Low Lake Level Preparation

You can read all about the US Army Corps of Engineers and how they manage and monitor lake levels here.

Mooring and Anchoring Issues

  • Tension on lines: Mooring lines may become too tight or slack, leading to instability or damage. Owners should closely monitor lake elevations and adjust mooring lines as necessary.
  • Piling exposure: Homes may slide too low on pilings, reducing their ability to rise and fall safely with water levels.

Utility Connections

  • Strain on flexible lines: Water, sewer, and electrical connections may be stretched or kinked if not properly adjusted so check your electric, water, sewer, cable and gas lines. If lines are getting stretched, call your utility or local business to make adjustments. PSE Gas/Electric Emergency: 888 225-5773
  • Risk of disconnection: In extreme cases, utilities could disconnect or be damaged.
  • Sewer: Work with dock members to understand the sewer system. Make sure you have back-check valves in sewer lines. If you are on a gravity feed system to your primary tank, you may have to add a personal sump tank and pump to transfer your household waste to your dock’s primary sump tank.

Structural Stress

  • Floating homes may bottom out: If the lake level drops too far, docks and homes could rest on the lakebed, causing structural stress.
  • If a floating home becomes partially grounded, it can cause uneven weight distribution, leading to cracks or warping.
  • Steeper ramps: As water levels drop, access ramps can become dangerously steep or even unusable. Consider adjustable ramps or gangways.
  • Inspect for signs of grounding or stress on the structure.
  • Work with your dock neighbors as a community to solve specific problems on your dock. Every dock has a unique situation.

Grounding 

• Be proactive and consider having divers check how high you are floating above the bottom.
• Work with your flotation service to design a plan for what to do now and when the water level rises.
• Lighten up. Your house is a boat, if you take weight off it floats higher. Rent a storage unit and temporarily move things off until water comes back. Books, plants, heavy furniture, and appliances may need to be removed or adjusted.
• Work with your dock to see if it is possible and makes sense to temporarily move your house further away from the shore to deeper water.
• If grounded, talk to flotation service about adding flotation to keep your home balanced and then remove it when the water level rises.
• When the rises be ready to have crushed barrels replaced.

Navigation and Safety

  • Shallower channels: Boats may have trouble accessing homes or navigating nearby waterways.
  • Increased debris: Exposed lakebeds can release logs, rocks, or other hazards.

Ed Waddington gave a presentation on the variety of situations that we as floating home owners should watch out for and introduced some solutions.(Low water issues -Ed Waddington)

Grounding

Plan Ahead
• If for any reason your house becomes uninhabitable start considering plans for alternative housing.
• Contact you insurance company and discuss coverage.
• Time is short to act this year and many solutions may be short term. It is time to start looking at long term plans.

Floating home owners have historically overcome many obstacles by working together as a community. Now, as always, we are in this together. Use dock meetings to analyze problems and solutions. Utilize the FHA Facebook page as a way to communicate your problems and solutions with other docks.

Contacts:

Seattle Floating Homes Association: https://archive.seattlefloatinghomes.org/
Seattle Floating Homes Facebook Group where you can post questions for other floating home owners and residents: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SeattleFloatingHomesAssociation/ 
SPU Water/Sewer Emergency: 206 386-1800
PSE Gas/Electric Emergency: 888 225-5773

Flotation Services