The Berrien County Parks Department and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources are urging visitors to be cautious before venturing into Lake Michigan, especially as swimmers are expected to hit the beach this coming week during a heatwave.
The Great Lakes are prone to dangerous currents that could threaten even the most experienced swimmers. High waves, structural currents, and other dangerous waves can occur along the beaches, and near the outlets of rivers here in southwest Michigan.
Silver Beach County Park’s Genevieve Graves told us how important it is to take precautions before entering the water due to the specific nature of Lake Michigan.
“The time between our waves is actually shorter,” Graves said. “So if you get caught up out there, you have less time to come up for a breath in between the waves, and it’s just a lot of people don’t think about that and don’t think about how dangerous it is closer to the peers and stuff like that. So the education is super important to us. And just providing lifeguards here at Silver Beach is incredibly important to us to make sure that all of our visitors are safe.”
Before entering the water, tourists should look out for warning flags, which let them know if water conditions are safe. Graves explained at Silver Beach there are three different flags: green, yellow, and red, with red being the most dangerous. When there is a red flag, signs are posted everywhere, including at the entrance and on social media.
“The green flag means that there is a low swim risk, that dangerous waves and currents are not expected and it’s okay to swim, but obviously be cautious. Then the next one is yellow, which is a moderate swim risk, and that means breaking waves and currents are expected, and so of course be cautious. And then red flags mean that the swim risk is high, so breaking waves and currents are bad, and there’s no swimming allowed.”
Swimming when there’s a red flag posted can result in a fine for the swimmer.
Graves also noted that visitors should be aware of the weather for that day to be safe and prepared. Lifeguards will be on duty at all times, and are happy to answer all questions about the water and beach conditions for that day.
