New Buffalo water levels

sfergson727

sfergson727

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Oct 12, 2007
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Washington Park Marina, Michigan City
Boat Info
'89 Sea Ray 390 Express
'00 Sea Ray 185 BR
Engines
mercruiser 7.4L inboards
Mercruiser 4.3L/Alpha 1
24B90A8F-BE4C-4BE0-9BAF-BDB5AA96AF6E.jpeg


So, I am thinking they might need a boat......to get to their boat.
 
Doesn't it seem unusual that fixed docks would be installed lower than X" ABOVE the historic high water level? I think I read someplace that we're still more than a foot away from all time highs on Lake Michigan. Much closer than that for an April record high but still...

This whole water level thing is pretty ironic to me. I can remember distinctly complaining backwards and forwards about how high the docks were 10-15 years ago when I owned a low-to-the-water 24' Baja. "Good lord, I need a ladder to get out of this thing, why are these docks SOOO high". ha.
 
Stee6043 said:
Doesn't it seem unusual that fixed docks would be installed lower than X" ABOVE the historic high water level? I think I read someplace that we're still more than a foot away from all time highs on Lake Michigan. Much closer than that for an April record high but still...

This whole water level thing is pretty ironic to me. I can remember distinctly complaining backwards and forwards about how high the docks were 10-15 years ago when I owned a low-to-the-water 24' Baja. "Good lord, I need a ladder to get out of this thing, why are these docks SOOO high". ha.
Click to expand...

The issue is the tides.

Wind tides we call them. Docks were dry Saturday. Lake Michigan is so narrow that a wind from the north blows millions of gallons of water down the lake into the harbors on the south end. Michigan City and New Buffalo are affected by this phenomenon. I have seen water levels rise and fall nearly 3 feet in a couple of hours.

MM
 
MonacoMike said:
The issue is the tides.

Wind tides we call them. Docks were dry Saturday. Lake Michigan is so narrow that a wind from the north blows millions of gallons of water down the lake into the harbors on the south end. Michigan City and New Buffalo are affected by this phenomenon. I have seen water levels rise and fall nearly 3 feet in a couple of hours.

MM
Click to expand...

So these docks, even at the highest lake levels, would "typically" be dry? That makes more sense...
 
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Stee6043 said:
Doesn't it seem unusual that fixed docks would be installed lower than X" ABOVE the historic high water level? I think I read someplace that we're still more than a foot away from all time highs on Lake Michigan. Much closer than that for an April record high but still...

This whole water level thing is pretty ironic to me. I can remember distinctly complaining backwards and forwards about how high the docks were 10-15 years ago when I owned a low-to-the-water 24' Baja. "Good lord, I need a ladder to get out of this thing, why are these docks SOOO high". ha.
Click to expand...
We are 7" below the high in 1986. Our current dock was installed in 1986. We probably will not reach that level, but if we do, level will be at the bottom beam of our dock. We installed the electrical service with non conductive conduits and placed the junction boxes on the spring piles above the decking to avoid electrical hazards. I would be very concerned about potential electrical issues this year.
 
2808670-R1-015-6.jpg
IMG_2969.JPG
For those slipping at older docks, pay attention to how shore power is powered up. Nonconducting conduits are the order of the day with runs properly attached to unistruts. GFIs go without saying. Junction boxes located well above water levels.
 
MonacoMike said:
The issue is the tides.

Wind tides we call them. Docks were dry Saturday. Lake Michigan is so narrow that a wind from the north blows millions of gallons of water down the lake into the harbors on the south end. Michigan City and New Buffalo are affected by this phenomenon. I have seen water levels rise and fall nearly 3 feet in a couple of hours.

MM
Click to expand...
No different than Lake Erie where the prevailing winds are westerly. I can recall a September 3 years ago where gale force westerlies over several days dropped the water level in our harbor by 4 feet. We had boats hanging by their dock lines. Off course all of that water was pushed towards Buffalo.
 
Captn TJ said:
No different than Lake Erie where the prevailing winds are westerly. I can recall a September 3 years ago where gale force westerlies over several days dropped the water level in our harbor by 4 feet. We had boats hanging by their dock lines. Off course all of that water was pushed towards Buffalo.
Click to expand...

For sure, Lake Michigan has an even longer run, an extra 60 miles of runway. Because we are on the south edge we see little affect on our water by south winds, in fact south winds are great boating days for us.

MM
 
sfergson727 said:
View attachment 69036

So, I am thinking they might need a boat......to get to their boat.
Click to expand...

This is, correction, was, my dock.

Sadly a group of very nice folks are being ripped apart by the water and damage that has been done. The exodus has begun. Many of these people have been spending summers together for 10-15 years. The power company turned off the power as the transformers are sinking and in water. Now the marina must be brought up to current code to have the power reconnected.

All that will just make the dock safe to have power even if the lake level is above the pier.

Had to get another slip. Sad to leave...

MM
 
MonacoMike said:
This is, correction, was, my dock.

Sadly a group of very nice folks are being ripped apart by the water and damage that has been done. The exodus has begun. Many of these people have been spending summers together for 10-15 years. The power company turned off the power as the transformers are sinking and in water. Now the marina must be brought up to current code to have the power reconnected.

All that will just make the dock safe to have power even if the lake level is above the pier.

Had to get another slip. Sad to leave...

MM
Click to expand...

So are you saying the new buffalo marina is basically toast ?
 
IMG_4230.JPG
MM! Sorry to see the water damage to what looks like a very nice, modern facility. I'm not getting why such a nice facility would be under water. The all time record high Lake Michigan water level was in 1986. Not one of our local marinas is under water because they were built with high water levels in mind. In our area we add steps or ladders as levels change and some have raised decks. None have gone out of business over these normal fluctuations. Was this marina built by an inexperienced developer not familiar with marine contracting work?
 
Golfman25 said:
So are you saying the new buffalo marina is basically toast ?
Click to expand...

This is The Moorings, an HOA marina property. Most marinas in NB are not under water. Not sure why they were built at the level they are but they also are sinking in the swamp on which they are built. My new dock is easily 5 feet above the water now.

MM
 
sbw1 said:
View attachment 69875 MM! Sorry to see the water damage to what looks like a very nice, modern facility. I'm not getting why such a nice facility would be under water. The all time record high Lake Michigan water level was in 1986. Not one of our local marinas is under water because they were built with high water levels in mind. In our area we add steps or ladders as levels change and some have raised decks. None have gone out of business over these normal fluctuations. Was this marina built by an inexperienced developer not familiar with marine contracting work?
Click to expand...

You are not asking anything not being asked by a lot of people and likely the lawyers soon.

MM
 
MonacoMike said:
This is, correction, was, my dock.

Sadly a group of very nice folks are being ripped apart by the water and damage that has been done. The exodus has begun. Many of these people have been spending summers together for 10-15 years. The power company turned off the power as the transformers are sinking and in water. Now the marina must be brought up to current code to have the power reconnected.

All that will just make the dock safe to have power even if the lake level is above the pier.

Had to get another slip. Sad to leave...

MM
Click to expand...
 
In the early 90’s we were in slip C131 at The Moorings. It was a great place to boat from. Our kids enjoyed their time there.
 
Back in the mid 90's we were in a harbor with a fixed dock like that. When we first bought our boat it was fine, after a few years you needed a ladder to get down to the boat. As the water levels dropped, more and more people left the harbor because the docks were so high.

They have converted to floating docks, and the harbor I am in now also has floating docks. I suspect these harbors will have to go to that as well because of the risk and the loss of business.
 
With all these postings there is one thing that seems to be a recurring problem: Changing water levels on Lk. Michigan.

With that thought in mind, and guessing that these water level changes have been happening for eons, why in the world would a marina owner build a marina with fixed docks?

We don't get those huge fluctuations and all docks out here are floating. I don't get it.
 
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