Numbers show impact of Michigan coastline flooding and erosion from high water

Numbers will tell the story of the Great Lakes this year, experts say, with water-level forecasts and damage estimates already combining to raise concern across Michigan.

Watch for the lakes to set monthly records and possible all-time records, say the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the Detroit office, where staff monitors, records and warns as lake levels change.

As of mid-March, “all (are) well above their long-term monthly average levels,” according to the Army Corps.

Further, they said, “it is projected that water levels on all 5 lakes will rise over the next month.”

The water level increases, in turn, are threatening to flood Michigan’s 3,288 miles of shoreline. Spring rainfall totals will be a factor.

Here are the net changes as of March 27 over the previous year:

• Lake Superior: -1 inch
• Lakes Michigan and Huron: +14 inches
• Lake St. Clair, north of Detroit and the connector to Lake Erie: +11 inches
• Lake Erie: +12 inches
• Lake Ontario: +9 inches

One variable affecting Great Lakes levels is rainfall. So far, in most of Michigan, there will not be a major snowmelt to send melted snow into the lakes and rivers that, in turn, feed the big lakes.

But the state has seen record- and high rainfall over the past several years, meaning the spring rains could inundate storm drains and farm fields, in addition to waterways. The high water isn’t just a shoreline issue, said Jarrod Sanders of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Environment.

“The rest of the state is saturated, too,” he said.

This website offers guidance on flood warnings in Michigan.

Here is how the lake levels will change by April 27:

• Lake Superior: +3 inches
• Lakes Michigan and Huron: +4 inches
• Lake St. Clair, north of Detroit and the connector to Lake Erie: +5 inches
• Lake Erie: +3 inches
• Lake Ontario: +8 inches

Meanwhile, communities on all coastlines already are keeping track of what needs to be repaired – along with estimates of what those repairs will cost.

Many are reporting their numbers to the Michigan Municipal League, which compiled a statewide list that shows the breadth of impact across the state. The total as of early March: $63 million.

Some of the most expensive examples are along Lake Michigan’s coastline:

South Haven, $16 million: Significant damage to coastal area and riverbank, beach erosion, damage to infrastructure of marina, stormwater and utilities. Adding protection for water filtration plant is on a city list of projects.

Muskegon, $10.7 million: Repair portion of Lakeshore Trail, which collapsed; needs to stabilize Beach street shoreline.

Frankfort, $10 million: Damage to Mineral Springs, along Lake Betsie.

Petoskey, $4.5 million: Relocation of storm sewer, damage along Bayfront Park.

Ludington, $3.6 million: Flooding of intersection, damage to Maritime Museum, erosion issues.

Grand Haven, $3.5 million: Flooding of city streets from overflowing storm drains.

In other areas, examples of repairs include:

Ontonagon, on Lake Superior, needs to rebuild the East Pier path and make repairs at Marina Park and island boardwalks. Estimate: $1.18 million

Sault Ste Marie, also on Lake Superior, needs to repair electric utilities and fuel lines in addition to fixing erosion damage. Estimate : $727,000.

Lexington needs to stabilize land “to keep our water intake structure from falling into Lake Huron.” Cost: about $15,000.

Rogers City hasn’t totaled how much it will take to repair beaches and parking lots, and keep lake water from flooding its wastewater treatment plant.

Tawas City’s water front park has flooded, prompting the purchase of 48,000 sandbags.

All five of “the Pointes” along Lake St. Clair are experiencing shoreline damage. Grosse Pointe Park has an eroded storm drain, and Grosse Pointe Shores had to repair a sinkhole on Lakeshore Drive. The total is more than $500,000.

Michigan’s roads also face short- and long-term fixes due to high water. So far, the Michigan Department of Transportation is estimating $100 million in costs.

The damage affects both Great Lakes shoreline roads and some riverbanks near inland lakes adjacent to the big lakes that are experiencing flooding.

The highest cost estimate comes from a new bridge between Whitehall and Montague, towns north of Muskegon. Existing drainage is no longer functioning, causing flooding and damage.

In Baraga County in the Upper Peninsula, US-41 needs to be raised 3 feet due to water covering it. That comes with an $11 million pricetag. The same is happening to M-35 from Menominee to Escanaba, requiring an additional 1.5-foot of grading, costing $9.5 million.

Sanilac, in Michigan’s Thumb, is home to M-25 along the shoreline of Lake Huron. Erosion to the 60-90 foot bluffs affected the road already, and now it needs to be moved. A portion needs a protective wall installed mid-slope. Total cost: Almost $18 million.

Short-term repairs on M-185 around Mackinac Island already cost about $1 million when it washed out due to waves. But it will cost $6.2 million, the state estimates, to raise the grade and do other fixes.

The roadside experience is changing in Michigan. A scenic turnout is washing out on US-2 in Manistique ($100,000), and a roadside park in Charlevoix needs to be stabilized ($410,000).

State parks also make sure of the Michigan shoreline, with dozens of them dotting the coast. Officials still are working on listing and totaling repair estimates, Parks Director Ron Olson of the Department of Natural Resources said recently.

“We’ve spent over $6 million so far,” he said, because of high water damage over the last couple of years.

With the spring inventory underway now, he said, “we have over 30-some sites, big, medium and small that have been either already impacted or we project impact.”

So far, 61 campsites are not usable, out of 14,000 in the state park system. Because each campsite generates revenue, the potential for more to be removed from service – including due to inland flooding – will mean less money earned this year toward the repairs.

The beach at Orchard Beach State Park in Manistee is gone, and a historic shelter near the steps to the beach needs to be moved. Estimated cost: $1 million.

The state maintains 19 of Michigan’s 80 harbors of refuge, and those must be available for boaters. Unclear is what that will take.

Olsen cautions that two years after Houghton was devastated by rainfall that reaches 7 inches in one hour, that community and the parks system is still working on fixes. Some of the damage was to culverts and old railroad grades that had survived nearly a century. Repair without damaging the natural area takes a special touch, he said.

Meanwhile, many shoreline homeowners also are grappling with the high water. The state does not provide protection for private property, but the severity has prompted the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy to dedicate staff time to fast-tracking permits for shoreline construction.

From October to December, 468 property owners filed shoreline protection permits, with 557 filing the previous quarter. By the end of March, nearly 500 permits for Great Lakes shoreline work had been approved so far in 2020. Most are on the western shoreline of Lake Michigan.

While there is no overall dollar value available to quantify the private damage, the work is taking a toll on homeowners. Municipal officials say some coastal owners have newer and expensive homes, while others are watching long-time family cottages at risk. Either way, insurance is unlikely to cover any erosion damage, officials said. There’s impact to both taxable values and community well-being, they added.

Communities this spring will be grappling with the debris from the lake erosion. From full houses falling into the water to decks, staircases and trees, all create a problem on beaches – and in the water, if there are boaters.

Many municipalities are considering how to systematize beach-clean up, which will add to their maintenance costs. A few, depending on how bad it gets by Memorial Day weekend, may have to close some beaches if the debris is extreme.

Meanwhile, what’s happening in Michigan is also taking place along shorelines in other states. The 10,000-mile Great Lakes shoreline wends around eight U.S. states and Canada. About 4.2 million people live within 2 miles of Great Lakes coasts.

East of Lake Ontario early this year, the water flow averaged 368,300 cubic-feet of water per-second through Long Sault and the Moses-Saunders dams on the St. Lawrence River. For comparison, that’s more than four times the average annual flow over Niagara Falls.

Source: mlive