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Lake Erie Coastal Erosion
Area Program
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The Coastal Erosion Area Program studies past Lake Erie erosion to develop estimates of future erosion. Under the program, the Division of Geological Survey produces maps on which Ohio residents can find their shoreline properties and determine (1) the amount of coastal recession that has occurred in the past and (2) whether a coastal erosion area (CEA) has been designated for their properties.
What does a CEA designation mean? Based on its recent erosion history, the area designated as a CEA is land that ODNR projects to be lost to Lake Erie-related erosion within the next 30 years unless preventive measures are taken. Hence, the Coastal Erosion Area Program can give landowners some idea how far to expect their lakefront properties to erode. Landowners need not be concerned about this information’s effect on their property values because in the more than 10 years that the program has been in place, there has been no evidence that it impacts property values.
If a CEA is not designated at a property, that does not mean that erosion has not occurred or cannot occur; it only means that there has not been enough erosion in the recent past to trigger a designation. Any portion of the Lake Erie shoreline is susceptible to erosion under certain conditions. The ODNR Office of Coastal Management has more information on erosion.
The maps currently used to identify CEAs were released in 1998 and are scheduled to be updated early in 2010. Some areas currently designated as CEAs are expected to have that designation removed. A few areas that are not currently designated as CEAs will receive designations for the first time, as their rates of erosion have increased.
When available, the new maps will be announced at public meetings in the coastal counties of Ashtabula, Lake, Cuyahoga, Lorain, Erie, Ottawa, and Lucas. They will be viewable online in draft form, and landowners will be allowed ample time to comment on the maps before they are finalized. In the meantime, if landowners have questions about erosion at their properties, they may call the Division of Geological Survey at (614) 265-6595 or the Office of Coastal Management at (419) 626-7980.
Last update August 6, 2009
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