St. Clair Shores' boaters grip with rising waters, submerged docks

ST. CLAIR SHORES, Mich. (FOX 2) - In case you haven't heard, the water levels in Michigan are high.

Like, historically high.

"Water levels in Lake St Clair and actually all the Great Lakes are way up," said Michael Smith, city manager for St. Clair Shores.

City streets get flooded, metro homes feature standing water and highways are blocked off. But that's not all. Boaters in St. Clair Shores are also gripping with the overflowing water.

"I think it's the highest levels in 30 to 40 years is what they're saying. Luckily my dock is still above water," said Dan Stivers, a boater from the city. 

But not everyone's dock is dry. In fact, the issue of submerged marinas is plaguing the city.

"But one issue that we can't as easily address is when it comes to marinas and docks," said Smith. 

The St. Clair Blossom Health Marina is under water. So much so that officials are considering building docks on top of other docks. It's crucial that the city finds a remedy too. Tourism, a key economic driver for the city, could decline.

"For instance, on our boat ramp it actually has a 12-inch additional dock on top of it already," said Smith. "So the normal dock we would use for launching boats is over a foot under water."

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And the struggles don't stop there. Less than a mile away at a private marina, boaters don't have cable. 

"We turned it off because of the fact it was underwater. So you can't have that. People could get electrocuted," said Mary Ann Pepp, of Emerald City Harbor. That's a big thing for people who come out and spend the weekends on their boats and want to watch TV or stream something."

But fret not boaters, your problems may soon evaporate. Not just a pun, but also the solution.

"Historically, water levels start dropping at the end of the month due to evaporation," said Smith.