MUSKEGON, Mich. — Muskegon Lake is so high its now up and over a small beach at the end of Wilcox Street. Water entering the road there is contributing to flooding on Edgewater Street at the West end of Muskegon Lake.
In some locations, water from the lake completely surrounds homes.
"Since the ice went out we've been fighting issues with the water level on the lake," said Leo Evans, Muskegon Director of Public Works.
Even small waves on the lake are reaching lawns, driveways, garages, and causing basements and crawlspaces to flood.
"It's raining again and it's only going to go up higher," Evans said.
The water caused some deep holes to form in Edgewater near Wilcox. The city plugged storm drains there and brought in a big pump to remove water from the road. The city was able to fill those holes, but the pump couldn't keep water from returning to the roadway.
"It's gotten to the point that our pump can't keep up, and we don't intend to keep it going," Evans said.
Currently some locations on Edgewater have 10-inches of water. The road is only open to residents.
Edgewater resident Peter Sartorus says in the last month the water on Muskegon Lake has come up one foot.
"You can't push the lake back," he said.
The city placed big rocks between the road and lake. Those won't keep the water off the road, but they do offer limited protection on days when the waves are larger.
"This street is 16-inches above the old Edgewater," Sartorus said. "So now you get an idea of how high this water is, it's as high as I've seen it."
The City of Muskegon is also abandoning efforts to make repairs and open the Hartshorn boat launch. It's expected to remain closed all of 2019.
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