Times Advocate, 1998-05-27, Page 13Second Section - May 27, 1998
The Lake Huron shoreline - where land and water meet
Geoff Peach, left. and Patrick Donnelly of the
Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation
plant coastal Species to restore dunes along
the Lake Huron shoreline.
By Kate Monk
TA Reporter
LAKE HURON - Dry weather has helped the
Lake Huron shoreline dodge the potential damages
of high lake levels. .
Over the past year, Lake Huron has flitted with the
record high lake levels of 1986 hut it looks like- the
dry, winter and spring have helped ease the threat.
Lake levels arc half way between the long-term aver-
age and the:record high lake levels of.1986.
Even' with wet conditions for the rest of the year.
experts liredict' Lake Huron will not get close to the
19861eveIs.'
"On the other hand. in a really dscenario. by
Augustr, we could he hack to the longterm average."
said water resources manager Alec Scott of the
Ausahle-Bayfield Conservation Authority.
Coming hack to their collages this spring, people
have seen some changes in their beaches and lake
hanks... -.
• According to Patrick Donnelly of the Lake Huron
Centre for Coastal Conservation. beaches are altered
each year. Beaches coma and go yearly and even
through the course of a summer. one storm can build
a beach and.a-later storin can rem0 c the same
beach. .•
"For new owners:. it's worrisome. For people who
have been there for quite some, time: they're scratch-
ing their heads wondering why it has happened." he
said. `
Whitt: the beaches have changed. the ,lake hanks
have ;changed even more. Donnelly said some cot-
tage owners have seen significant'changes and have
phoned in a "hit of a panic" to get advice on what
Cottage owners have noticed changes in their lake banks and beaches this spring. One of
.Me most dramatic changes has occurred at ShaclevieW Subdivision in Hay Township where
a 75 -foot beach has grown.
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they can do to protect their property. He says this
year's lake hank erosion is linked to last year's lake
levels. -
"Last year, with.the slightly higher lake level; there
was a little bit more erosion at the Inc of the slope.
right at the beach. it has taken a full season `for the
erosion at the Inc of the slope to translate up the slope
'and cause instability, closer to the cot-
tage which is where most people start
to get a little more worried."
Donnelly said. "It takes that long for
the instability. to .happen."
Lake hanks between Goderich and
Grand Bend that traditionally lack
vegetation, continue to have erosion
problems. according to Donnelly. -
Donnelly stresses it's important to
have a "plan of attack." -
"Don't react to things with a knee •
-
jerk reaction." he emphasized.
"Consider that your site is in an arca where erosion
may happen. Plan a few years in advance rather than
-running out and doing an .emergency repair... he
advised. •
-
Donnelly has found the .erosion' protection work
done in haste during -the Iasi 10-15 years. is in the
"worst shape" and needs to he repaired or removed
The structures are either not providing -erosion con-
trol or are impacting neighboring hanks and ,beaches..
Scott said -neighbors who install erosion control
structures without considering the impact on other
neighhoring.shorclinc pro{icrtics is onc of the biggest
concerns along the shoreline. •
"Anything you can do as a community or as a cot-
tage subdivision is far morecffectivc than -doing ii on
a lot -bye -lot basis." Donnelly.' said.
The Lake Huron shoreline is unique and standard
practices used in other regions deficit .always work at
the cottage._
'Problems occur when people do projects •thinking
they're at a site in tendon or Exeter and not realizing -
Mere are implications to doing. the 'work along the
sensitive area along Lake Huron." Donnelly said.
He cited an example of an above ground.pdol built
Within five metres of the top of the hank. •
"There are all sons of potential problems with
drainage. with the weight of the structure and the
water and how they will dram the pool It's all those
things which give an indication they're thinking this
site is just like any other site in the city and not think-
ing of tt on top of a- bluff that has potential prob-
lems.' Donnelly said.
Signsofproblems
The Environment Canada booklet Buyers Guide to
Shoreline Property advises people to look for evi-
dence of problems along their hanks.
• A partially vegetated bluff could he an earl sign
of gull' erosion due to surface runoff. groundwater
. seepage or past bluff stumpage.
•• "A bluff with no vegetation suggests active erosion
occurring at a rate too rapid for vegetation to take
hold...
• A vegetated bluff might•appcar stable. hut trees_
,leaning toward the lake indicate slow mass movement.
• Narrow beaches can be submerged. particularly if
lake levels begin to rise and leave the bluff vulnerable
to wave erosion. . .
Cracks can appear :oma distance hack from the
edge of a bluff -but eventually. the entire section in.
front of the crack will break off.
"For new owners,
it's worrisome. For
people who have been
therefor quite some
time, they're
scratching their
heads wondering why
it has happened."
Technical advice is available
On a user -fee basis, the ABCA and -
thc 1.HCCC proVide technical advise .
for landowners With lakeshorc
concerns.
Often people who arc considering
buying a lakeshore property do not
have knowledge of the area and- will
ask .the ABCA or the Coastal Centre.to
Come .to the site to proy_idc some
information. .
The ABCA is also co-ordinatting the
establishment of a shoreline `committee of cottage
owners and Municipal representatives.-
The committee's will review the ABCA's_ Shcrclinc
Management Plan- recommendations and reacquaint
people with some of the plan's principles.
The committer will also look at any new technol-
ogy m shoreline protection. '
"Contractors arc always looking. for new and hater
ideas." Scott said.
The.:ABCA will sit 'on the committee to provide
technical advice but is not prepared to take a lead role
"We'd rather let the shoreline people themselves
run it and organize it. If they feel •it's wonhwhilc. it'll
keep going." 'he said. We can. certainly he there to
provide information, or • see if. there's any funding
".
-
anywhere.
. Shoreline Property Assistance Program
Scott said another 5,10 -million has been added -to
the provincial Shoreline Property -Assistance Program.
People interested in a:cessing thefund should contact
their municipal office Some municipalities have des-
ignated the ABCA as the inspectors for the projects. '
The province has designated conservation authori-
ties as the lead agencies for the Lake Hurn shoreline:
The Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation is
a non-government, not-for-profit organization devoted
to the conservation of Lake Huron's 'natural shoreline
.environment. Trained staff assist shoreline landowners
with- a Wide range of coastal concerns through a shore-
line techmcal advisor service:
The Centre is guided t' the following objectives:
• To provide high quality -shoreline management
services to Ontario's Lake Huron community at a rea-
sonable cost '
•
• To advocate wise stewardship of Lake Huron's
shoreline ecosystem
• To promote shoreline conservation through dem-
onstration projects, education programs and local
• stewardship initiatives
- • To provide a resource. centre -for information and
- research relating to Lake Huron.
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