OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. - Beach season is starting and experts say the water levels in Lake Michigan are as high as they have been in more than 25 years.
“I have not actually seen the lake this high since 1997 or 1998,” says Ottawa County Parks Operations Manager Bob Reichel.
The lake has been on the high side for the last three years.
It means some steps and docks are now submerged. But, deeper water means heavier cargo can be loaded onto tankers and winter waves have pounded dunes into beach in some areas, providing more recreation space.
“We have more beach than we did last year,” says Ottawa County Parks Coordinator of Operations Jason Boerger. “We had storms in the winter that knocked down some of the cliffs and made more flat area to lay your blanket down.”
But experts who measure lake levels predict the high water is temporary and likely to change.
“The lake levels go up and goes down,” observes Reichel. “This is something that happens throughout the years and throughout history.”
“We have been this high before and we will probably be low like we were four years ago,” says Boerger. This is a normal occurrence. We are up now and will be down later.”
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