In 1999, an inventory of shore protection structures in five prototype counties along the Lake Michigan shoreline was conducted. This information is being used to assist in determining the level of shore protection that may reasonably exist along these shorelines over the next 50 years, as well as the level of potential damage that these structures may prevent (or alternatively cause).
In 2000, USACE Detroit District requested the extension of this inventory to four river mouth systems on Lake Michigan, within these five prototype counties. These are:
1) the Grand River at Grand Haven, MI;
2) Kalamazoo Lake and River at Saugatuck/Douglas, MI;
3) Lake Macatawa at Holland, MI; and
4) the Sheboygan River in Sheboygan, WI.
This information will be used within the LMPDS to calculate the potential damages due to the backwater effects of high and low water scenarios in these river mouth areas. The inventory of structures in these areas included all of the shore protection structures as per the shoreline protection classification scheme that was developed for the LMPDS (see Stewart 1997a and 1998) and sought to also identify key structures in the water such as boat slips, marinas, launch ramps, etc. that could reasonably be expected to be affected by high or low water levels.
In this regard, a new level of classification was developed for boating related structures as follows:
Class 6A - Private Boat Docks - Applies primarily to private property owner docks constructed for recreational boating purposes.
Class 6B - Marina Structures - Applies to recreational boat docks and slips associated with commercial, private and municipal marina operations.
Class 6C - Commercial and Industrial Docks - Applies to docks and wharves associated with commercial and industrial operations.
Class 6D - Boat Ramps / Launch Areas - Applies to launch ramps and docks associated with commercial, private and municipal boat launch ramps.
Within the overall shoreline protection classification scheme, Class 6 previously applied to "unclassified" situations. As there were previously no occurrences of this Class, it was converted for use in application to boating structures.
Methodology
A number of information and data products were collected to assist in the mapping of structures in these areas. First, backwater and storm water rise mapping was obtained from USACE Detroit to determine the upstream limits of the inventory for each river mouth area. All available aerial photography and digital mapping products (e.g., digital orthophotography) were also obtained from USACE. This included video tape of the 3 river mouth areas on Lake Michigan that was obtained by USACE Detroit District personnel in May of 2000.
Utilizing newly created digital shorelines for each river mouth area that were provided by USACE Detroit, the river mouth and upstream river shorelines were sub-divided into 1/10th of a kilometer sub reaches for mapping and classification purposes. Air photos and all available mapping products and video were then analyzed and the measurement, classification and recording of all shore protection structures, as well as boat slips, boat ramps and other structures visible on these products were then mapped within ArcView GIS. Data was mapped on a continuous basis and color themed accordingly depending on type of structure. Mapping and classification results were also field verified through site visits and through discussion with individuals familiar with the areas in question.
For each river mouth area, summary statistics and ArcView mapping products are being developed showing the extent of the various shore protection types. An example of this for Lake Macatawa is shown below. Additional mapping samples and data will be presented here once available.
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