Boat
Slips: Water Levels in South Haven Harbor
Contact
Winston D. Moore
Water Levels in South Haven
Harbor
The depth of the water in
South Haven Harbor is determined in large part by the level of the water in
Lake Michigan (which is the same level as Lake Huron). The Lake level, and
thus the Harbor depth, has dropped and has remained below normal for the last several years. There is a web site which
tracks the rise and fall of the water level of Lake Michigan. You may wish to
refer to it to judge the probable levels of the water in Lake Michigan and the
South Haven Harbor. This is their address:
http://www.lre.usace.army.mil/_kd/Items/actions.cfm?action=Show&item_id=3885&destination=ShowItem
(You'll need acrobat reader to open.) You will note that there is an annual cycle with seasonal highs in June, July
and August and lows in February and March. In addition to this, the water
level may go up and down 6 to 10 inches within a few hours on any given day.
The other factor effecting water level is how much sand, silt and mud has built up on the river bottom of the Black River and basins connected to the river. The Harbor downstream from the South Haven Drawbridge is deeper than the upstream portion. It was dredged most recently in the Summer of 2002. This part of the Harbor was dredged to a depth of 12' below the "ordinary low water datum". The channel in from Lake Michigan was dredged to 14' also in 2002.
After some dispute, the City of South Haven agreed to have the river upstream from the drawbridge dredged. In the spring and summer of 2000 a 50' wide channel was dredged from a point just upstream from the South Haven Drawbridge to a point near the Blue Star Highway Bridge. This channel was dredged to a depth of 6' below the "ordinary low water datum". The water was already a foot below that mark when the river was dredged. When completed, boats with 4 1/2 foot draft had enough water. Boats with a 5' draft were bumping bottom in several places. Boat with 5'3" draft were complaining and boats with any deeper draft could not easily navigate the River above the Drawbridge. As the summer progressed and turned to fall, water levels started their annual decline. Boats with deeper drafts experienced more difficulty late in the season.
After several years of improving water levels, the spring of 2005 saw the beginning of a Mid-West draught that continued through October of that year. This has brought water levels back to the 2000 situation. Unless there are major rain and snow in-puts and/or surface freezing of the lakes in the winter of 2005/2006, we can expect somewhat lower water levels for 2006 boating season.
Slip renters or buyers should inquire or make their own determination concerning water depth of slips and of the river when they are considering leasing or purchasing. It is still prudent for slip renters to inquire!
Slip
availability
• Slips for Sale
• Condos with Boat Slips
Marinas: Oak Harbor
• River Noire Yacht Club
• Black River Yacht Club
Boat Yard Basin
• The Landings
River Ridge Condominiums
& Slips • Woodland
Harbor
