Loving the lake levels (up 14 inches)

The Bay City Times has an update on the present conditions of Lake Huron:

Lake Huron water levels are reaching their seasonal peak, and are up 14 inches from a year ago. The 14-inch climb is the largest on the Great Lakes, and bodes well for the near future, forecasters say. The 14-inch rise on Lakes Michigan-Huron is still 9 inches below average for this time of year, but 2 feet above a low point in 1964, the Corps says.

Cynthia E. Sellinger, a hydrologist at the Great Lakes Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor, said the 14-inch increase on Lake Huron is significant because it was driven by heavy rain in May. "What normally raises water levels is in the spring, when we have really nice spring runoff from snow melt," Sellinger said.

Sellinger said boaters should enjoy the water while they can, because Lake Huron will begin its seasonal decline in coming months. A six-month forecast shows a drop of 6-8 inches, Sellinger said. Still, the lake will likely remain about 14 inches above what it was last winter, she said.