Warmer winter having negative impact on Great Lakes

A warmer than usual winter is having an adverse effect on the Great Lakes and residents may feel the pinch in the pocketbook if the water doesn’t ice up.

“We need cold,” said harbour master Peter Berry. “We actually need the Great Lakes to freeze over.”

Without colder temperatures Berry says the region can expect more lake effect snow, a result of cold air passing over the unfrozen and relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes.

According to the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, total ice coverage at 5.6 per cent, which is actually up from a record low of 3.9 per cent at this time last year.

“We could be looking at a lower water level into the spring than we actually need to have,” Berry said.

Because the water is warmer Berry says fish migration and the quantity of fish in our water could change.

“Relative to recreational fishing and to the economic impact of fishing that could make a difference in the economy relative to tourism,” he said.

Low water levels could also hit you in the wallet if they force ships to carry a lighter load to avoid being grounded.

“If we have to use them more often we're going to start seeing shortages in some cargos because we have to get more ships,” Berry said.

Ice could build up later this week with snow in the forecast.

There is dirty ice along the shoreline in Leamington and Kingsville as a result of the last big winter storm in December.

“It's a direct result of wave climate, lower lake levels and the significant storm events we saw around Christmas,” said ERCA CAO Tim Byrne.

High winds from that storm lowered lake levels several centimeters to what’s called chart datum or a water level that is seldom hit. Ice drifted from Lake Huron and picked up debris along the way.

“We've gone through several freeze thaw cycles and the freezing cycles have not been long enough and/or temperatures getting low enough.”

Without significant wind from the opposite direction to force recirculation the material got hung up. Byrne says the debris will be purged at some point.

“It's just going to be naturally unsightly and a nuisance as long as we're in this type of climate condition that we are seeing right now,” Byrne said.