What causes water levels to go up and down?
Lake water levels can fluctuate naturally due to rain and snowfall, which varies widely from season to season and year to year. While some lakes with streams running into them show the effect of rainfall almost immediately, others, such as seepage lakes, may not show the effect for months. Seepage lakes are landlocked water bodies that do not have a stream coming into or out of them but get most of their water from precipitation or runoff, supplemented by groundwater. Seepage lakes are the most common type of lakes in Wisconsin and many of them in northern Wisconsin are now experiencing lower water levels. Although changes in water levels may be perceived as a problem for property owners, it is natural for lakes to go up and down in cycles that are decades long.
