Station 17 lies about 1/2 mile NNE of the end of 

 Long Point and it was here that the maximum current 

 was measured. 



As may be seen from the current data (table 8), 

 the observations were scattered over a period of 4 

 months and included widely separated stations. Al- 

 though the data are not sufficient for a detailed 

 study of the currents, they do show that velocities 

 over 0. 5 m. p.h. are not frequent. Currents with es- 

 timated velocities of from 1 to 3 m.p.h. were wit- 

 nessed in the narrow entrance channel to Erie Harbor, 

 but they are the result of local topography and such 

 velocities were not found in the open waters of the 

 lake. 



On August 7 and 8 the wind was calm to moder- 

 ate easterly, and on August 9, light and &om the 

 southwest. At Buffalo the Weather Bureau records 

 show that the wind velocity did not exceed 14 m. p. h. 

 during these 3 days; yet on the latter date surface 

 currents of 0. 60 and 0.38 m.p.h. were observed at 

 stations 17 and 15, respectively. These velocities 

 were the greatest encountered, and their respective 

 directions were 94° and 50° true. 



During the night of August 27-28 there was a 

 fresh northeast wind in the Long Point region which 

 gradually subsided by the afternoon of the 28th. At 

 1:00 p. m. on the 28th the surface current was 0. 25 

 m.p.h. at station 15 and its direction of 70° true 

 was almost directly into the wind. Both this current 

 and those of the preceding paragraph (on August 9) 

 were plainly seen by watching slightly submerged 

 drift particles while the boat was at anchor and the 

 correctness of their directions is assured. 



The above examples of relations between ob- 

 served currents and weather are especially men- 

 tioned to show that the current velocity is not al- 

 ways in direct proportion to the wind velocity at a 

 given time and that the current direction may, in 

 fact, be against a strong local wind of several 

 hours' duration. The Weather Bureau records at 

 Buffalo and Cleveland (about 50 and 100 miles, re- 

 spectively, distant from the Deep Hole region) 

 show that the strong northeast wind of the Long 

 Point region on August 28 was more or less local 

 and was not of sufficient duration to reverse the di- 

 rection of the current set up by the general south- 

 west winds of August 26. It is impossible, therefore, 

 to predict local currents in Lake Erie from wind con- 

 ditions alone. 



57 



Fishermen state that the strongest currents are 

 often encountered during the following periods of 

 calm weather, and that they generally occur dur- 

 ing summer, when the average wind velocity is at 

 a minimum. Whether their views are actually true, 

 or whether summer merely offers more opportunities 

 for witnessing currents, is problematical. It is dur- 

 ing these months, however, that the lake is sub- 

 jected to large and rapid thermal changes that cause 

 movements of the water mass. Summer is also the 

 season of thunderstorms, which are usually accom- 

 panied by differences in barometric pressures and 

 are therefore another source of water movements. 



Fishermen reported current velocities of suf- 

 ficient strength to interfere with the setting of nets 

 in the vicinity of the Port Maitland entrance buoy 

 on August 7. It so happened that the Shearwater oc- 

 cupied station 24 (entrance buoy) at the time of the 

 reported currents, and as a slight easterly set was 

 discernible at the buoy, the boat was anchored for 

 observations. The surface current was found to be 

 0. 30 m.p. h. , 75° true, and there was no measur- 

 able bottom current. The weather was calm and the 

 sea smooth on this date, but strong southwest winds 

 had prevailed on the 4 preceding days. Currents may 

 have been stronger elsewhere in the vicinity, for 

 they were reported as having seriously interfered with 

 the handling of nets. 



The Dunkirk, Port Dover, and Port Stanley 

 fishermen agree in their affirmation of the occur- 

 rence of strong currents in the lake. Their occu- 

 pation should particularly qualify them as author- 

 ities in this regard, but they have no instruments 

 with which to measure the velocities and their es- 

 timates vary greatly. An officer of the Erie-Port 

 Dover passenger ferry stated that they do not en- 

 counter strong currents on their regular run around 

 Long Point. It appears that a current which is 

 "strong" to the fishermen may not be so considered 

 by the navigator. 



Averages computed from table 8 show that the 

 surface current at station 15 (6 observations) had a 

 mean velocity of 0. 19 m.p.h. and at station 17 

 (9 observations) 0.26 m.p.h. The prevailing di- 

 rection of the current was east and the wind was 

 southwest at both stations. 



Current observations in 1928 were confined to 

 station 15 (Deep Hole) where a maximum surface 

 current of 0. 63 m.p.h. , 99° true, was observed on 



