Coastal Resilience Newsletter

Seasons greetings from the Coastal Resilience Team!

This month's newsletter contains articles on:

Lake Michigan Water Levels Update
Blog - It's Evaporation Season (Normally)
Resource of the Month - Great Lakes Coastal Shore Protection Structures
Community Story - Sodus Point, NY Post-Flood Recovery Visioning

December Water Level Update

The water levels on all the Great Lakes remain above average into December. Lake Michigan is currently at the same level as the record high monthly mean that was set in December of 1986. However, the Great Lakes Basin was relatively dry over the past month and as a whole received just two-thirds of its average precipitation for November. Looking forward, water levels on the Great Lakes have begun their “seasonal decline” but expect them to stay near record highs into the new year.

It's Evaporation Season (Normally)

Lake Michigan-Huron Net Basin Supply. Created by Lydia Salus, Coastal Resilience Project Assistant.

One question our team has been hearing a lot lately is “what will cause Lake Michigan’s water levels to go back down?” This is the perfect time of the year to discuss this question because the fall and winter seasons are typically when water levels in the Great Lakes drop due to decreasing precipitation and increasing evaporation.

This blog covers:

Fluctuations in water levels
Evaporation and the water balance
Drivers of evaporation
What is happening this year

Resource of the Month

Great Lakes Coastal Shore Protection Fact Sheet

Great Lakes Coastal Shore Protection Structures & Their Effects on Coastal Processes is a fact sheet that discusses the different types of shore protection and their impacts on coastal processes. Much of the Great Lakes shorelines, ports, harbors and marinas are protected from storms, waves, ice and high-water level damage by engineered coastal and offshore protection structures. During this period of high water levels, coastal property owners and communities are considering installing shore protection structures.

The information provided in this document is intended to help decision-makers develop an understanding of Great Lakes coastal processes and how coastal structures can impact those processes so that they can make informed decisions when choosing an engineered solution.

Coastal Resilience Stories from Around the Great Lakes

The Village of Sodus Point Community Resilience Model

Post-Flood Recovery Visioning

The Village of Sodus Point, NY used a visioning process piloted by the New York Sea Grant and the Genesee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council to help their community improve their resiliency to future flooding events.

"NYSG’s post-flood recovery planning provides communities the opportunity to improve resilience to future flooding"

This process was designed to be transferable to other communities. Part of the visioning process included sharing a self-assessment checklist to help communities identify flooding vulnerabilities and hosting a public engagement workshop.

Local residents, Village staff, Village and County department representatives, and topical experts with state and federal agencies, organizations, and academia all participated in the workshop. Using breakout groups, participants identified and prioritized actions that would make community assets more resilient to future flooding events.

The workshop findings to the Village Board will be used to design rough project concepts with potential funding sources.

Visit Their Website

If you have any questions about Lake Michigan coastal hazards or how to approach, plan, and prepare for them, please contact

Adam Bechle

bechle@aqua.wisc.edu

608-263-5133

For more information, visit the Southeast Wisconsin Coastal Resilience Project website

University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute | (608) 262-0905 | 1975 Willow Drive, 2nd Floor, Madison, WI 53706