GARDEN CITY – A reading of water levels Friday morning showed that Bear Lake reached a significant mark. According to the Bear Lake Watch organization, the lake is up to an elevation of 5,921.58 feet, passing the 5,921.47 mark reached in 2011, which was another high water year.

Bear Lake Watch also noted the 2011 high water mark wasn’t reached until late July. It is still likely the water level will continue to rise through the next several weeks.

This year’s expected peak elevation has already been adjusted to higher than originally thought. Bear Lake State Park estimates the water will reach 5,922.6 feet sometime later this summer, which is close to the lake’s capacity at 5,923.65 feet. Last summer’s high was significantly lower at 5,914.45 feet.

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The high water levels <a href=”http://www.cachevalleydaily.com/news/article_d7d8fcea-470f-11e7-9d96-7f330a4ef0c6.html” target=”_blank”>will effect beachgoers</a>. Terri Wahlberg of Utah’s Bear Lake State Park told CacheValleyDaily.com in May that the water has covered all but two beaches: Rendezvous Beach on the Utah side and North Beach in Idaho. Those beaches will be less accessible as well. According to Doug Stephens, a ranger at Idaho’s Bear Lake Park, parking on the beach will not be available, meaning less access and possibly temporarily closed gates.