Federal Court Considering Dispute Over Lake Michigan Access

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waterlevelsgreatlakes-3

(From the Associated Press) – A federal appeals court appears unlikely to disturb a 2018 Indiana Supreme Court ruling that held the shoreline of Lake Michigan is, and always has been, owned by the state for the public’s use. Judges on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals seemed unpersuaded during oral arguments Wednesday on behalf of three lakefront property owners in the town of Porter who are looking to limit public access to beaches. The Northwest Indiana Times reports their attorney argued that land deeds and tax records show his clients own the beach in front of their homes to the water’s edge. But an appeals court questioned whether the federal courts should intervene.