CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ohio officials are brainstorming ways to help Lake Erie property owners as high water erodes their property.
Meanwhile, the state has a list of programs residents can use now to try to battle wind and waves.
Lake Erie on Sunday was 573.83 feet above sea level -- beating the February record set in 1987 by nearly 5 inches.
Many property owners installed sea walls, rivetments, groins, concrete modules and other kinds of shoreline protection the last time the lake was high, 30-40 years ago. Those projects are coming to the end of their useful life.
In Geneva-on-the-Lake, Geneva Township Park has lost about 3 feet of shoreline a day because of erosion, potentially affecting sewer lines, natural gas and more.
“Many of the individuals owning property along Lake Erie’s shoreline have suffered significant erosion damage due to heavy weather and high lake levels," state Rep. John Rogers of Mentor-on-the-Lake said in a news release. “The issue is even more exacerbated when the lake fails to freeze over during our winter months.”
In 2018, the state began offering Temporary Shore Structure Permits for owners to protect shorelines while they figure out long-term solutions.
Since then, officials have been collaborating with other coastal states, including Michigan and New York, on ways to keep water at bay, said Scudder Mackey, chief of Ohio’s Department of Coastal Management.
Programs available to those affected include:
· Temporary Shore Structure Permits: Property owners can install emergency shore protection to protect their property from erosion-related damage.
· Free on-site Technical Assistance: ODNR coastal engineers to provide recommendations for erosion mitigation. Call the ODNR Office of Coastal Management at (419) 626-7980 to speak with a coastal engineer.
· Coastal Management Assistance Grants: Local governments, county and regional planning agencies, universities, school districts, conservancy districts, port authorities and certain non-profit groups can apply for coastal planning, habitat restoration, public access, research and water quality improvement projects.
· Coastal Erosion Area Loan Program: Participating counties provide low-interest loans for the design and construction of erosion control measures for properties within a designated coastal erosion area.
· Special Improvement Districts: Local financing can facilitate erosion improvements along Lake Erie. ODNR will work with SIDs to ensure that projects are well-designed and that they minimize adverse impacts to Lake Erie and that appropriate authorizations are obtained when necessary.
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