Study to look at shoreline erosion processes

Jeff Helsdon, Editor

The first year of a three-year study looking at Lake Erie shoreline erosion processes and solutions is complete.

Members of the Long Point Region Conservation Authority’s board received an update on the Resilience Action Plan for the stretch of Lake Erie between Port Glasgow and Long Point at the group’s annual meeting on March 7. The authority is one of the conservation authorities involved in the plan.

Zuzek Inc. President Pete Zuzek, who has experience managing investigations on coastal erosion and flooding and coastal planning and is the consultant on the study, made the presentation.

The course to the start of the study was conservation authorities, municipalities and environmental non-government organizations discussing the concept of shoreline erosion in the wake of high-water levels and increased erosion. Long Point Biosphere made an application on behalf of the group and $900,000 in funding was secured from the Canada Water Agency to develop a resilience action plant.

Zuzek started by defining resilience as it relates to the study.

“Resilience is the ability of communities and ecosystems to bounce back from damages events and stresses such as coastal floods, erosion, heavy rainfall, sedimentation and high and low water levels,” he said.

Explaining further, he said the goal is not just to bounce back from damages from natural causes but to find ways to increase the resiliency.

The area being tackled is the littoral cell from Port Glasgow to Long Point. Littoral cell is defined as the sand and pebbles that move along the shoreline and where they deposit.

The study has three goals: develop scientific knowledge on the movement of sand in the littoral cell, complete dune restoration with native plants on the property of willing partners and to develop a resiliency plan.

The entire process will have input from the public through advisory groups made up of representation from local councils, the conservation authority and community. Zuzek stressed it’s important to listen to the people in the community.

His goal is to understand what is happening along the coast and find out what the vulnerabilities are. The only action mandated in the plan is dune restoration where the land owners are willing, although the plan may suggest other actions down the road.

It will also look at the impact of flooding and flood risk as part of the vulnerability assessment. Beach erosion and habitat loss are a part of that.

“2019 isn’t that far removed that we all remember when the lake was high and shorelines were threatened,” he said.

With the first year of the plan wrapping up on March 31, a report will be completed on steps to date and be posted on the web site northshoreresilience.ca shortly after. He encouraged those in attendance at the meeting, and the general public, to fill out the survey on the web site to provide opinion and thoughts.

“One of our guiding principle is we want to be 100 per cent transparent with what we do," he said.

Prior to Zuzek’s presentation, Beres highlighted the past year and some of the work undertaken by authority staff.

“Looking ahead, 2025 will continue to be a year of adaptation and change for LPRCE, but I know our committed staff will continue to move us forward through the changes and opportunities,” he said. “We will continue to work with our member municipalities, and focus on delivering exceptional services and experiences to the residents of the Long Point watershed.”

Beres also recognized general manager Judy Maxwell and Darrell Rohrer for 15 years of employment.