By Barb McKay

Lake Huron water levels have reached a record low, but that does not mean there is cause for panic, according to a local coastal resources manager.

Geoff Peach, of the Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation, said water levels in the Great Lake have dropped to 175.57 metres above sea level; below the record low in 1964 of 175.61. Lake Huron water levels have been measured since 1918.

Peach said it’s no mystery why lake levels have dropped in recent years.

“It’s primarily natural factors,” he said. “We’ve been experiencing drought in the region.”

Other areas are not immune to the effects of dry weather. Peach said drought has also reduced water levels in the Mississippi River, creating a challenge for shipping.

“It’s a pretty broad problem,” he said.

Peach said that he expects to see a further decline in lake levels over the next few months, but stressed that the situation is not of great concern.

“In the long-term you just have to be patient,” he said. “The (lake level) will rebound.”

In 1985 and 1986, Peach said, Lake Huron water levels reached a record high and people panicked because it started to impact cottage properties. Then, in 1998, lake levels started to drop drastically.

Low lake levels that are being experienced currently do not have a significant impact on overall water quality or the availability of drinking water because the lake remains very deep, Peach noted, but said shallow waters could experience greater amounts of algae because they’ll warm more quickly, which could impact recreational swimming.