(WDET-Undated) Water levels in Lake Michigan are almost a foot higher than they were last year, and are still rising.
As WDET’s Marissa Gawel reports the Great Lakes hit record lows just a few years ago creating wide beaches and shallow marinas.
Tom O’Brien is with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lake Michigan Area. He says the opposite experience is taking place this summer.
“This year they have little beach, they’re raising their docks, and they’re accommodating for higher water levels. Obviously the freighters benefit from all these higher water levels. Approximately just an inch of water the freighters can add a hundred tons of cargo to their vessels.”
O’Brien says he expects Lake Michigan to rise another couple of inches before reaching its peak in August. He says water levels have not been this high in 20 years.