Silke Jasso
With their toes in the sand and face in the sun, beach goers may feel a bit more crowded than usual this summer as the lake levels rise.
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The water level of Lake Michigan is soaring at 580 feet above sea level causing the water to overcome the sandy beach space, according to DNAinfo. This is a full foot above the average water level for May Keith Kompoltowicz, who keeps track of water levels in the Great Lakes for the Army Corps of Engineers, told DNAinfo.
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Last year Chicagoans may have noticed a similar situation with beaches like 12th Street Beach and Montrose beach being significantly smaller than usual. What makes this year different is that water levels exceed even last year’s high.
Compared to four years ago when it was at its lowest, the water level is up an astounding 4 feet, according to DNAinfo. While the Chicago Park District, which manages the city’s beaches, should not be affected by the rising levels, Kompoltowicz noted that the rising levels between 2013-2014 caused noticeable differences, according to DNAinfo.
“Beaches were disappearing and water encroaching on folks’ property lines and creating some issues with erosion as waves were crashing closer and closer to folks’ homes and infrastructure,” Kompoltowicz told DNAinfo.
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While the beaches may appear smaller, there is no telling just how much change Chicagoans will see. Kompoltowicz told DNAinfo that the difference will vary from shoreline to shoreline.
The water level is predicted by the Army Corps of Engineers to remain above average for the summer. In large part this is due to the above average amount of rainfall the city has already seen this year,AccuWeather meteorologist John Gresiak told DNAinfo.
Gresiak said the rising levels are not uncommon this year and several other Great Lakes are also seeing a rise in water level.
Make sure to get to the beach with plenty of time to spare this summer because those hard to find spots are going to be even more rare with more water and less beach this time around.
