By Staff
CASSOPOLIS – With Memorial Day weekend weeks away, Cass County Water Resources Commissioner Bruce Campbell urges boaters to use good judgment as summer approaches.
Water levels on most county lakes are very high. Wakes can cause damage to some seawalls, lawns and, in some cases, even homes.
Cass County has 20 lakes that have legally established lake levels and on the majority of those lakes the level exceeds those set elevations.
Campbell states that water levels in the county are high for a number of reasons.
"Last September we had the remnants of both Tropical Depression Lowell and Hurricane Ike come through southwest Michigan in the same weekend.
"During the weekend of September 13-15 rain gauges in the county recorded anywhere from 10 to 12 in the two-day period with a few gauges registering 14 inches of rain. This was the equivalent of two 100-year rain events in one weekend.
"In some areas water ponded and never went away as the snows came in November. A number of system snows coupled with the lake effect snow events left snow on the ground for the majority of the winter.
"When spring came and the frost was still in the ground, we had some rains in early March that raised the water levels even higher," Campbell says. "The last few years have seen us entering a water cycle that is returning our water levels to high and in some places historic levels.
"The mid-'90s through the mid-2000s found us in an extremely dry period and many wetlands were drying up and lake levels were low. In the past few months we have seen wetlands that look like lakes and in many areas water has come up to the edge of roads and in some places the Road Commission has had to close roads.
'Water is standing in many farm fields, which has prompted a late start to the growing season for some. A number of people throughout the county have told me that they are seeing water in places that they never had before."
"The water table in the county is very high in most places and in the past few months I have received calls from county residents who tell me that they have owned their homes for over 50 years and have never had water in their basement. A large number of them have had sump pumps running continuously," Campbell says.
"The high water has caused flooding in some areas and has prompted a number a petitions that have come through my office involving both lakes and county drains. We are looking at a number of projects to help alleviate the problems high water has caused. We truly are at the mercy of Mother Nature."