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Lake levels recover after 15 years

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The water in Lakes Michigan and Huron has risen above its historic average. That ends an unusually long period of low water in the two lakes that began in the late 1990s.

Drew Gronewald is a scientist at the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory. He says historically the lakes would rise and fall over periods of five years or less.

But around 1997, the lakes dropped a few feet and didn't recover. Gronewald says that trend will come to an end this month.

“Once we’ve calculated the average water level for the month of September, it’s going to be above its average,” he says.

Gronewald says there was plenty of rain during the past 15 years, but the lakes were warmer and water evaporated more quickly.

Lakes Huron and Michigan—which are really one lake—hit a record low in January 2013. The rise to above-average levels 18 months later might be one of the quickest surges on record.

Gronewald says he is not sure if the trend of rising lake levels will continue in the coming years.

Peter Payette is the Executive Director of Interlochen Public Radio.