Lake Michigan Low Water

Escapade

Escapade

Well-Known Member
SILVER Sponsor
Jan 10, 2007
1,262
Lake Michigan
Boat Info
44 Sundancer
Engines
QSC500
Well that confirms it! I tagged bottom while docking at a local eatery. That one time I did not have my depth on and the water is low. No major damage as we were backing in when we hit. Had boat pulled and threw extra prop on for good measure. It looked another 1/2 foot low again last night. We can see all kinds of new shoreline we have never seen before.
 
It's 8" below chart datum today having dropped 1" since last Friday. It is 2" above the all time low in 1964 for this time of the year. We now have step stool on our boat to get up to our dock.
 
When you bring your boat down to the Service Center for the winter - stay out on the wall! The area by the slips and the Dry Stack well is scary shallow - on clear days you see stuff that could do major damage!

We Dry Stack and will only go in the outer or most western three slips and getting into the lifting well is a challenge.
 
From what I saw down 11" from last year and 25" from average.
 
Escapade said:
Well that confirms it! I tagged bottom while docking at a local eatery. That one time I did not have my depth on and the water is low. No major damage as we were backing in when we hit. Had boat pulled and threw extra prop on for good measure. It looked another 1/2 foot low again last night. We can see all kinds of new shoreline we have never seen before.
Click to expand...


You need to be more carefull with my old boat.

Gary
 
Gary- I’d like to say, your standards /diligence have been passed to Sue and I. You would be proud to hear the compliments we get weekly. Not only when we have her pulled out for replacing prop! Sadly I’m looking forward to wax and microfiber towels in the heated storage. Enjoy these last few weekends my friend. Mike
 
As reported from the Army Corps of Engineers.


SUPERIOR
MICH-HURON
ST. CLAIR
ERIE
ONTARIO
Forecasted Water Level for Sep 28, 2012 (feet)
601.0
576.8
573.1
570.6
244.2
Chart Datum (feet)
601.1
577.5
572.3
569.2
243.3
Difference from chart datum (inches)
-1
-8
+10
+17
+11
Difference from average water level for Aug 28, 2012 (inches*)
-3
-6
-5
-4
-6
Difference from average water level for Sep 28, 2011 (inches*)
-2
-12
-14
-15
-10
 
Yesterday I was going to hop in the water and do some cleaning but the water temp was 54. I don't jump in that stuff unless it's an emergency.:lol: I'll clean it when I pull it
 
I feel bad for you Lake Michigan guys - just spent the day down south in Manistique (North shore of Lake Michigan) and stopped by the state harbor to check things out.
Boy is that water down. Fortunately for us on Lake Superior the level has not changed over the last few years. I guess they are not letting it go through the soo.
Let's hope for a heavy snow winter to bring the levels up. :thumbsup:
 
I'm still waiting in white hall to be hauled out, 10' from boat is dry land, still reading 1.6' under boat but damn its getting really scarey. Here's a thought for us Lake Michigan boaters .... Will we get our boats paid off, before we run out of water???? Just s thought!!!!!
 
And we are supposed to lose another 3 inches by Nov. We are only 2 inches above all time recorded low for Oct. With the forecasted 3 inch drop for Nov we will be equal to the all time low for Nov. (1964).
http://www.lre.usace.army.mil/greatlakes/hh/datalinks/PrinterFriendly/weekly.pdf
A longer term graphical representation is here:
http://www.lre.usace.army.mil/_kd/Items/actions.cfm?action=Show&item_id=3885&destination=ShowItem
If the lowesrt part of the projections come true, we will have to be subtracting almost 2 FEET from our chart data next March!
I hate to wish for lots of snow but the water levels sure need it!
 
Grand Haven has got to be looking mighty scarey these days, I'll bet your seeing pylons that you've never thought were there, I know we are up here in White Hall/Montague....Some of our friends in our Marina couldn't even turn on their furnace's, they were sucking in black silt.. from the bottom.. we weren't but with Novembers predictions, it's getting people awefully nervous..
 
It is low for sure. Put the boat in gear and just watch the silt rise up when leaving the dock. Marina has dredged the entrance all the way to the fuel dock and hoist to be sure the bid "Chicago boats" can get in for storage. Sailboats have been getting stuck the last couple months in part of the marina. Our boat is in storage now and I'm hoping for more water in the Spring.
 
Here's hoping for a nasty a$$ winter with blizzards galore, a wet rainy spring and summer, that ought to fill 'er up.:lol:
 
New Buffalo has quite. Few bows on sand in their slips and any boats close to a sea wall are on bottom. The good news is all fairways are nicely open and the harbor entrance is good.

St. Joseph/Benton harbor and mich city are having some major problems getting boats to the hoist pits for storage. I'm waiting for a stong north wind to bring a 46 Bertam up for storage!
 
Woody said:
Here's hoping for a nasty a$$ winter with blizzards galore, a wet rainy spring and summer, that ought to fill 'er up.:lol:
Click to expand...

I'll second that, with exception of the wet summer, I think you went a little too far there :grin:. I'm guessing you pulled the boat and the cabin fever crazy talk is already starting. Bring on the heavy snow weather Eh! :thumbsup:
 
Water level aside. It is as clear as I have ever seen it. All the recend cell phones and wrenches appear to a hands reach away now. I'm up foe a good winter/ wet spring to get this pond back up. Two more weeks and we make the long ride to port for the haul out.
 
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