Volume 197: High Water Concerns

Recent Water Levels

At the end of May, all the Great Lakes are above their 

long-term averages and above their levels of one year 

ago. Lake Ontario’s level has set a new record high 

water level for the month of May and will likely see 

near record high water levels in June as well. Forecasts 

for the summer and through the rest of 2017 continue 

to show higher than average water levels.

This article will cover a few areas that may be of 

interest to those with lakeshore property. First, the 

process of erosion is discussed followed by some 

information on the permitting process should lakeshore 

property owners wish to perform work along the 

shorelines of the Great Lakes.

Erosion Processes

Erosion is defined as the wearing away of land by the 

action of natural forces. On the coast, the forces of 

erosion are embodied in waves, currents and wind. 

Surface and groundwater flow, and freeze thaw cycles 

also play a roll. Though erosion is a natural process, it 

can be influenced, both adversely and beneficially, by 

human activity. 

There are a variety of general shore types in the Great 

Lakes region including high and low rocky bluffs; low 

flood plains and coastal marshes, high and low sand/till 

bluffs, sand dunes, and artificial coastlines. Of the 

erodible shore types, the two most common are sand/till 

bluffs and sand dunes. These shore types are comprised 

of material deposited by glaciers over ten thousand 

years ago.

The sand/till bluff shore type is most often 

characterized by an under layer of a less erodible, more 

compact material, such as clay or glacial till, overlain 

by a more erodible, less compact material, such as sand 

and gravel. Because of the presence of the compact 

under layer, these shore types have been referred to as 

"cohesive coasts". Due to the variation in depositional 

environments, the composition and erodibility of 

cohesive coasts may vary considerably over distances 

as short as several hundred yards.

The sand dune shore type is generally comprised of 

glacially deposited sands and gravels that have been 

reformed by winds. Although there are dune shore 

types that consist entirely of sand, very often the 

"dunes" sit atop an under layer of glacial till. The 

erodibility of this shore type can be more similar to a 

cohesive coast than to a dune shore type comprised 

entirely of sand.

Forces associated with waves which are created by the 

wind are the primary agent of erosion on the coastal 

area. The energy in a wave is related to meteorological 

factors such as wind speed and duration and is also 

determined by topographical and hydrographic factors 

such as the distance, or fetch, over which the winds 

blow, and by the depth of water in the area where the 

waves are generated. Water depths throughout the 

Great Lakes are much greater than necessary to support 

the largest waves that can be generated.

The most dramatic erosion often occurs as a result of 

storms, partially because the highest energy waves are 

generated under storm conditions. Added to this, 

storms often produce short term shifts in lake levels as 

water is pushed from one side of a lake to the other, 

called "setup". The effect of storms is also influenced 

by their duration and frequency of occurrences.

Bluff recession, or the landward movement of the bluff 

crest, is the most visible aspect of coastal erosion and 

receives the most attention. However, using only bluff 

recession as an indicator of erosion rates, or erosion 

forces, may be a poor indicator because of the length of 

Great Lakes

Update
Vol. 197 Great Lakes Update June 2017

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time, or lag that usually occurs between beach erosion 

and bluff recession.

Coastal erosion occurs over the area roughly from the 

top of the bluff out into the nearshore region to about 

the 30 foot water depth. As a result, erosion processes 

often do not become apparent as bluff erosion or bluff 

recession until days or even months later.

In addition, erosion, particularly bluff erosion and 

recession, do not occur at a constant rate. Over 

relatively short time periods of day, weeks, and months, 

the rate of erosion and recession may vary greatly. It is 

very common for a reach of coastline to have no bluff 

recession for months or years and then experience 

severe bluff recession over a period of days or weeks.

Bluff recession is often the result of events that may 

have occurred months before, or gradually over a 

period of years. This makes it difficult to link bluff 

recession with the forces or influences that are 

responsible.

Variation in lake levels, whether short or long term, 

have little effect on the creation of waves, the primary 

erosion agent. Most waves are generated far offshore in 

deep water where such relatively small water level 

variations are insignificant.

As long as the long-term meteorological and 

hydrographic factors that determine wave energy 

remain the same, the long-term erosion rate would 

remain essentially unchanged. The lake level does, 

however, have an effect on where wave energy is 

dissipated on the beach profile, and thus may affect 

bluff recession rates over short time periods.

The lake level is only one of many factors influencing 

coastal erosion and recession. To date, the relative 

importance of lake level compared to the other 

influencing factors has not been fully quantified. 

Observations suggest that along much of the coast, 

storm duration and return frequency, and sediment 

supply have much more influence on coastal erosion 

and recession than higher lake levels do.

Regulatory Program

The mission of the Corps of Engineers’ regulatory 

program is to protect the nation’s aquatic resources and 

navigation capacity while allowing reasonable 

development through fair and balanced decisions. In 

the Great Lakes region, there is widespread recognition 

of the value of the Great Lakes for navigation, 

recreation, fish and wildlife, and the economy.

Property owners on the Great Lakes frequently want to 

conduct work in the Great Lakes or on the shoreline. 

Before work is started, a Department of the Army 

permit is required. Work such as docks, dredging, 

shoreline grading/grooming, and installation of shore 

protection structures require a permit from the Corps of 

Engineers. Water levels often influence the nature of 

work; dredging may be needed during periods of lower 

water levels and shoreline protection work during 

periods of higher water levels. Shoreline property 

owners wishing to conduct work in or on the shoreline 

of the Great Lakes need to apply for and receive 

authorization from the Corps of Engineers before they 

start work. 

The Corps’ authority to regulate certain activities on 

and adjacent to navigable waters of the United States is 

found in Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act 

(Section 10), and Section 404 of the Clean Water Act 

(Section 404). 

Under Section 10, a Corps permit is required for any 

structures or work in navigable waters of the United 

States. Navigable waters of the U.S. are defined as 

waters which are presently used, or have been used in 

the past or may be susceptible to use to transport 

interstate or foreign commerce. For example, the Great 

Lakes and connecting channels such as the St. Marys 

River and the St. Clair River are considered navigable 

waters. Examples of structures or work requiring 

Section 10 permits include beach nourishment, boat 

ramps, breakwaters, bulkheads, dredging, filling or 

discharging material such as sand, gravel or stones, 

groins and jetties, mooring buoys, piers (seasonal or 

permanent), placement of riprap, boat hoists, pilings, 

and construction of marina facilities.
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Page 3

The Corps’ jurisdiction on navigable waters extends to 

a line on the shore known as the Ordinary High Water 

Mark (OHWM). The OHWM is the line on the shore 

established by fluctuations of water and indicated by 

physical characteristics such as clear natural line 

impressed on the bank, shelving, changes in the 

character of soil, destruction of terrestrial vegetation, 

presence of litter or debris, or other appropriate means 

that consider the characteristics of the surrounding 

areas. On the Great Lakes, an established elevation 

contour corresponding with the physical features, is 

frequently used. Elevations are typically referenced to 

the International Great Lakes Datum, 1985.

In addition, a Section 10 permit may be required for 

structures or work outside or landward of the usual 

OHWM limits if it affects the course, location, or 

condition of the waterbody as to impact its navigable 

capacity. Shoreline protection work on the Great Lakes 

is continually subject to powerful wind, wave, and ice 

action. Because of these forces, structures initially 

constructed above or landward of a Great Lake’s 

OHWM can, over time, be found at the water’s edge or 

waterward of the shoreline, separated from land and 

posing a hazard to navigation. The dynamics of the 

Great Lakes warrants regulatory jurisdiction over most 

forms of shoreline protection work on Great Lakes’ 

shorelines. 

Section 404 requires a permit for the discharge of 

dredged or fill material into navigable waters of the 

United States and in wetlands adjacent to those waters. 

The area of Corps’ jurisdiction under Section 404 

extends to the OHWM, and to the boundary of adjacent 

wetlands. The Corps of Engineers defines wetlands as 

those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or 

groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to 

support a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for 

life in saturated soil conditions. Projects involving 

discharges may include homes and landscaping, 

causeways, roads, riprap, groins, breakwaters, 

revetments, and beach nourishment. Section 404 also 

regulates discharges of dredged material incidental to 

certain activities such as grading, mechanized land 

clearing, ditching or other excavation activity, and the 

installation of certain pile-supported structures.

State and/or local governments may also have their 

own permitting requirements for work in or on the 

shoreline of the Great Lakes. Contact your nearest 

State office (in Michigan – the Department of 

Environmental Quality) and local government(s) for 

information on State and or local permits.

Shoreline property owners are encouraged to contact 

the local Corps of Engineers office in your area prior to 

submitting a permit application. In certain cases, a preapplication meeting may be beneficial between an 

applicant and Corps staff. Pre-application meetings 

may also include State and/or local government staff, 

interested resource agencies (Federal, state, or local), 

and, in certain circumstances, the interested public. The 

purpose of these meetings is to facilitate informal 

discussions about a project before an applicant fully 

commits resources to the project. The process is 

designed to provide the applicant with the Corps’ views 

on measures to reduce impacts of the project, and to 

inform an applicant of factors the Corps must consider 

in its decision making process. Pre-application 

meetings often enable the Corps to more efficiently 

evaluate applications. 

Early planning and submittal of permit applications 

will allow sufficient time to review projects. 

Applicants should plan their projects accordingly. The 

Corps of Engineers recognizes that certain immediate 

threats to life, property, or economic well-being 

warrant expedited review. 

The Corps of Engineers is committed to assisting the 

public’s understanding of the regulatory program. 

Corps’ staff are available prior to, and during 

application review, and for outreach presentations to 

discuss the regulatory program. A map of the Detroit 

District regulatory boundary and contact information is 

on the next page. Corps’ contacts for other states are 

also provided.
Vol. 197 Great Lakes Update June 2017

Page 4

Buffalo District

Regulatory Branch

1776 Niagara Street, 

Buffalo, NY 14207

Telephone: (716)879-4330

Fa(716)879-4310

LRB.Regulatory@usace.army.mil

Chicago District

Regulatory Branch

231 South LaSalle Street, 

Suite 1500

Chicago, Illinois 60604

Phone (312) 846-5530

Fax (312) 353-4110

lrcregweb@usace.army.mil

Pittsburgh District 

1000 Liberty Avenue

Regulatory Branch, Suite 2200

Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Phone: (412) 395-7155

Fax: (412) 644-4211

Regulatory.Permits@usace.army.mil

St. Paul District 

Regulatory Branch

180 5th St. East, Suite 700 

St. Paul MN 55101 

Tel: (651) 290-5525 

800-290-5847 x 5525

mvp-reginquiry@usace.army.mil