The Town of Tecumseh is getting ready for another year of high lake levels.
Once again, the town is offering free sandbags to help protect shoreline properties from flooding.
Mayor Gary McNamara says the town is preparing town properties for a breach of the shoreline and he's encouraging homeowners to do the same.
McNamara says Mother Nature is basically controlling the agenda.
"We just heard from the weather folks that we're expecting a very wet spring and certainly that's not good news for us for many many reasons," he says.
Last year, 100 free sandbags were offered to all residents who owned property along the shores of Lake St. Clair and Pike Creek.
This year, the town will offer an additional 100 sandbags to those who received sand last year, and 200 sandbags to property owners who did not take advantage of getting sand in 2019.
"All they have to do is just call our public works and they can be picked up and again the sand will be located at Lakewood Park," says McNamara.
Flooding seen in Tecumseh after heavy rains in September of 2016. (Photo courtesy of Theresa Kenney)
The town says the extent of flooding will depend a lot on lake levels, wind direction and duration, along with rainfall.
McNamara says officials are monitoring the shoreline.
"You have to look at obviously the shoreline is the critical point and when we did our mapping of the flood area, if the lake does breach, we got it pretty well covered," he says.
The Essex Region Conservation Authority warns that lake levels are 17 inches higher than they were last year at this time, and that's prior to the winter thaw and release from Lake Superior this spring.
CLICK HERE for more information on flood prevention measures listed on the Town of Tecumseh website.