Water levels across the Great Lakes have fallen to their lowest in about a decade, sitting 30 to 40 centimetres (15 inches) below normal, says Mike McKay, executive director of the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER) at the University of Windsor. London Free Press reporter Beatriz Baleeiro spoke with McKay to understand what’s behind the drop and what it means for communities and infrastructure.

How are the Great Lakes water levels right now?

McKay said the lower levels observed this fall are noticeable but not alarming.

The levels are roughly 30 to 40 centimetres below what they were five years ago and the lowest they’ve been in about a decade, McKay said.

“They certainly are low. We’re seeing this here, even behind our building on the Detroit River,” he said.

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