Lake Erie is 2 feet higher than normal causing the Ohio coastline to wash away

CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) - If you don't live on the banks of Lake Erie you probably haven't noticed the lake is about two feet higher than normal for this time of year.

"The increase in water levels can be attributed to increased precipitation this spring along with snow runoff making its way down from the upper Great Lakes," according to Matt Eiselstein with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).

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Water in the past week has nearly covered the break walls.

Eiselstein said Lake Erie is the shallowest of all the Great Lakes which means it's much more susceptible to changing water levels.

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"Even though we remain near record high water levels for this time of year (we are 2 inches below the record high water level for May), spring storms coupled with increased water levels have created significant coastal erosion issues for some property owners," Eiselstein said. "Erosion and flooding of low lying areas can be observed along much of the Ohio Lake Erie coastline."

The problem of erosion is so bad ODNR has made it easier for property owners to get what's known as "temporary shore structure permit" to repair areas where land has washed away.

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