High lake levels in the Windsor area have claimed another victim.
The Windsor Port Authority (WPA) said the Riverside Marina, owned and operated by the WPA, has had to cut the season short for some boaters unable to safely access their boats due to high water levels where Lake St. Clair meets the Detroit River.
Thirty-six boaters have been displaced due to submerged docks since May. The port authority has refunded those boaters $42,000 in total.
“We were hopeful that water levels would eventually recede to more normal levels, but as July rolled in, there is no reduction in lake levels in sight," said Steve Salmons, president and CEO of Port Windsor. "We decided to put safety first by closing down docks 4/5, and refunding our affected customers for the entire season.”
Port Windsor apologized for the disruption in a letter to the boaters stating, “It has been a challenging summer on the lakes this year. We regret that high water levels have prevented us from offering you the usual enjoyable marina experience that you look forward to each summer.”
Riverside Marina has 102 deep water slips across from Peche Island.