Residents seeing water levels on the rise again in Lake Ontario After low water levels from July to December, warmer temperatures this past January have re sulted in a significant rise in water levels for Lake Ontario, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada. Looking at Lake Ontario levels over the past year, the variations are not outside what we often see, said Derrick Beach, a senior water resources engineer. Lake Ontario, along with the other Great Lakes, was relatively ice-free during December. Fluctuating air temperatures, evaporation and lake-effect precipitation were significant factors in December water supplies. Lake Ontario levels are expected to vary sea sonally throughout the year and from year-toyear, Beach added. And, it is common for Lake Ontario's levels to decline from July to December, mainly due to in creased natural evaporation from the watershed that occurs during this time of the year. Typically, Beach said that some water in Lake Ontario is held back in the month of January to let ice form on the St. Lawrence River, which prevents the ice from jamming up and the river flooding. Beach said Lake Ontario hit its peak level for 2016 in April, which is earlier in the year than average conditions. The above average water level was due to a wet first few months of 2016, with above average precipitation. However, Lake Ontario had a relatively dry summer, with below average precipitation, re sulting in a slightly greater than average decline in the lake levels from April to December, but only 1 cm below the levels seen the year before. For more information on Lake Ontario wa ter levels visit LEVELnews - a monthly news letter that provides a monthly update on Great Lakes - St. Lawrence River water levels on the Environment Canada and Climate Change Can ada website at https://ec.gc.ca/eau-water/default. 29 |Thursday, February 9, 2017 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Lake Ontario levels that had been down are now on the rise after a warmer than usual January. | Kim Owen-Turner photo The Genuine.T he Original. Maxime Kitchens & Baths Inc. Courtyard Collection® The beauty of w ood with the durability of steel. 5 4 5 0 Harvester Road, Burlington Overhead Door (Hamilton-Burlington) Ltd. 2376 Parkhaven Blvd, Oakville 905-257-5880 maximekitchens.ca 9 0 5 -3 3 3 -1 7 7 2 info@overheaddoorburlington.ca overheaddoorburlington.ca im CRAd .since 1991 Leaky Basement? Call Us! NOW ON VIEW AT OAKVILLE GALLERIES ETELADNAN: SEA AND FOG O a k v ille G a lle r ie s in G a ir lo c h G a rd e n s F re e g u id e d t o u r : S a tu r d a y 4 M a rc h , 2:00 pm Crack Injection Repair Specialist Wise Dry Interior Drain Systems Lifetime Fully Transferable Warranty Sump Pump Renewal Installations LES LEVINE: TRANSMEDIA Oakville Galleries at Centennial Square Free guided tour: Thursday 23 February, 7:00 pm Open Tuesday to Sunday | Admission is free Professional, Cost Effective Solutions forW et wayne@wisecracks.com _____ Basem ents w w w .HaltonW iseCracks.com Call Us... 905-510-9739 Qg Oakville galleries WWW.OAKVILLEGALLERIES.COM Etel Adnan, Untitled, 2014, oil on canvas. Courtesy of tho artist and Galerlo Lelong, Paris,