Boaters, marinas reap benefits of rising lake levels

Falling water levels have plagued Michigan lakes, leaving boaters unable to reach their docks and marinas footing the bill for dredging, but not so this year. Heavy snows and a long winter have brought about the first rise in lake levels in nearly a decade.

According to excerpts from the story:

The harsh winter should lead to a better summer for Great Lakes boaters and shipping companies.

Above-average snowfall and prolonged ice cover on lakes this past winter caused Lake Michigan’s water level to rise six inches in April, about twice the average spring melt, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

For the summer, the Corps is forecasting the big lakes’ water levels should be 5 to 8 inches higher than last summer.

Read the complete story here.