Lake Level Viewer (U.S. Great Lakes)

NOAA Office for Coastal Management

To launch, please visit https://coast.noaa.gov/llv.

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Overview

This web-based tool creates visuals that capture lake level changes that range from three feet below to ten feet above Low Water Datum (LWD) in the Great Lakes. Potential shoreline and coastal impacts are also provided. This information can be used to determine appropriate preparations, including zoning restrictions, infrastructure improvements, and habitat conservation.

Features

Visualize impacts of changing water levels
View photo simulations of potential impacts
Examine historical water levels
View six-month lake level forecasts
Obtain direct access to data and services for customized analysis

Additional Information

Support

Resources

Acknowledgments

The NOAA Office for Coastal Management would like to acknowledge those organizations that provided direct content for this tool or feedback, ideas, and reviews over the course of the tool’s development. Specifically, the office acknowledges the following groups.

The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers’ National Coastal Mapping Program provided topographic and bathymetric lidar for the Great Lakes shorelines and shared these data via NOAA’s Digital Coast.
The Great Lakes Sea Grant Network assisted in requirements scoping and usability testing on the application.
NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory allowed the use of its lake level reference data and coordinated with us to create two complementary water level-related products.