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This guide is meant to assist Michigan\u2019s coastal municipalities in developing policies that protect assets from the effects of shoreline erosion, lake level fluctuations, and flooding with a particular focus on the damaging impacts of private shoreline armoring. In addition, it describes policy approaches to shoreline management and summarizes example ordinances currently in place.<\/span><\/p>\n This guide describes different approaches and lists various examples of how to address the issue of private shoreline armoring along Michigan\u2019s coastline. It is important to note, however, that any armoring is, at best, a temporary and partial solution to one property owner\u2019s problem, and it will inevitably negatively impact nearby property owners as well as local governments and the coastal ecology.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Great Lakes coastal shorelines are naturally dynamic and go through cycles during which they move landward and lakeward. Over time, as each cycle is complete, much of Michigan\u2019s Great Lakes shorelines are slowly but surely receding landward. Both the American and Canadian governments have said that coastal shorelines contain \u201cparticularly diverse and valuable habitat\u201d with ecological communities that can only be protected by \u201cpreserving the processes that sustain them.\u201d1<\/sup><\/span> Seawalls, revetments, and other armoring structures disrupt those natural processes and harm the ecology. Additionally, these structures:<\/span><\/p>\n [A]ccelerate erosion of shorelines on neighboring shoreland properties not similarly armored; scour and move sediments into deep water away from the armoring, such that the natural, walkable, and ecologically productive beaches and dunes lakeward of the structure are ultimately lost so long as the structure is maintained; ultimately fail unless periodically maintained at substantial, ongoing, long-term expense; and finally leave debris in nearshore waters when they fail if not fully removed, threatening safety and navigation.<\/span><\/em>2<\/span><\/sup><\/p>\n Some communities will want to prohibit future armoring and phase out any existing armoring. Others will decide that, for political, social, or other reasons, they will adopt an approach that limits armoring, prescribes its location, or otherwise regulates it, even if this decision results in harm to the natural system. If communities understand the impacts of armoring and the tradeoffs of allowing any form or amount of it, then they can make informed decisions about which policy tools to apply.<\/span><\/p>\n 1<\/sup> Referenced in Ron Reid & Karen Holland, The Land by the Lakes: Nearshore Terrestrial Ecosystems 2\u20133 (1997). As a very first step, given the variation in development and armoring along the shoreline, identifying the level of armoring or development for the area in question will help guide the policy response. Four general categories found along naturally receding shorelines and potential management policies include:<\/span><\/p>\n Determining a suitable policy option for long-term management should include community engagement focused on education about the long-term implications of various choices, especially more protective measures, and may require consultation of experts. Communities can use available online tools and consult with experts to determine the level of armoring and development along the coastline, the rate of erosion, and future shoreline scenarios for different management approaches. <\/span>Michigan Sea Grant\u2019s Extension Educators<\/span><\/a> can help connect communities with experts and provide support throughout the process. <\/span>Michigan\u2019s Coastlines Through Time<\/span><\/a> also may be a helpful tool.<\/span><\/p>\n Deciding the future of the shoreline should not be taken lightly and should include extensive education and input from community members. Community engagement events (meetings, educational webinars, field trips, etc.) can be held to share information about coastal erosion, management, and long-term implications. It is recommended that community engagement exceed the required notice of public hearing before voting. An overview of policy-making steps may be found in <\/span>Section 5<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n In areas with shorelines that are of relatively high public trust value, banning new shoreline armoring can be a clear and effective strategy for maintaining ecological function and accessible, natural beaches. This section outlines variations and examples of such a strategy.<\/span><\/p>\n Ideal shoreline armoring programs involve four elements:<\/span><\/p>\n New York State drafted model ordinances showcasing different methods of restricting shoreline armoring. See Section 3.4.2 of the <\/span>model code<\/span><\/a>. Note that language may need to be adapted to fit the local administrative structure and municipal deference to Michigan\u2019s Department of the Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) under Michigan\u2019s Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA). Adopters should also consider adding clear language prohibiting seawalls and other hardened armoring.<\/span><\/p>\n Considerations3<\/sup><\/i><\/b>: <\/i><\/b>Expressly prohibiting shoreline armoring provides the greatest protection for the coastal environment and natural habitats. Although new ordinances may apply prospectively to new projects, they may require special language to apply retroactively and permit condemnation of preexisting, non-compliant structures. If preexisting structures are allowed to remain intact, then unarmored adjacent properties may suffer accelerated shoreline degradation, and property owners may protest the ordinances restricting their protective action.<\/span><\/p>\n 3 <\/sup>See the Norton article generally for a detailed description of legal considerations.<\/span><\/p>\n Chikaming, MI<\/span><\/i><\/a>: In the Beach Overlay District (Ordinance 147 <\/span>list<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>static page<\/span><\/a>), permanent shoreline armoring structures are prohibited. Geotextile tubes or sandbags are allowed with a one-year permit if the property owner establishes that a primary shoreland structure is endangered by shoreline erosion and such measures would slow erosion or flooding. The permits renew automatically for five years unless the township declares the temporary structures hazardous or unnecessary. Property owners must restore any damage caused to the shoreline by the sandbags or geotextile tubes.<\/span><\/p>\n Grand Haven, MI<\/span><\/i><\/a>: 4 <\/sup>In the Beach Overlay District, permanent shoreline armoring structures are prohibited. Only temporary fencing, geotextile tubes, or sandbags are permitted to prevent erosion during extreme high water periods, but they must be dismantled when the water recedes below the ordinary high water mark. Property owners can seek a variance if the ban creates unnecessary hardship for or effectively prevents the use of the lot, though this kind of variance can undermine the prohibition if construed broadly.<\/span><\/p>\n Soft armoring may involve living shorelines, which could include vegetation, low rock fills or oyster reefs, sediment bluffs with logs, and gravel beaches. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has <\/span>helped<\/span><\/a> three Great Lakes communities implement living shoreline projects using vegetation and\/or biodegradable materials.<\/span><\/p>\n It is worth noting that in high-energy systems, such as much of Michigan\u2019s Great Lakes shoreline, soft armoring may not provide protection for an extended period of time; expecting soft armoring to effectively withstand all wave energy is likely unrealistic. Augmenting soft armoring to withstand these natural dynamics can effectively convert soft armoring to hard armoring.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Sanibel, FL<\/span><\/i><\/a>: Unless expressly permitted in specific zones, construction of rigid structures that redirect wave action or impede accretion are prohibited. Ecological alternative shoreline stabilization projects are permitted along natural waterbodies other than the Gulf of Mexico; they are prohibited in the Bay Beach Zone unless the design encourages shoreline accretion.<\/span><\/p>\n Stabilization projects must be designed to protect existing shoreline vegetation, and new native vegetation must be planted where none previously existed.<\/span><\/p>\n 4<\/sup> The Beach Overlay District ordinances are complemented by the following general land\/environmental ordinances in Sec.16-2, 37-167, 40-116, and 40-422 of Grand Haven\u2019s Code.<\/p>\n Some communities have not explicitly addressed shoreline armoring in their codes, but their preexisting zoning or police ordinances effectively restrict or regulate the construction or maintenance of shoreline armoring structures.<\/span><\/p>\n Considerations:<\/i><\/b> Owners may protest the validity of structure condemnation by claiming that the ordinances were not foreseeably applicable to such constructions. Additionally, in the case of public nuisance laws, municipalities may only be able to enforce the law <\/span>after<\/span><\/i> construction via expensive legal action.<\/span><\/p>\n Shoreline setback rules may take the form of fixed setbacks, tiered setbacks, erosion-based setbacks, or erosion and lot depth-based setbacks.<\/span><\/p>\n Fort Gratiot, MI<\/span><\/i><\/a>: Construction of permanent structures on high-risk erosion areas requires a shoreline setback permit from the building inspector.<\/span><\/p>\n Considerations<\/i><\/b>: Along a stretch of shoreline that is naturally receding landward over time, establishment of a fixed setback will eventually fail to provide protection of the shoreline, as the shifting shoreline meets the setback. In such settings, use of some kind of erosion-based setback, where the setback moves landward along with the corresponding shoreline, should be considered.<\/span><\/p>\n The City of Del Mar, California, has <\/span>ordained<\/span><\/a> that nonconforming structures within the Beach Overlay Zone constitute a public nuisance subject to abatement. Accordingly, it has <\/span>declared<\/span><\/a> certain seawalls and rip rap to be public nuisances due to their encroachment on and obstruction of public beach and has exercised its power of eminent domain to condemn the structures.<\/span><\/p>\n The City of Pacifica, California, maintains an <\/span>ordinance<\/span><\/a> declaring the following a public nuisance:<\/span><\/p>\n Land, the topography, geology or configuration of which whether in natural state or as a result of the grading operations, excavation or fill, causes erosion, subsidence, or surface water drainage problems of such magnitude as to be injurious or potentially injurious to the public health, safety and welfare or to adjacent properties.<\/span><\/p>\n It does not appear to have relied on this ordinance yet to condemn private seawalls, but the scenario of one property owner\u2019s seawall injuring adjacent properties (e.g., via accelerated erosion and flooding) is not inconceivable.<\/span><\/p>\n For coastlines that are partially developed\/armored, the menu of regulatory options is vast and municipalities can: require nonstructural erosion control techniques before any structural controls are permitted; develop a permit system with conditions on approval; or control the height, length, thickness, composition, shoreline setback distance, and distance from neighboring property lines of hard armoring structures.<\/span><\/p>\n Considerations<\/i><\/b>: <\/b>These permissive options will ultimately lead to long-term shoreline degradation and destruction of the surrounding environment by disrupting sediment transport and reducing species habitats. The unavoidable result is a miles-long seawall separating the municipality from the Great Lakes: when one neighbor erects a structure, they accelerate the erosion of neighboring shores, and neighbors see no choice but to erect their own protection, triggering a domino effect.<\/span><\/p>\n Norton Shores, MI<\/span><\/i><\/a>: Construction of seawalls, revetments, and groins requires a building permit. All structures must be of a height, color, and material that does not detract from the \u201cnatural beauty of the shoreline.\u201d Removal of natural shore cover is prohibited.<\/span><\/p>\n Seattle, WA<\/span><\/i><\/a>: Non-structural measures are required unless insufficient or infeasible, under which conditions soft stabilization is required over hard stabilization, unless insufficient or infeasible. Soft shoreline stabilization is allowed with a permit. Hard shoreline stabilization is subject to a shoreline conditional use permit or special use permit depending on the zone. Homeowners in geologically hazardous areas must demonstrate that no alternatives, including reconstruction or relocation, are feasible and less expensive. Soft stabilization measures must be of minimum size necessary, and they may extend waterward of the ordinary high water mark if they do not move that mark waterward. Hard stabilization is banned, unless it is of minimum size necessary and a geotechnical report shows that the existing structure is in imminent danger of erosion damage; upland conditions are not causing the erosion; nonstructural measures or soft stabilization measures would be insufficient or infeasible; hard stabilization would mitigate or prevent structural damage; and hard stabilization will not adversely impact adjacent properties. While this ordinance bans most hardened armoring, permits for hardened shorelines that meet all the above exceptions are not uncommon.<\/span><\/p>\n In addition to banning shoreline armoring, one of the first defensive mechanisms that municipalities can take is preventing permanent, not-readily-moveable near-shore development where it has not yet occurred. If residents and businesses cannot place themselves in danger of near-term erosion, then they will have no future need to armor the shoreline. Note that restricting high-hazard development settings requires planning and zoning regulation, which in turn requires notice, comment, and other procedures dictated by the Michigan Planning and Zoning Enabling Acts.<\/span><\/p>\n Coastal communities face risk from a minimum of three water-related sources during a storm event: (1) inundation from Great Lakes waters (i.e., storm surge); (2) wave action damage from Great Lakes waters; and (3) inundation from upstream waters draining into the Great Lakes. Limiting shoreline development can reduce these negative impacts. While the elevation requirements mentioned in the ordinances below were developed via FEMA for riverine and inland lake flooding, nothing prohibits coastal communities from adopting stricter elevation standards to further protect from Great Lakes\u2019 storm surge. Future updates to these elevation standards may come with improved mapping of FEMA\u2019s <\/span>Great Lakes Coastal Flood Study<\/span><\/i><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Considerations<\/i><\/b>:<\/b> While buffer requirements may be imposed retroactively to existing homes, setback and elevation requirements are relevant only for <\/span>new<\/span><\/i> developments. Existing homes remain endangered by rising lake levels and naturally landward receding shorelines, and homeowners may seek armoring methods to protect their assets. As such, shoreline development restrictions may yield the best results when paired with shoreline armoring restrictions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Program developed a <\/span>model setback ordinance<\/span><\/a> for bluffs along Lake Michigan, which may be adaptable to Michigan beaches. Communities developing setback requirements should consider using the flexible natural ordinary high water mark (OHWM) as a reference point rather than the more rigid elevation OHWM.5<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n Hayes Township, MI<\/span><\/i><\/a>: No structures other than docks, patios, and retaining walls are allowed within one hundred feet of the Lake Michigan shoreline. Property owners must maintain Shoreland Protection Strips including all land located within fifty feet of the ordinary high water mark, and natural vegetation must be maintained on at least 80% of lake frontage in the shoreland protection strip.<\/span><\/p>\n Manistee, MI<\/span><\/i><\/a>: No structures other than walkways, docks, launches, and boat houses may be placed within 100 feet of the ordinary high water mark.<\/span><\/p>\n South Haven Township, MI<\/span><\/i><\/a>: No principal structures are allowed within fifty feet of the ordinary high water mark, and all must be set back 100 feet from the 1986 High Water Mark.<\/span><\/p>\n Charlevoix, MI<\/span><\/i><\/a>: Principal land uses must be set back at least 50 feet from the ordinary high water mark.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
0. Choosing How to Respond<\/span><\/h1>\n
0.1. Acknowledging Trade-Offs<\/span><\/h2>\n
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2<\/sup> Richard K. Norton et al, Armor or Withdraw? LIkely Litigation and Potential Adjudication of Shoreland Conflicts Along Michigan\u2019s Shifting Great Lake Coasts, 12 Mich. J. Envtl. & Admin. L. 153, 160 (2023) (\u201cNorton article\u201d) (citations and references omitted here but available in the article).
<\/span><\/p>\n
\n0.2. Determining Level of Response<\/span><\/h2>\n
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0.3. Engaged Decision-Making<\/span><\/h2>\n
1. Ban Shoreline Armoring<\/span><\/h1>\n
1.1. Draft an ordinance prohibiting shoreline armoring.<\/span><\/h2>\n
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\n1.1.1. Ban permanent private shoreline armoring but allow temporary methods.<\/b><\/h3>\n
1.1.2. Ban private \u201chard\u201d shoreline armoring but allow methods of \u201csoft\u201d armoring.<\/b><\/h3>\n
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\n1.2. Draft a general ordinance <\/span>effectively<\/span><\/i> prohibiting shoreline armoring.<\/span><\/h2>\n
1.2.1. Establish shoreline setback rules applicable to armoring structures.<\/b><\/h3>\n
1.2.2. Establish public nuisance laws applicable to armoring structures.<\/b><\/h3>\n
2. Regulate Shoreline Armoring<\/span><\/h1>\n
3. Limit Future Shoreline Development<\/span><\/h1>\n
3.1. Implement setback or buffer requirements.<\/span><\/h2>\n