Soo Locks Resume Spring Traffic, Gales Loom for Superior

Spring breakup is underway at the Sault Ste. Marie locks. The U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard have maintained steady icebreaking operations through the St. Marys River, allowing a measured but consistent flow of traffic both above and below the locks. The *John G. Munson* and *Burns Harbor* made recent downbound passages, while upbound traffic—including the *American Mariner*, *Wilfred Sykes*, and three Algoma vessels—continues to queue, held up by ice conditions in the narrow Rock Cut. By Monday, the *Edwin H. Gott* had cleared, and the lockmaster's schedule is tightening as water moves and temperatures inch toward normal. The *Federal Nakagawa* arrived in Toledo on Monday, marking the season's first ocean-going vessel at that port. She's loading grain at the ADM terminal, a sign that the lower lakes are warming to the year's commerce. Meanwhile, the *Herbert C. Jackson* completed repairs at Ecorse and departed late on March 29, after waterfront observers reported she may have grounded briefly in Livingstone Channel earlier in the week while being escorted by Great Lakes Towing Company tugs—a reminder that spring navigation remains treacherous in shallow reaches. Water levels across the system are running well above winter datum: Lake Erie sits 1.86 feet high at Cleveland, while Lake Ontario registers 2.24 feet at Rochester. Superior and Michigan are more moderate. However, mariners face heavy weather this week. A gale warning is in effect for northern Superior from Thursday morning through late Thursday night, with waves building to significant heights. Lake Michigan is under a gale watch for Thursday, and a cold front will sweep Lake Erie this morning. The Neebish Island ferry remains on a limited schedule and could face a full shutdown if ice conditions in the Rock Cut deteriorate further. Warming trends and false springs—which Great Lakes Now has highlighted as deceptively dangerous—pose real risks to shoreline infrastructure and ecosystems. This year's early melt follows last winter's devastating ice storm in northern Michigan, underscoring how volatile spring weather can be on these waters.