HuronCountyExtremeWaterLevelsIntegratedAssessment:

PhaseIReport

May17,2016AnnArbor,Michigan

LynnePeterson

HuronCountyExtremeWaterLevelsIA

HuronCounty:wherefarmmeetslake

•  Popula<on60,000.Agriculture,tourism,manufacturing,shipping.

•  100kmofLakeHuronshorelineincludes:– DunesandbeachesaErac<ngrecrea<onandtourism

– Harboursrequiringdredgingandinfrastructuremaintenancecapableofhandlingboa<ngandcommercialshipping

– Majes<cbluffswithsunsetviews

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IntegratedAssessmentTeamLynnePeterson,PrincipalInves@gatorLocalGovernmentandIntegratedPolicy

Dr.GeorgeArhonditsis,PrincipalInves@gatorUniversityofTorontoEcologicalModellingLaboratory

Dr.AgnesRichards,Co-Inves@gatorEnvironmentCanadaResearchScien<st

HelenMacRae,Co-Inves@gatorMunicipalAdministra<on

TanyaWanio,Co-Inves@gatorMunicipalFinanceandLand-UsePlanning

KateProcter,Co-Inves@gatorWriter,Editor,HuronCountyfarmer

MeghanAllertonandJocelynneHudgins,Students

HuronCountyPartners

JimGinn,Mayor,CentralHuron,andChairoftheWaterProtec<onSteeringCommiEee

SusannaReid,Planner,HuronCountyPlanningandDevelopmentDept.

NinaReynolds,HuronCountyPlanningDept.Mee<nglogis<csandprojectsupport

GeoffPeach,LakeHuronCentreforCoastalConserva<on,CoastalResourcesManager

StephenJackson,MVCA,Projectdevelopment,FloodandErosionSafetyServicesCoordinator

AlecScoM,ABCA,ManagerofWaterandPlanning

WaterProtec<onSteeringCommiEee•  IAresearchteamworkingwiththeHuronCountyWaterProtec@on

SteeringCommiMee(WPSC)•  WPSCisaninterdisciplinarycommiEeeestablishedbytheCountyof

Huronin2004•  Membersincluderepresenta<vesfromenvironmental,social,poli<cal,

andeconomicgroups,suchas:–  CountyCouncil–  LocalMunicipalCouncillors–  Conserva<onAuthori<es–  AgriculturalRepresenta<ves–  HuronManufacturingAssocia<on–  HuronTourismAssocia<on–  CoEageAssocia<ons–  PlanningDepartment–  LakeHuronCentreforCoastalConserva<on–  HealthUnit

Process•  2015feasibilitystudy–reportedSeptember3,2015•  IAprojectapprovalreceivedNovember24,2015•  Projectkick-offpresenta<ontoWPSConNovember27,2015•  January15,2016:fulldayworkshoponlakelevelissueswith

WaterProtec<onSteeringCommiEeemembers.CommiEeeestablishesanExtremeLakeLevelssubcommiEee

•  April1,2016:Mee<ngwiththeExtremeWaterLevelssubcommiEeeoftheWaterProtec<onSteeringCommiEeetoreviewdra^PhaseIreport,discusssummerconsulta<onopportuni<es

•  May3,2016:PhaseIreportcompleted,submiEedtoGrahamSustainabilityIns<tute

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LakeLevelStatusandTrends

Wewilllikelycon<nuetoexperiencebothhighandlowextremewaterlevelsover<me.Furthermore,anincreaseinthefrequencyofextremeweathereventswilllikelyexacerbatetheissuescreatedbyextremelakelevels.

ExtremeLakeLevels:Impacts

TheJan15,2016WPSCworkshopiden<fiedtwoareasofmostsignificanceforHuronCountycommuni<es:1.  Lowwaterimpactsoneconomicdevelopment-

tourism,shipping,ports,marinas,harbours2.  Highwaterimpactsonbluffandgullyerosion-public

safety,emergencyplanning,infrastructure

Also:•  Concernwithenvironmentalimpacts,includingspeciesat

risk,habitat,invasivespeciesandcoastalresiliency.•  Specialmen<onofconcernaboutpossiblediversion. 9

ImpactsonTourismandIndustryBayfieldVillageandHarbour

•  Summerpopula<onapprox.2800increasingto4500onweekends•  CoEaging,boa<ng,fishing,beaches,shops,restaurants,cycling•  Smallcommercialfisheryinseason(approx.5boats)•  Fourmarinas:Totalslipsapprox.430•  Developmentpressurenowoccurringasexis<ngsewagetreatmentplantwill

soonbeatcapacity

Bayfield:WaterLevelIssues

•  Bayfield’sconnec<ontothelakeandrivermeantheexperienceoflowandhighwaterlevelscandirectlyaffecttheVillage’seconomy.

•  Lowwaterisapar<cularconcernasitlimitsthesizeandtypeofboatsthatcanaccesstheharbourandmarinas.

•  Highwaterlevelsbenefitthemarinasbyreducingtheimpactofsilta<onfromthelakeandtheneedfordredging

•  However,highlevelsalsocangeneratemoresignificantwaveac<ononthepiersattherivermouth.

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PortofGoderich

PortofGoderich•  PortistheonlySeawaydepth(26feet)facilityoneastsideofLakeHuron,usedby250-280shipsperyear.

•  MajoruseristheSi^osaltmine,developedinlate1950s,approx.500employees.GrainelevatorsandCalciumChloridecompanyareotherpartnersinportmanagement.

•  DesignatedanofficialSeawayPortundertheHighwayH20programtoaEractinterna<onalbusiness

•  GoderichPortManagementCorpora<onestablishedasanon-profittomanagetheport;developed15yearplantoupgradefacility.

•  Newplanforharbourapprovedbytheprovince

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PortofGoderich

•  EconomicvalueofexpandedandimprovedPortistoaEractuserswhocangeneratemorelocalemployment.

•  First15yearplaniscompleteandnextphaseispar<allyfundedtolandfilladjacenttoexis<ngwharftopermitaddi<onalstorageanddockage.

•  Lowwaterlevelsincreaseshippingcosts/tonaslakefreightersmustcarrylighterloadstonavigateshallowerwater.

•  Noissueswithhigherwaterasshipscanloadandunloadeasily.

•  Improvementstobreakwatersandpiershavebothcalmedharbourwatersandreducedimpactofsiltflowfromthelake.

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HighWaterImpacts:BluffErosion

HuronCountyBluffs:•  AmberleytoGrandBend–theonlybluffsontheeasternshoreofLakeHuron

•  50kmofLakeHuronshoreline,bluffsupto100feetinheight

•  130+streamsflowingintoLakeHuronalsoeroding•  Morethan600shorelineresidenceswithinhazardlandsdesigna<ons

•  Averagerateoferosionof30cmperyear,acceleratedbytoeerosionunderhighwaterlevels

•  2014ProvincialPolicyStatement(NaturalHazardspolicies)andConserva<onAuthorityregula<onsinformlakeshoredevelopment

Jan15,2016WPSCworkshopiden<fiedaneedforimprovedpubliceduca<onaboutblufferosion.Inpar<cular:•  Howensureprospec<vebuyersawareofhazardlanddesigna<ons•  Assistcurrentownerstoevaluatetheirproperty•  Promoteuseoflocalresources(on-linemappingandexper<seof

conserva<onauthoritystaff,LHCCCbluffstewardshipinforma<onforhomeowners,etc.)

•  Whattodointheeventofaslump•  “Managedretreat”approachesNeednewtoolstopredictwhere/whenblufffailurescanbeexpected,inordertoprovidemorecertaintyand<melywarningtoresidents.

BluffErosionIssuesforDiscussion

NextSteps•  PhaseII-spring/summer2016:publicconsulta<on/discussionandreviewofop<onsforadapta<on/managementofextremelakelevels(finalreportOctober2016)

•  Someresearchwillcon<nueatthesubcommiEee’sdirec<on

•  Summereventsinclude:– May14Ashfield-ColborneLakefrontAssocia<onannualmee<ng

– May27“IstheCoastClear”conference–  June4BluewaterShorelineResidentsAssocia<onannualmee<ng

–  ABCAShorelineManagementPlanpublicmee<ngs(scheduletbd)

Thankyou