How Deep Were The Great Lakes Before The Dams?

[Todd in NY]

How Deep Were The Great Lakes Before The Dams?

I found these interesting side profiles of the Great Lakes that shows how the dams and rivers change the water levels from Lake Superior to the Atlantic Ocean. It makes it look like the 3 dams on the St Lawrence River add close to 200ft of depth to Lake Ontario, give or take the natural elevation changes before the dams were built on the river.

 

 

[Todd in NY]

Just imagine what our shorelines would look like without these dams...

Edited August 9, 2017 by Todd in NY

[portbayfisherman]

And they couldn't lower the level 3 feet this year? 

[Todd in NY]

It's 2-3ft higher than last year and we still had cargo ships run aground on the St Lawrence this year.

[GAMBLER]

15 minutes ago, Todd in NY said:

It's 2-3ft higher than last year and we still had cargo ships run aground on the St Lawrence this year.

They said that was due to heavy currents in the Saint Lawrence.  I guess there are some sections that narrow down and get really hard to navigate when the outflow levels get above 10,000. 

[Todd in NY]

I can see where that could be a problem. Those ships are hard to maneuver quickly.

[Bozeman Bob]

There is only one lake , Ontario , that can be raised or lowered by a dam. No other Great Lakes have dams. I would take a guess the dam on the St Lawrence did not raise the lake 200' . Not in a million years. It was built in the 50s and somehow I can't see Toronto/Rochester etc, being developed on the lake and needing a port having a 200'  drop off before you got to water. It more than likely raised the lake a few feet at most . Google it ,the dam and how it controls the lake levels, then  google  pictures of these lake side cities ports from 1950 and I bet it, water level, will be almost the same as it is now.

Edited August 9, 2017 by Bozeman Bob

[rdebadts]

Levels are the exact same as they were before, within a few feet. The damn just allows you to keep it a bit higher or lower based on conditions...


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[weave]

Those dams would have to be 200' tall to raise the lake by 200'.

[jimski2]

The Power Authority earns itself a million dollars a minute from all the water they and Canada have backed up in Lake Ontario. It seems they are the "power" that regulates the lake.

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[Bozeman Bob]

10 hours ago, weave said:

Those dams would have to be 200' tall to raise the lake by 200'.

  Pretty sure the one is 200' tall on the St Lawrence . The river drops as it makes it way towards the Ocean ,probably about 200'. If that dam was put in right where the St Lawrence begins then it would of raised it by 200' and flooded everything below the Niagara Escarpment ,which pretty much runs parallel with the Thruway.

[LongLine]

The only thing the dams did was reduce the year over year variability in the lake level.  Since the 50's, levels have fluctuated between 243 & 247 (except for this year).  Prior to the 50's & back to the mid 1800's levels bounced between 241 & 248.  (do a search on "lake level variability - Lake Ontario")

 

Tom B.

(LongLine)

[Dusty]

The only thing the dams did was reduce the year over year variability in the lake level.  Since the 50's, levels have fluctuated between 243 & 247 (except for this year).  Prior to the 50's & back to the mid 1800's levels bounced between 241 & 248.  (do a search on "lake level variability - Lake Ontario")
 
Tom B.
(LongLine)

X2.