The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Great Lakes Navigation Team conducted a series of regional meetings to initiate a dialogue with state and local officials to inform them of the current condition of coastal infrastructure (federal breakwaters, piers, jetties, etc.) and the projected risks posed by deferred maintenance. This is in keeping with the Corps' ongoing efforts of openly communicating risks to local entities and other harbor stakeholders.

The Corps discussed each harbor's federal navigation structures in detail, including the current condition of each of the structures and a discussion of the local landside infrastructure that is protected by the structures.

Although authorized to safeguard navigation activities in the federal harbors from waves and ice, these navigation structures also provide critical flood/storm damage protection for buildings, roads, and facilities. As these structures have aged and their conditions deteriorated, their ability to protect the navigation channel and the infrastructure that has built up behind them are increasingly at risk. The purpose of these regional meetings is to have an open dialogue on current conditions and risks.

Great Lakes Coastal Infrastructure Brochure: Critical Protection at Risk

Point of Contact:  GLNAVIGATION@USACE.ARMY.MIL