Monday May Showers in Ludington

[XLFD]

It's been raining the last couple days in Ludington, so the already-high-water issues with Lake Michigan and Pere Marquette Lake was further pushed beyond the limit.  Many of you have likely been staying inside not only due to COVID-19 but also due to the governor's executive orders, so here are some of the issues we are dealing with in Ludington pictorially from what was photographed earlier today

Thanks to a serious amount of fill transported to the Ludington Yacht Club, there is still a land passage out to the clubhouse.  The water level, however, is right at the level of the house and likely suffering major water damage inside.

Across Copeyon Park is the new splash pad foundation.  In an ironic twist, the splash pad seems to be the only part of the park not being deluged with water, you will note the level of Pere Marquette Lake is seeping over the rock lining it normally has and inundating the grassy area.

Lake Melendy, which has remained fairly dry over most of the spring, is back to being Rath-ful of water.  This may be the highest I've seen it.  It may make it easier for the city council to award some monetary relief (to relocate their furnace) to a household that has been damaged by the lack of wise city infrastructure in that area at the city council meeting tonight.

This is a picture from the Ludington City Marina looking towards Waterfront Park.  You would normally see a waterside sidewalk beside a rock wall holding the water back, but this year, you can barely make out the sidewalk under the water as PM Lake.  As in Copeyon, the lawn is being invaded by the lake.

Looking the other way from the same spot, you finally see evidence of the rock rabble, but the sidewalk is still below lake level, along with the foundations of  the seats and trash cans.

From the center of the transient docks looking east, you see a similar sidewalk problem, one hopes that those electrical hookup boxes are protected from water at this level and beyond, if and when a storm surge happens.  

I was shocked to see a dock on the west side of transient dock, but figured out that it was there due to the City Marina currently being in the process of upgrading their 'C' docks to floating docks.  I thought at first the old docks pictured here had become floating docks by their own right.  But on inspection of the other side and noting that I attended a marina meeting in April where it was noted that the construction had been delayed due to executive orders from the governor, the moored dock that looked so out of place here was planned that way.

Hope you enjoyed that virtual tour of the lakeshore during this time of plagues and floods.

[Willy]

Good camera work X. The wind has been out of the east so most of the water is due to excess rain. If the winds had been out of the west there would, no doubt, be a lot more of Ludington under water. Did you manage to get a photo of the north breakwater and lighthouse. I always gauge water levels compared to how much of the breakwater is above the water. I have family in Hastings and they will be under a flood warning until the end of the week.

[XLFD]

I traveled to the end of Ludington Avenue and had a battery problem, but it looked a lot like it did back in April after some rains then, the dramatic rise seemed to be in PM Lake.  The playground and the west end slab (which I affectionately call "Wes the puppy") were both flooded with water at about the same levels as then and the breakwall seemed at roughly the same level too. 

Back then, the City marina's transient docks were still just above the water level, it looks like maybe 2-3 inches changed since then, making a nice wading pool.  I have heard tell that the twin bridge area on old 31 is getting close to being compromised, again a sign that PM Lake is reaching higher levels and potentially causing its own newer problems.

[XLFD]

Check this out, this is even more current:  https://www.facebook.com/kandi.fugere/videos/3599234550092885/?t=65