Great Lakes levels swamping yards in Grand Rapids

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The ripples from record high water levels in the Great Lakes are reaching far inland, soaking basements and swamping backyards in some Grand Rapids neighborhoods.

“It’s been a problem around the city,” said Carrie Rivette, a superintendent at the city’s Environmental Services Department. “I’ve talked to my counterparts across the city and the Midwest and it’s been a problem.”

The high lake levels translate into high river levels and high groundwater levels, she said.

“A record high of Lake Michigan means we’re having record high groundwater levels,” Rivette said. “It’s getting into more basements than we’ve ever seen this year.”

Lakes Michigan and Huron are tied for an all-time high for the month of July, set in 1986, and have risen 2 inches the past month. The other three Great Lakes all remain above the all-time record averages for July.

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