RACINE/KENOSHA COUNTIES -- Rising water levels and bluff failures along Wisconsin's Lake Michigan shoreline in Racine and Kenosha counties are threatening homes -- and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is now offering guidance for homeowners.
According to the DNR, among the hardest hit areas is the village of Mount Pleasant -- where the erosion has put several homes in jeopardy and could potentially threaten a water main and other public utilities if the situation deteriorates.
According to a statement from the DNR, DNR officials, at the request of Gov. Scott Walker, are working cooperatively with the Department of Administration and other entities to support the community and property owners elsewhere on the coast with expedited review of emergency stabilization measures for the bluff.
DNR officials say placing heavy, stable material such as large, natural rock at the bottom or "toe" of the bluff can help protect that area from wave erosion. Managing the water at the top of the bluff through techniques such as directing downspouts to drain water away from the area also can play an important role in keeping the bluff stable.
"In urgent situations, the department is allowing the temporary placement of materials at the bottom of the bluff under easy-to-follow conditions while the property owner seeks approval for a permanent solution," said DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp in a statement. "The DNR is prepared to do everything within its statutory authority to allow property owners to stabilize the bluff, prevent further erosion and protect safety and property."
Homeowners seeking to take emergency action must:
One of the conditions for emergency approval requires landowners to actively work toward planning, designing and implementing a permanent shoreline protection solution through the state Chapter 30 permit process, said Martye Griffin, DNR's statewide waterway science and policy leader.
Once DNR receives the emergency request, a letter authorizing the placement of temporary structures will be sent and once received, the landowner can proceed with the temporary measures.
Property owners requesting emergency action may email Griffin atMartinP.Griffin@Wisconsin.gov.
DNR officials are urging homeowners to use care when considering emergency work.
During high water events in previous years, some efforts to deploy broken concrete and other materials down the side of the bluff resulted in excessive weight on the sloping bluff face. Rather than protecting the toe of the slope, this worsened erosion problems.
Griffin said in the statement from the DNR that the department recommends hiring a professional engineer to properly design shore protection structures that take into account the following:
Griffin also noted that if the material used for temporary protection cannot be incorporated into a final design, it may have to be removed, which may increase the costs of installing the final, permanent solution.
Steve Galarneau, director of DNR's Office of the Great Lakes, says water levels on Lake Michigan had been running well below average in the recent past, but are now up eight inches from a year ago and up just over four feet from the low level reported in January 2013.