Water levels in Georgian Bay are higher than they have been in decades.
Edward Holley with the Sturgeon Point Marina said the last time the bay was this high was back in the 1980s. “We had a storm surge when the water levels were extremely high,” he explained. “Then they dropped drastically once we head into the mid-90s.”
The water started rising again seven years ago after reaching historic lows. It’s now 60 centimetres, or two feet, above the long-term average.
According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the lake rose more than 20 centimetres over the past month giving marinas some extra depth.
“Customers can now get to their boats a lot easier, and they don’t have to worry about hitting bottom when they go boating,” Holley said.
While the trend gives boaters some extra breathing room, the rising water is slowly infringing on the shoreline around the bay. In some areas along Wasaga Beach, the sand narrows down to nothing.
High winds can now create surges that flood low-lying areas. Storm surges can also affect the lower Nottawasaga River where some sea walls are underwater. “Water levels will increase back here six to eight inches if the weather goes more out of the north. Water levels can go up a foot, foot-and-a-half, and that can happen within hours,” said Holley.
The army corps expects water levels to rise another 10 centimetres by the end of the month, just a few centimetres short of a record high set in 1986.
