Virtual workshop offers insights to protect shoreline along Lake Ontario

Press Release, New York Sea Grant

Water, wind, waves, and time, even the gentle lapping of Lake Erie or Lake Ontario, erodes the Great Lakes shoreline.

To mitigate the impact of shoreline erosion, New York Sea Grant (NYSG) Great Lakes Coastal Processes and Hazards Specialist Roy L. Widrig is inviting waterfront property owners to participate in online workshops on Dec. 7 and Dec. 9.

The 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. workshop on Dec. 7 will focus on the Western Lake Ontario shoreline areas of Niagara and Orleans counties.

The action and impact of Lake Erie on properties in Erie and Chautauqua counties will be featured in the Dec. 9 workshop from 1 pm to 4 pm. To register for either or both workshops, click here or contact 315-312-3042 or SGOswego@cornell.edu for assistance.

“The processes of erosion and accretion along Lakes Erie and Ontario share some similarities, but vast differences in the physical makeup of their shorelines, and the differences in approaching management options must be considered when planning a project,” says Widrig, author of the “Erosion Management for New York’s Great Lakes Shorelines Guide.”

In each workshop, Widrig will cover ways to address such issues as planning for lake level variations, designing and maintaining seawalls or rock rip-rap, water pooling in yards or basements, and general coastal processes. Participants will learn how they can freely access his expertise through the New York Sea Grant “Virtual Shoreline Visit” tool.

Locally-based New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, New York State Department of State and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers personnel will discuss the permitting process for shoreline projects and answer questions as part of each workshop.

Workshop participants will see before and after photos of properties where options to achieve better drainage, bluff stabilization, and use nature-based features or traditional structures have been applied to manage erosion. Widrig will also share tips as the author of “Working with Nature: A Guide to Native Plants for New York’s Great Lakes Shorelines.”

New York Sea Grant, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York, is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2021-2022. It maintains Great Lakes offices in Oswego, Newark and Buffalo. For more information on Great Lakes coastal processes and erosion, click here.