Low Tide on the Inland Seas
Sailors in salty parts of the world concern themselves with tides and moon phases, but Great Lakes sailors have mostly been immune to such navigational particulars (We do have seiches in the Great Lakes, but they are mostly unnoticeable). However, this coming season promises to make all of us who sail the inland seas study up on our charts and pay particular attention to chart datums, depth and boat draft because water levels are at or below all-time lows in all of the Great Lakes. It's starting to look like a perpetual low tide in many of the ports and harbors around the lakes. If you're interested in more details, you can read the short news piece I recently wrote for BoatUS Magazine highlighting the record low-water levels in the Great Lakes and some of their impacts and causes. Low water has rendered this boat ramp useless (L. Charlevoix - By K. Walters) The cause of the extremely low water levels is a complicated equation likely involving warmer/dryer than usual ...