{"id":29488,"date":"2024-07-11T12:54:28","date_gmt":"2024-07-11T16:54:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/?p=29488"},"modified":"2025-07-31T13:01:26","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T17:01:26","slug":"buoys-on-great-lake-conditions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/buoys-on-great-lake-conditions\/","title":{"rendered":"Buoys Keep Eye on Great Lake Conditions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) have four buoys<\/a> now in place on the Great Lakes which inform scientists, weather forecasters, anglers, boaters, paddlers, surfers, swimmers and educational programs about current lake conditions. They collect data on wind speed, surface current, wave height, and water temperatures, providing valuable insights for scientists and the public.<\/p>\n

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  1. Michigan City Buoy<\/a> – This buoy is located three miles offshore of Michigan City, Indiana. Purdue University\u2019s Lyles School of Civil Engineering created the anchor used to keep the buoy in place. They also maintain and help deploy this buoy each year. The Michigan City Port Authority and the Lake Michigan Indiana Department of Natural Resources office played pivotal roles in helping deploy the anchor. The buoy itself was funded through a grant provided by Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant. A grant from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Coastal Management Program allowed for the addition of the temperature chain.<\/li>\n
  2. Chicago Buoy<\/a> – This buoy, also called Chuoy, is based in the busy waters off Navy Pier, approximately a mile due east of the pier. This buoy is jointly owned and operated by Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and the Lyles School of Civil Engineering at Purdue University.
    \nFor more information about Chuoy, check out this IISG article:     New to Navy Pier waters, Chuoy the Buoy Proved a Valuable Forecasting Tool<\/a>.<\/li>\n
  3. Wilmette Buoy<\/a> – The Wilmette Buoy is situated approximately four miles off Wilmette, in Lake Michigan. The Sheridan Shore Yacht Club and the Coast Guard in Wilmette help deploy and store this buoy each year. Henry\u2019s Sports and Bait\u00a0shop in downtown Chicago helped deploy the anchor.\u00a0The buoy was first deployed through a grant from the\u00a0Great Lakes Observing System\u00a0and the\u00a0NOAA Coastal Storms Program.<\/li>\n
  4. Waukegan Buoy<\/a> – The Waukegan buoy is situated about a mile offshore from Waukegan Harbor in Lake Michigan. This buoy is owned and operated by the University of Illinois and the Illinois State Geological Survey. LimnoTech, Inc. and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant play pivotal roles in helping deploy and support the buoy. The buoy was first deployed through a grant from NOAA. Continued funding support comes from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Coastal Management Program.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \"Dr.<\/a><\/p>\n

    For more information and photos view Purdue College of Agriculture News: Gearing Up for a Great Lake Day<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    \u201cThe buoys act as a service to people who are active in Lake Michigan,\u201d said Tomas H\u00f6\u00f6k<\/a>, director of Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and professor of Forestry and Natural Resources at Purdue University. \u201cA line runs from the surface of the buoy to the bottom of the lake, and sensors collect a variety of data. The buoy\u2019s modem then communicates with a cell tower, providing data that anyone can access in real-time.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cNear-record high water levels a few years ago were causing erosion along the shoreline, and there were even cases farther north in Lake Michigan of houses falling into the lake. But if you look back about 10 years, near-record low levels made the<\/span> shoreline look like a mud flat,\u201d H\u00f6\u00f6k explained. \u201cIt\u2019s important to understand because if infrastructure is built while the water is low, it\u2019s highly likely the water level will rise back up and threaten that infrastructure.\u201d\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Subscribe to Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant YouTube Channel<\/a> and view buoy videos along with fishing, water safety and other educational videos.<\/p>\n