Water levels in the Great Lakes are slightly below 2024 levels but are projected to rise this summer, according to official forecasts.
As Hometown Life reported, four of the five Great Lakes are below last year's levels, with only Lake Ontario higher than the previous year. As of June 2025, Ontario is six inches above the level recorded in June 2024. However, the summer forecast looks promising.
With the last of the winter snow melting and rainfall at around the median level, all of the lakes rose from May's levels. While Lake Erie's water level is expected to decrease by two inches, the other four lakes are projected to increase again in July 2025.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers closely monitors the water levels, and its June 2025 report indicated that lakes Superior, Michigan, and Huron will rise between one and three inches. According to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, fluctuations in lake levels of around one to two feet are normal from one season to the next.
It's difficult to overstate the importance of the Great Lakes. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, they contain 84% of North America's surface freshwater and 21% of the world's. They're not only important to the United States; a quarter of Canadian agriculture also depends on them. Thus, the lakes are subject to bilateral treaties between the two nations. The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement is a commitment to restore and protect the waters of the lakes. The GLWQA was first signed in 1972 and has been reaffirmed and amended several times.
It's not just people who depend on the lakes. According to the National Wildlife Federation, several notable species call the lakes home, including bald eagles, moose, beavers, and the Canada lynx.
Water conservation efforts are crucial to maintaining water levels in lakes throughout North America. As other lakes in the United States enjoy a much-needed boost, it serves to underline the importance of taking local action to safeguard and build upon those gains.
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