(WXYZ) — Great Lakes water levels are still at a record high, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, announced.
Lakes Michigan, Huron, St. Clair and Erie set new monthly mean water level records for May 2020.
The water level records were previously set in 1986 on Lakes Michigan and Huron and 2019 on Lakes St. Clair and Erie.
The USACE notes that all of the lakes are either in their period of seasonal rise or are reaching their peak, except Lake Ontario.
May brought heavy rainfall to some areas of the basin, USACE says, resulting in a wetter than average month for the Michigan-Huron and Erie basins.
In the coming months, water levels are projected to continue to be near or above record high water levels on all of the lakes, except Lake Ontario. Significant erosion and flooding continues in many locations as water levels remain extremely high.
"The water level of Lakes Michigan and Huron has now risen above the peak level that was reached last year," said John Allis, chief of the Great Lakes Hydraulics and Hydrology Office, Detroit District.
The Corps most recent forecast projects that Lake Michigan-Huron will likely continue to set new record high monthly mean water levels throughout the summer and the peak July level could come close to surpassing the record high water level for all months in the period of record, which occurred in October 1986.
The USACE is urging those impacted by the high water levels last year to be preparing for similar or worst impacts over the next few months.
