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Lake levels

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Graphic from a keynote presentation by Jack Sheridan about historic fluctuations in Lake Michigan water levels. The graphic was reprinted in the SDHS newsletter insert page 396. The graphic includes data from 1922 to 2004 plus eight photos of erosion/submerged details revealed or flooding between 1936 and 2003
Lake Michigan levels.jpg 2.5MB; The Oval Beach erosion photos are from the Simmons collection.
image001.jpg 5.4MB; Living near Lake Michigan and the Kalamazoo River we are interested in the rise and fall of the water level. Records show that in the last 100 years the maximum and minimum levels have fluctuated drastically. The experts say that there is no predictable pattern to the levels in the long term. They know major short term factors influencing the level are rainfall-snowfall, and air temperature. The Society has a great many archived photos related to the subject - so to provide all of us with a bit of historical up and down prospective - here you are! Between 1917 and 2005 the level of Lake Michigan had a high of 583 feet above sea level and a low of 576.2 feet for a maximum fluctuation of 6.8 feet. gfs Old pier ca 1964.jpg 488KB gfs Cath Mini Dorothy 1951.jpg 339KB Singapore site JACK 1952.jpg 925kb; Jack Sheridan posing on Singapore dock remains exposed by 1952 low water levels Lake level final.jpg 152KB Water St 1991.jpg 417kb

2023.50.105

The public decrying high or low water levels is a constant refrain. "By the constant lowering of the water in Lake Michigan most of the boathouses in Saugatuck now stand several feet back from the river." -- Holland City News/The Holland Sentinel, Saturday, Nov. 7, 1891

SDHS NL InsertsWeather, extreme

Winthers, Sally

2023.50

Found in Collection

SDHS Newsletter insert pages 396

Digital data in CatalogIt

Old Harbor/Channel piers pre-1906/Ox-Bow Lagoon

Singapore, Michigan 1837-1875

This information was OCR text scanned from SDHS newsletter supplements. Binders of original paper copies are in the SDHC reference library.

01/07/2024

08/17/2025