> > My primary stomping > > grounds is Lake Superior which has about four cups worth of sand in > > the entire lake. > > Now Patrick, that is a bit of an exaggeration. :) Lake Superior has hundreds > of miles of some of the best sand beaches in the world, and will probably > have hundreds more as it continues to dry up. (The lake has lost about 9 > cubic miles of water in the last year to evaporation and lack of snowfall and > is headed for record low levels this summer.) Of course, that still leaves > about 2000 miles of rugged rock shoreline for scratching your boats up. > - -Andy Knapp > Minneapolis Actually the lake level hasn't changed much at all. As of May 15th, Lake Superior was at 601 feet which is only 0.8 feet below the 1918-1998 average. It's high point was 602.8 feet back in 1986 and it's low was 599.6 back in 1926. By international agreement, the lake level is held fairly constant. Look at the following URL, and the associated links, for more info: http://huron.lre.usace.army.mil/levels/lev85se.html Jim Bielecki *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
In a message dated 5/16/2000 7:42:55 PM Central Daylight Time, bieleckj_at_freeway.net writes: > Actually the lake level hasn't changed much at all. My source for the 1.5 foot lower level was a recent 5-part series in the Minneapolis Star Tribune which documented the declining levels in the Great Lakes, including Lake Superior, and a 4-foot drop in Lakes Michigan and Huron. This has adversely effected shipping capacities as approaches to the rivers and lock systems get shallower. When I get a chance, I will check to see if they have named any sources for their information. Several other articles have discussed the declining levels and their economic impact on shipping, tourism, and even the controversial water export issue. Anecdotal stories from other paddlers in the past year, myself included, have pointed to shallower waters in some popular kayaking spots such as the Apostle Islands, which implies there are lower water levels in other sections of the Big Lake as well. I haven't visited any familiar spots yet this year, however, to see conditions this spring. -Andy Knapp Minneapolis *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
The ISK web site http://www.isk.canoe-kayak.org/ has links to NOAA sites that will confirm the reports in the Strib. Both the 1.5 ft. change in lake level from last year and the statement about the lake level not changing much at all are correct. The authors are using different baselines for their measurements. The lake level has not changed much at all if you consider your baseline to be the historical average, plus or minus 3 sigma; the lake level is way down if you use last year or the year before as the baseline. In addition to the lower lake level changing where I can launch my kayak, life gets very interesting when you are jumping into the lake after sauna and find the rocks a foot and a half closer to the surface than they were last year. Dana >-----Original Message----- >Date: Wed, 17 May 2000 13:12:27 EDT >From: AndyTKnapp_at_cs.com >Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Lake Superior > >In a message dated 5/16/2000 7:42:55 PM Central Daylight Time, >bieleckj_at_freeway.net writes: > >> Actually the lake level hasn't changed much at all. > >My source for the 1.5 foot lower level was a recent 5-part >series in the >Minneapolis Star Tribune which documented the declining >levels in the Great >Lakes, including Lake Superior, and a 4-foot drop in Lakes >Michigan and >Huron. This has adversely effected shipping capacities as >approaches to the >rivers and lock systems get shallower. When I get a chance, >I will check to >see if they have named any sources for their information. > >Several other articles have discussed the declining levels >and their economic >impact on shipping, tourism, and even the controversial >water export issue. >Anecdotal stories from other paddlers in the past year, >myself included, have >pointed to shallower waters in some popular kayaking spots >such as the >Apostle Islands, which implies there are lower water levels >in other sections >of the Big Lake as well. I haven't visited any familiar >spots yet this year, >however, to see conditions this spring. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Hello all, I'll be in San Francisco as of Wednesday through the weekend on business. While I'm not planning any paddling, if anyone were to offer up say a boat for an early Saturday morning paddle I could probably be persuaded to do a little paddling ;-) Other than that, are there any must-see shops/outfitters/surf-spots to prepare for my next trip out west? -Patrick *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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