Low water levels cause stuck riverboat

GEORGETOWN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) - Drought conditions have left river levels very low throughout West Michigan and on Saturday, it caused some passengers to wait for a tow.

On Saturday, the Grand Lady Riverboat hit a sandbar while on a cruise near Jenison. Passengers onboard the riverboat contacted 24 Hour News 8.

They say they were enjoying a fundraiser for the Jenison Historical Society when the riverboat landed on the sandbar.

Passengers say it took about 2.5 hours before the riverboat was towed out and continued its cruise on the Grand River.

On Friday, 24 Hour News 8 told you about how U.S. Geological Survey measures river flow  in cubic feet per second and usually the Rogue River flows at about 150 cubic feet per second, but the lack of rain has reduced the flow to less than 80.

The low flow could hurt West Michigan businesses that rely on the rivers .

The usual three hour tubing trip along the   Rogue River is taking people four hours  and three or four-person canoes can hardly make it with two passengers. Even on a short trip, kayakers found themselves having to get out of their kayaks and actually drag them in shallow areas.