Panama Canal Water Levels Rebound Following Rainy October

Heavy rainfall in October helped bring water levels at the Panama Canal’s Gatun Lake back to historical averages for the month, calmingl concerns over potential drought conditions brought on by the arrival of a Super El Niño weather system.

According to data from the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), water levels at Gatun Lake — which serves as the canal’s main reservoir that powers its locks — rose from 85.03 feet on October 1 to 86.97 feet by October 31, while averaging 85.84 feet for the entire month. Historically, water levels for the lake have sat around 85.5 feet in October on average.

That was helped by a strong month for rainfall at the canal, with 303.3 millimeters of rain falling across the watershed between October 1 and October 29, up 8.4% from the 30-year average for that period. That also marked an 83.6% improvement over that same period in 2023, when an historic drought forced the canal to cut daily transits and reduce the amount of cargo ships could carry through the waterway.

The ACP projects Gatun Lake levels in November will average out to roughly 87.7 feet, which would come in above the historical average for the month of 86.5 feet. The authority rolled back planned transit and vessel draft restrictions in late September, crediting effective water saving measures and the return of rainfall at the onset of fall.

This story was originally published by SupplyChainBrain. Read the full story at SupplyChainBrain →