huron county extreme water levels integrated assessment: phase i report
TRANSCRIPT
HuronCountyExtremeWaterLevelsIntegratedAssessment:
PhaseIReport
May17,2016AnnArbor,Michigan
LynnePeterson
HuronCountyExtremeWaterLevelsIA
HuronCounty:wherefarmmeetslake
• Popula<on60,000.Agriculture,tourism,manufacturing,shipping.
• 100kmofLakeHuronshorelineincludes:– DunesandbeachesaErac<ngrecrea<onandtourism
– Harboursrequiringdredgingandinfrastructuremaintenancecapableofhandlingboa<ngandcommercialshipping
– Majes<cbluffswithsunsetviews
3
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
8
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.
11
PortofGoderich
PortofGoderich• PortistheonlySeawaydepth(26feet)facilityoneastsideofLakeHuron,usedby250-280shipsperyear.
• MajoruseristheSi^osaltmine,developedinlate1950s,approx.500employees.GrainelevatorsandCalciumChloridecompanyareotherpartnersinportmanagement.
• DesignatedanofficialSeawayPortundertheHighwayH20programtoaEractinterna<onalbusiness
• GoderichPortManagementCorpora<onestablishedasanon-profittomanagetheport;developed15yearplantoupgradefacility.
• Newplanforharbourapprovedbytheprovince
13
PortofGoderich
• EconomicvalueofexpandedandimprovedPortistoaEractuserswhocangeneratemorelocalemployment.
• First15yearplaniscompleteandnextphaseispar<allyfundedtolandfilladjacenttoexis<ngwharftopermitaddi<onalstorageanddockage.
• Lowwaterlevelsincreaseshippingcosts/tonaslakefreightersmustcarrylighterloadstonavigateshallowerwater.
• Noissueswithhigherwaterasshipscanloadandunloadeasily.
• Improvementstobreakwatersandpiershavebothcalmedharbourwatersandreducedimpactofsiltflowfromthelake.
14
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