The water levels of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron broke a 33-year-old record this spring. The Army Corps of Engineers also indicated high water levels will continue into the summer. It is likely that water on Lake Michigan and Lake Huron will set new record high levels over the next six months.
The Army Corps of Engineers told shoreline property owners that they should be prepared for damages in 2020 similar to, or worse than, what was experienced last year. Strong storm systems and resulting large waves have led to substantial erosion along much of the Great Lakes coastline, the Corps wrote in a recent press release, noting that significant erosion continues in many locations.
Properties along the bay of Green Bay, from Escanaba to Green Bay, and along the western shore of Lake Michigan have been battered by wind and storms from the east for the past year. Continued wet conditions across the Great Lakes, together with warmer than normal temperatures in January, led to greater runoff into the Great Lakes. As a result, water levels in all of the Great Lakes in January were higher last month than they were in January 2019.
The previous record for Lake Michigan and Lake Huron was set in 1987. Lake Superior set a new record high in January this year. The previous record was set in 1986. Lake St. Clair tied its record-high level that was set in January 1986.
Reporting for WGRT – Marty Doorn
