Got Nature? Blog

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) have four buoys 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.

1. Michigan City Buoy – This buoy is located three miles offshore of Michigan City, Indiana. Purdue University’s 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.
2. Chicago Buoy – 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.
   For more information about Chuoy, check out this IISG article: New to Navy Pier waters, Chuoy the Buoy Proved a Valuable Forecasting Tool.
3. Wilmette Buoy – 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’s Sports and Bait shop in downtown Chicago helped deploy the anchor. The buoy was first deployed through a grant from the Great Lakes Observing System and the NOAA Coastal Storms Program.
4. Waukegan Buoy – 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.

For more information and photos view Purdue College of Agriculture News: Gearing Up for a Great Lake Day.

“The buoys act as a service to people who are active in Lake Michigan,” said Tomas Höök, director of Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and professor of Forestry and Natural Resources at Purdue University. “A line runs from the surface of the buoy to the bottom of the lake, and sensors collect a variety of data. The buoy’s modem then communicates with a cell tower, providing data that anyone can access in real-time.”

“Near-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 shoreline look like a mud flat,” Höök explained. “It’s important to understand because if infrastructure is built while the water is low, it’s highly likely the water level will rise back up and threaten that infrastructure.”  

Subscribe to Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant YouTube Channel and view buoy videos along with fishing, water safety and other educational videos.

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant is a partnership between NOAA, University of Illinois Extension, and Purdue University Forestry and Natural Resources, bringing science together with communities for solutions that work. Sea Grant is a network of 34 science, education and outreach programs located in every coastal and Great Lakes state, Lake Champlain, Puerto Rico and Guam.

Partners and Other Resources:
Lyles School of Civil Engineering, Purdue University
Henry’s Sports and Bait, Chicago, Illinois
Great Lakes Observing System
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal Storms Program
Illinois State Geological Survey
University of Illinois
Purdue University
Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University
LimnoTech
Illinois Department of Natural Resources Coastal Management Program
Indiana Department of Natural Resources Coastal Management Program
Lake Michigan Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Michigan City Port Authority
Center For Great Lakes Literacy (CGLL)
Eat Midwest Fish, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and North Central Regional Aquaculture Center
Informing the Development of the Great Lakes Region Decision Support System, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
Fish Cleaning with Purdue Extension County Extension Director, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources
Walleye Farmed Fish Fact Sheet: A Guide for Seafood Consumers, The Education Store
Using Buoy Data to Teach about Lake Michigan Conditions and Current Issues, Got Nature?
New Buoy Offers Real-Time Lake Michigan Data in Indiana, Got Nature?
Meet the buoys of summer who help Purdue and Illinois study Lake Michigan: BTN LiveBIG, BTN
National Data Buoy Center (noaa.gov), National Data Buoy Center

Diana Evans, Extension & Web Communications Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources