Courtesy Photo The Harrisville Harbor is seen in this undated courtesy image.

HARRISVILLE — A large drop in the water levels in the Great Lakes is making it more challenging for people to launch their boats in Lake Huron and navigate shallower water.

Some harbors in Northeast Michigan, like the one in Harrisville, have a depth of only about 12 feet, which is enough to accommodate most power boats, but concern is rising that if water levels continue to fall, launching a boat could become a serious issue.

Harrisville Harbormaster Steve Alexander said water levels have dropped about 27 inches over the last year, which brings challenges.

He said people who are launching boats at the public launch need to back their trailer and vehicle further back onto the concrete slab near the dock, which increases the chance they could slip off the ramp and damage their vehicle in the water.

He said people operating boats also need to be more aware of their surroundings while on the lake because certain areas, where there were abundant water depths, have now become shallow.

“It is getting concerning for sure, but it is not a huge issue yet,” Alexander said. “People have gotten used to the high water levels, but now it’s all changed.”

Alexander said the Army Corps of Engineers has been to the harbor and collected data, and a dredging project is being considered for next year. He said the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and Harrisville are also having talks about additional measures to address the boat ramp.

In Alpena, the water depth at the harbor doesn’t seem to be an issue, harbormaster Kevin Fisher said. He said the Army Corps has conducted depth measurements that have lasted several years, and the water levels in and around it seem stable.

Fisher added that water levels can fluctuate up and down, depending on wind direction, the flow of tides, and weather conditions like precipitation amounts and snow thaw.

“Our harbor seems to retain water better than some other marinas,” he said. “Plus, the river tends to fill up the harbor just from the natural flow of it. We have had our docks in and I haven’t heard of any concerns yet.”