OGL Coastal Note: Coastal team plans strategic retreat to save campground

Finding Victory in Retreat

Michigan Coastal Program helps save campground from washing away

Nestled on the rugged coast of Lake Superior lies F. J. McLain State Park. The popular park attracts more than 160,000 annual visitors who enjoy pitching tents, building campfires, and hiking along the park’s two full miles of coast. In recent years, the windswept coastline that defines the park created a unique problem for park managers; their park was being washed away. Intense storms from mighty Lake Superior created coastal erosion that threatened campsites, park facilities, and a road built in a high-risk area too close to shore.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources officials sought help from the Office of the Great Lakes’ Coastal Management team to find a solution. With assistance made available through a Coastal Zone Management grant, the team collaborated to create a strategic plan to move the park back a safe distance from the coastline. The strategic retreat of the park’s campsites respects the dynamic power of Lake Superior and preserves visitors’ ability to experience the wonders of the wild northern coast.

“In the face of losing park amenities to Lake Superior due to erosion, this grant provides a solution that will help us maintain the F.J. McLain coastal experience for future generations,” said DNR Regional Field Planner Eric Cadeau.

Discover how Michigan’s Coastal Management Program works to preserve, protect, enhance, and restore our state’s coastal treasures by visiting www.michigan.gov/coastalmanagement or contacting Program Manager Ronda Wuycheck at wuycheckr@michigan.gov.

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You are subscribed to no topic for Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.