are on the rise, thanks to all of the recent precipitation. Mike Peterson, a spokesman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, says it’s a welcome turnaround after more than a year of drought conditions and extremely low river levels on the Mississippi.

“It got a little shaky there as far as being able to keep commerce moving but we were able to keep the navigation channel open and now we are seeing the result of a lot of snow melt and rain coming down from up north,” Peterson says. “We’ve actually jumped from close to zero on the St. Louis gauge. We’re up at about 25 feet today.”...

Wow, 25 feet already. How great is that, huh? 

Only 14 more feet to reach NORMAL depth.

I wouldn't get too excited though.

Basically, the current pattern is expected to sustain.