Contact:

Dave White, New York Sea Grant, Recreation/Tourism Specialist, P: 315.312.3042, E: dgw9@cornell.edu

Watertown, NY, July 31, 2012 - There's a new tool for boaters on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River.
 
As seen in this clip from News Channel 7 (WWNY-TV, a Syracuse, NY-based CBS News affiliate) and News Channel 28 (WNYF-TV, a Syracuse, NY-based Fox News affiliate),  New York Sea Grant's Dave White explains there's now a Web site where people can get real-time information on how deep the water is and how strong the currents are.

"Water levels can fluctuate, especially on the St. Lawrence River," says White. "So, we at Sea Grant - along with the Great Lakes Observing System, boaters on the St.Lawrence River and the folks out at NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab in Michigan - are announcing a new tool that people can use to determine 'what is the water depth and what's the current if I want to boat today.'"

White continues, "A good thing that people are going to be able to do is to then forecast out 12 hours so that if they're going to be boating later in the day or tomorrow they can see if there's anything that is planned to occur with either a drawdown at the dam or any pooling or ponding that's going to change the depth where they want to boat."
 
The site, which went live today, is www.glos.us.

"For boaters and those who are using a boat for diving or fishing, this is going to be a great tool to help them plan their day," says White. The information provided is a supplement to what people already receive via the traditional weather and boating forecasts.

Check out the video clip, where NYSG's Dave White talks further about why it's important to have information on water levels via real-time sources such as this one. "Things can change dramatically if a storm comes through or if something happens at the dam, especially in the lower river."

More on this story via NYSG's related news item: www.seagrant.sunysb.edu/articles/r/2169

New York Sea Grant (NYSG), a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York, is one of 32 university-based programs under the National Sea Grant College Program (NSGCP) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Through its statewide network of integrated services, NYSG has been promoting coastal vitality, environmental sustainability, and citizen awareness about the State's marine and Great Lakes resources since 1971. For updates on New York Sea Grant activities, http://www.nyseagrant.org has RSS, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube links.