Low water causing problems for boaters - 13abc.com Toledo (OH) News, Weather and Sports

July ended with near-normal rainfall for the month, but in the big picture, it's no secret that things are still fairly dry.

Marinas and yacht clubs along the Ottawa River are dealing with low water levels, and boaters aren't happy.

"Most of the water here in the club is two and a half to three feet deep, but once you get out in the river, it gets a little shallower," says Fred Inman a member of the River View Yacht Club

The problem is nothing new, but it's just a little worse, this year.

"This year, the biggest problem we have is the lack of water upstream," Fred says.

Since April, precipitation has been a few inches below average, upstream along the Ottawa River, and low river levels become a little bit lower when the winds shift in a certain direction, over Point Place.

Fred added, "if you've got a 20 foot boat or a pontoon boat, you can get around okay, but we used to have sailboats out here that would draw four feet. They aren't here anymore because they can't get in and out."

He says there are more problems upstream, where the lack of rain plays a larger role in water level.

"They've dropped the prices for some of the slips up the river, just to try to fill them, because they're sitting there empty."

Many local boaters want the river to be dredged, but they feel it has been challenging to get government support because the river crosses the Michigan / Ohio State line nearby.

Until heavier rain returns, and the winds cooperate, some of the smaller marinas may struggle to stay afloat.