With a slow-down in precipitation and in-flows, Rainy Lake has been dropping steadily but with more rain in the forecast, it could rise again.
“Rainy is starting to turn the corner up on top but whatever happens with the rain remains to be seen,” noted Raimo Tyrvainen, energy and utilities co-ordinator for Abitibi-Consolidated here.
“It just hinges on how significant the rainfall is.”
Since Friday night’s thunderstorms caused levels to rise slightly, the water has continued to drop since then. It dropped by 1.2 cm (0.47 inches) from Monday to Tuesday.
And despite overnight rains, it dropped again by about 0.4 cm (0.16 inches) to sit at 338.217 m (1,109.64 ft.) this morning.
Last Wednesday (June 6), Rainy Lake officially crested at 338.237 m (1,109.7 ft.)–its highest level since 1968 when it peaked at 338.362 m (1,110.11 ft.) on July 20.
That is the seventh-highest level ever recorded on the lake, with the record high set in July of 1950 at 339.233 m (1,112.97 ft.)
But after heavy rains Friday night, it briefly rose above the 1968 level to match the 1938 high of about 338.246 m (1,109.73 ft.).
“At some point on Saturday, the Rainy Lake was higher than it was on the sixth of June,” noted Tyrvainen.
In related news, the International Joint Commission announced last week it would ask the International Rainy Lake Board of Control to review the situation that occurred this spring and provide a written report.
The IJC will make the report available to the public.
According to the IJC, precipitation for April and May in the Rainy Lake and Namakan basin was the highest since 1948, and lake levels exceeded levels at which it requires all gates and fishways to be fully open.
Meanwhile, Namakan also continues to drop. It went down by 3.71 cm (1.46 inches) since yesterday to sit at 341.135 m (1,119.21 ft.) this morning.
But the forecast calls for more rain for the rest of the week and throughout the weekend.
“I was looking at the weather for the next few days and it doesn’t look good,” said Tyrvainen.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
