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Water levels in Great Lakes hit record highs for May

Posted at 10:53 AM, Jun 04, 2019
and last updated 2019-06-04 12:47:59-04

LAKE MICHIGAN – If you have been to Lake Michigan shoreline, you may have noticed that there isn’t as much of it this year.

According to The Weather Channel, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron are up 32 inches from normal May levels. Lake Erie is five inches higher than any other May on record, while Lake Ontario is 34 inches above average May levels. Lake Superior gained three trillion gallons of water in one month.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports that Lake Michgan-Huron and Lake Ontario are just four inches below the record monthly average.

The higher levels have been good news for shipping companies and cruise lines, which have been able to move bigger vessels through the lakes. However, it is causing problems for property owners and marinas, with flooding and shrinking beach areas.

Heavy snowfall and spring rains have contributed to the issue this spring.  In May, the Great Lakes basin received 28% more precipitation than normal.