Experts from the U.S. and Canada say people in the Great Lakes region should not expect any large-scale engineering projects to control water levels in the foreseeable future.
A five-year, $14.6 million study released Wednesday proposes changes in how water outflows from Lake Superior are regulated. That might have minor effects on water levels elsewhere.
But the International Upper Great Lakes Study says putting more dams or other structures in rivers to limit ups and downs in the lakes would be hugely expensive at a time of tight budgets.
The report suggests instead doing better at letting people in the region know about where levels are headed so they can adapt.
It also says fluctuations due to climate change in coming decades might not be as extreme as previously thought.