https://bridgemi.com/michigan-environment-watch/69-miles-of-seawalls-riprap-now-armor-lake-michigan-shore/
AI GENERATED:
"The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." — Psalm 24:1
✅ 1. Quick, clear summary
Lake Michigan's shoreline has seen a massive rise in hard armoring — seawalls, riprap, and groins — jumping from 4% to 19% of the Michigan coast (69 miles total) between 2014 and 2021. This was driven by high lake levels peaking around 2020, which threatened homes and infrastructure.
Researchers found:
High water shifted wave action inland, accelerating erosion.More homeowners rushed to install barriers. Armoring spread even into northern stretches that were previously almost entirely natural.
Hard structures temporarily protect property but make erosion worse long-term by disrupting natural sand flow.
Increased armoring reduces public beach access, despite Michigan's legal right to walk the shoreline.
Local and state governments mostly backed away from stronger coastal regulations, even after promising change.
✅ 2. One-sentence super-summary
Michigan's Lake Michigan shoreline is becoming heavily armored, which protects individual properties short-term but damages beaches, worsens erosion, and limits public access long-term.
✅ 3. Key numbers
4% → 19% increase in armoring (2014–2021)
69 miles of coast armored
Northern Michigan armoring:
<1% → ~5%
Some townships (like Chikaming) tried bans but still saw rises.
✅ 4. Why this matters
Armoring causes beach loss. Waves hit seawalls, scour downward, dig "toe pits," and prevent sand from returning to shore.
It pushes erosion onto neighboring unarmored properties, forcing a "domino effect."
It reduces walkable beach, creating a public–private conflict.
It locks Michigan into a more hardened, less natural shoreline future.
