The Detroit District USACE contracted for the development of digital bluff line and other planimetric features along the shorelines in the five prototype counties. This task was completed in 1999 and 2000. An example of bluff line mapping is presented below. This figure illustrates the top and toe of bluff delineation and also identifies shoreline structures. Other planimetric features not shown in the figure were digitized as well. A consistent data structure for the planimetric mapping was developed and used to map key features such as transportation, drainage, utilities, building structures, and shoreline structures. The bluffline mapping was used on several subsequent tasks. The top and toe of bluff were used as the starting point in the bluff retreat predictions from the coastal modeling task. The building footprints, roadways, and other key planimetric features were used in the assessment of economic damages.

This baseline mapping will continue for the remaining Lake Michigan counties with Berrien County, Michigan slated for completion in 2001.

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