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Lake levels, water table are low
Snow needed before hard frost to replenish the area's water table
BY DAVID SCOTT
Lakeshore Advance Editor
To confirm the speculations
of many, there is less water
in Lake Huron right now and
lower water tables inland.
In fact, the lake level is 42
cm lower than it was last
year at this time, according
to Ralph Moulton, manager
of Environment Canada's
Water Level Information
Office in Burlington.
Historically, this isn't the
lowest for Lake Huron.
"During January 1996 the
monthly average level for
Huron was four cm below
the present level. By
comparison, Lake Superior is
at its lowest since 1926,"
says Moulton. All the Great
Lakes are between 30 and 47
cm lower than one year ago.
The primary factor for the
low water levels is the mild
and relatively dry weather
we have been having this
year. "The connection to dry•
weather is obvious. The mild
aspect has contributed to the
decline by increasing
evaporation from both the
lakes and from the
surrounding land basin that
drains into the lakes. The
warmer -than -average
temperatures this past
summer probably also
caused greater water use by
plants and transpiration of
the water to the atmosphere.
If plants use the water, it is
not available to run off into
the rivers and lakes,"
explains Moulton.
What happens in Lake
Superior also affects Lake
Huron. "Since spring, the
outflow from Lake Superior
has been below average.
During November it was 69
per cent of average.
Superior's outflow is a large
source of water to Lake
Huron and the reduced flow
has contributed to Huron's
decline. This (inks back to
warm and dry weather,
which has caused Superior's
level to be low."
A greater potential for lake
effect snow exists this winter
since lake water
temperatures are above
average for this time of year
and will therefore delay the
formation of an ice cover,
says Moulton.
Tom Anderson of the
Canadian Coast Guard in
Sarnia said there have been
no incidents of groundings in
Lake Huron because of low
levels. But commercial ships
can't load as deep in loading
ports. For example if a ship
is loading at Thunder Bay on
route to Montreal, it's
loading less tonnage to make
it through at the Port of
Montreal where water levels
are low. "Commercial
Core French program
to be phased out
of Avon board schools
BY VICTORIA JACKSON
Clinton News -Record Staff
The Avon Maitland
District School Board
(AMDSB) has decided to
phase out core French in
Huron County as of
September 1999. •
Core French is the French
education given to students
in Grades 1, 2 and 3.
Abby Armstrong, board
chair, said the board based
its decision on what is
necessary for children to
study and when.
'"There are no
government curriculum
requirements for French
education under Grade 4,"
she said.
Armstrong said the board
still has to talk about what
will replace core Frcnch in
the curriculum.
She added that the board
kcpt the two conversations
very separate.
"We're trying very hard
not to say it's French or
something else," Armstrong
said.
She said the hoard voted
on Frcnch education on the
basis of French education.
"We wanted people
voting on whether or not to
keep core French, not
against Frcnch in favor of
another subject," Armstrong
said.
She said her personal
feelings were that she is in
favor of children learning a
second language at a young
age.
"Learning French is
important because it's our
second language, but for any
second language, Latin or
German, my arguments
would have been the same,"
Armstrong said.
But. she added that as
chair of the board she has to
support board decisions. The
former Huron board offered
core French, while the
former Perth hoard did not
and the board had to decide
how to deal with this
difference.
"We're going to be facing
more of these decisions as
we try to pull the board
together," Armstrong said.
"We have to decide what the
Avon -Maitland board will
offer."
Phasing out the core
French will not cost
anything, and it won't save
any money either, according
to the options package given
to the board members.
"There are no cost
savings. We have to provide
teachers with preparation
time. Right now when a
teacher is having their prep
time, another teacher would
be in the classroom teaching
French," Armstrong said.
"Now that teacher will still
need to be in the classroorp
teaching something else."
She added that the books
for tate core French
education were, already
purchased by the bard.
"Core French could have
been added to Perth for a
total- cost of $17,000,"
Armstrong said.
She recommended that
concerned parents should
contact their local trustee
with any questions or
comments.
"It's easier for parents to
understand losing or gaining
a program when the' cost is
involved," Armstrong said.
"It's harder to understand an
abstract decision based on
what children should be
learning and when they
should start learning it."
i
shippers are always watching
levels. They load safely to
arrive at the dock they're
unloading at," said
Anderson.
There's a range of problems
low water levels in the lake
can cause for area residents.
"Low levels cause problems
for marinas and recreational
boaters. It can cause
problems for people who get
their water out of the lake by
shore wells, if the wells
aren't deep enough to
accommodate lower levels.
Some municipalities may
have difficulty obtaining
water through their intakes as
well," says Moulton.
"Access can become a
problem to cottages on
islands in areas such as
Georgian Bay. 4 range of
levels helps wetlands thrive,
but an extended period at any
given level is detrimental to
their health. Low levels can
also be a problem for fish
that spawn in the spring, as
their normal spawning beds
may be dry."
The same factors that have
caused lake levels to drop
would also reduce the flow
down through the ground to
the water table, causing it to
drop, says the manager of
Environment Canada's Water
Level Information Office.
Dug Wells Drying Up
Ron Hopper of W. D.
Hopper & Sons Well Drilling
of Seaforth and Stratford has
seen an increase in drilling
this fall and past summer.
"A lot of old hand dug
wells, shallow wells are
drying up," says Hopper. But
the depth of drilled wells
hasn't really changed.
Water levels vary from arca
to arca but are lower
throughout the region
Hoppers cover which
extends from Goderich to
Kitchener and Kincardine to
London.
He says some levels have
changed "big time."
"It's going to change some
history records...Seaforth
area water levels changed as
much as 30 feet. Some areas
it's 10 feet," says Hopper.
Overall rainfall is way
down since last fall, says the
well driller. "It affects the
recharge into ground. It takes
a while to affect aquifiers."
Hopper has helped area
farmers with dried up dug
wells by drilling deeper into
rock formation (into gravel
or bedrock) for a new water
supply.
Hopper said some areas in
the north affected early this
summer with low water
levels had problems with
some types of pumps that
weren't working. "A shallow
well suction pump can only
lift water 25 feet," he said.
So pumps had to be replaced.
"It's going to take quite a
while to get back to normal.
It's the driest 1 can
remember," he said.
"A rain like last night
(Sunday night) is good. But a
lot of it runs off."
Hopper says a big snowfall
this winter could help unless
there is a frost and the
ground freezes before the
snow flies - then the runoff
will be lost in the spring. If
not, then hopefully water
from melting snow will sink
into the ground and help
replenish the water table.
The only solution for now
looks. like more rain - and
time.
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