Critically High Water Levels at Whte Lake - May 2019

If you have been to the lake lately, you already know that the lake is approaching high water levels that we have not seen since the 1980s.  This causes all manner of problems for the lake, threatening homes and other beach structure and pulling organic material from the shore into the lake where it decomposes, increasing phosporous levels and algea blooms.

It rose dramatically in the big rainstorms on Aug 27 and 28, 2018, continued to rise last fall and with the snow melt this spring.  The last reading in mid-may was 96.68, which is well above the DNR's ordinary high water mark of 95.7.

The White Lake Management District has taken on several initiatives to try to mitigate this difficult problem. They are investigating how quickly we could re-instate the pumping station on the southeast corner of the lake that was dismantled when the water receded in the 90s.  They are also investigating a longer-term plan to restore a natural outlet that used to exist on the southwest corner.

In the meantime, the WLMD is asking all White Lake stakeholders to respect their neighbors property and the health of the lake by observing slow-no-wake speeds until the lake recedes below the ordinary high water mark.  

We realize this stinks for everyone who loves skiing, tubing, jetskiing, etc, but the White Lake Property Owners Association Board supports this decision.  As you can see from the pictures, there are neighbors whose homes are severely threatened.  Making a wake is like throwing a bucket of water into their living room.





The chart below charts the water levels from 1976 through last fall (Thanks Stan Young and Tom Kielich), but does not account for the additional foot it has risen since the snow melt this spring.