The Cook nuclear power plant weather buoy is now back in Lake Michigan, signaling the start of the busy boating season.
Cook plant spokesperson Bill Downey tells us a company called Limnotech maintains the buoy, while Cook pays for it. It’s been a service provided by the plant for several years as Downey says fishers and plant staff find it useful.
“Being right here on the water, our environmental team is pretty concerned about making sure that we maintain the water and keep it clean, and we were approached by Limnotech a number of years ago because of our proximity to the water and our care for the water,” Downey said.
So, what kind of information does the buoy collect?
“Wave height, elevation, air temp, all kinds of great weather data, sea temp depth, water depth, everything except for are there fish in the area.”
Downey says the buoy is about 2.5 miles out into the lake in about 70 feet of water. Boaters thinking about heading out into the lake on a given day can find out what kind of wave action they might encounter by checking the buoy.
You can find the buoy’s website right here, and there’s more information about its data here.
The buoy will remain out in the water through October.
