BUCKEYE LAKE, Ohio — Drought conditions have been increasing throughout the summer over central Ohio, so it's no surprise the impacts that we see from this dry weather are expanding as well. From crunchy lawns, to lower harvests and now to a shorter boating season, we continue to see the effects of little to no rain here in the state.
When it comes to those boaters we are now seeing many already or getting ready to pull their boats out of the water for the season over at Buckeye Lake. This is because a lake, usually on the more shallow side, is starting to turn impassable in some areas, especially in the canals and for docks along the edges.
The picture above is the view from where Gary Spain has his boat docked, now resting on mud and becoming harder to take out to deeper water. Spain said in 27 years he has "never seen it like this."
"I'm still OK for right now, but like I said, if we don't get any rain, if it keeps going down, then I will have to take it out. I just won't have a choice, you know?" Spain said.
He estimates he is about a week away from having to make that call.
Making that call before it's too late is a good move though, because shallow water can cause damage to boats and their motors if not navigated properly.
Justin Domyan from Roy's Marine Service said they are already seeing the impacts on boats from the low water levels.
"The majority of the damage we're seeing are broken cases, broken skeggs, broken shafts, broken gears. We've got a lot of boats getting clogged with mud in the cooling systems, the impellers are getting destroyed," Domyan said.
This kind of damage can range from the hundreds to thousands of dollars, but the real damage would be having the boat stuck in the water through the winter.
"I think the biggest concern is if we don't get water, and we don't get people off the lake, we haven't designed a system to actually winterize your boat without causing problems in the lake, without polluting the lake. If they don't get winterized, then the drive problems are the least of their concerns," Domyan said.
Many people are already staring to heed that call, and Jeffery Robb with Robbco Marine said they are taking many more boats out of the water this time of the year compared to normal. Although he said there is still some boating season left to enjoy, just make sure to get out of those shallow canals and edge waters.
"I would just be smart about it. A lot of people know the lake out here and aren't too worried about it. They know where the hazards are and what not. But if you're a new boater out here, just to use extreme caution and just play it safe," Robb said.
Avoiding any unnecessary costs and damages late into the boating season will ensure you leave summer on your best foot and enter next year ready to take on the water!
-- Meteorologist Michael Behrens
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