Explore Updated Bluff Recession Mapping - Coastal Resilience Newsletter

September 2019

Greetings from the Coastal Resilience Team,

Welcome to September's Southeastern Wisconsin Coastal Resilience newsletter. This month's newsletter contains articles on:

Lake Michigan Water Levels
Resource of the Month - Wisconsin Shoreline Inventory & Oblique Photo Viewer
Blog - Reviewing Opportunities to Increase Coastal Resilience
Community Story - Color Run/Walk to Protect the Kings Park Bluff
Funding Opportunity - Wisconsin Coastal Management Annual Grants

Water Levels Remain Near Record Highs

The water levels on all of the Great Lakes remain at or near record levels. In August, Lake Michigan-Huron was three inches below its record high monthly mean. September will likely end up below but similarly close to record highs. Looking forward, water levels have begun their “seasonal decline” this fall but expect them to stay high in the near future.

Learn more about how September water levels compare to historical records, the role of this year's wet weather on the rise of Great Lakes water levels, and how to start managing for coastal hazards.

Resource of the Month

Wisconsin Shoreline Inventory & Oblique Photo Viewer

Now Featuring Coastal Bluff Recession Data

This interactive map with historic photos of Wisconsin's coast has now been updated with bluff recession data measured from 1956 to 2015.

Watch our tutorial video to learn how to navigate the map to view photos, shoreline inventories, and recession information that can help identify areas at risk to coastal hazards.

Thanks to the many of you who gave us feedback on how to best present this data.

Reviewing Opportunities to Increase Coastal Resilience

A Coastal Resilience Self-Assessment was provided to Southeastern Wisconsin’s coastal counties and municipalities to help weigh the effects of coastal hazards and identify some opportunities to plan and prepare for coastal hazards.

You may remember filling this assessment out. Some of you are even working on projects right now that came out of your assessment. If you haven't had a chance to use the Self-Assessment, it's never too late! Let us know if you are interested in working through it and we'd be happy to help.

What did the Self-Assessment reveal about the common actions communities in Southeastern Wisconsin can take to build their resilience to coastal hazards and where can they start? We've combined the responses we got to this assessment to provide a snapshot of the top coastal resilience opportunities we saw within the region.

Coastal Resilience Stories from Around the Great Lakes

Color Run/Walk to Protect the Kings Park Bluff

The Commack-Kings Park Rotary Club is hosting a color run/walk in Kings Park, NY to start raising funds for their 'Protect the Bluffs' initiative. This run/walk serves two purposes including (1) raising funds to repair and maintain bluffs that experienced severe erosion during a series of storm events and (2) raising community awareness of coastal management issues.

The run/walk will be taking place on October 19th, 2019 and the funds will be used to support specific initiatives recommended by the area's Department of Environment and Waterways.

Image from Commack-Kings Park Rotary Club

Read the full story

Funding Opportunity

The Wisconsin Coastal Management Program (WCMP) is seeking proposals to enhance, preserve, protect and restore resources within the state’s coastal zone – all counties adjacent to Lakes Superior and Michigan. Examples of past projects that have been funded related to coastal resilience include developing master plans for harbors, revitalizing degraded beaches, and redesigning improved coastal infrastructure. Learn more about recently funded projects with WCMP's interactive Story Map

Application materials the Request for Proposals are available on the WCMP website.

http://coastal.wisconsin.gov

Applications are due November 1, 2019 .

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