Waves crashing into bottoms that haven't been so near the surface for a while have the same stirring effect. Pleasure boaters have difficulty maneuvering in waters where they've never had trouble before. Some say there are benefits. The Lake Michigan Federation, for example, notes that wider beaches mean more opportunities for different species of plants to grow. And the best protection from erosion is to have a wide beach.
Experts say changing water levels are all part of the natural ebb and flow of the lakes.
Geological evidence suggests levels have been rising and falling throughout the 4,500 years that the lakes have looked like they do today, according to Frank Quinn, of the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory. By that reckoning, Lake Michigan is at its lowest point since 1965, and just 7 inches above the record low of 1964. Today, docks at the harbor stand about 6 feet above the water line. Some boaters will have to use ladders this summer to reach their decks safely, Walker said. She recalls years when water almost topped the docks.