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Jul 22, 2023Time to remove protective sandbags from Great Lakes shorelines
Jan 21, 2024Geotextile tubes are filled with sand as a temporary erosion protection structure along Lake Michigan near Bridgman, Mich. on Oct. 8, 2020. (Garret Ellison | MLive)Garret Ellison | MLive
Sandbags placed along Great Lakes shorelines during high water levels three years ago should be removed, Michigan environmental regulators said.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) requested shoreline property owners remove the protective sandbags placed when high water levels threatened properties in 2020. The sandbags were only meant to be a temporary solution and should be removed before further deteriorating.
Sandbags that break down over time leave behind plastic pieces of all sizes along the shore, officials said.
Plastic pollution in the Great Lakes is considered a significant environmental issue that continues to grow more problematic.
Related: Plastic pollution litters the Great Lakes and it’s only getting worse
Only sandbags installed along the Lake Superior shoreline can remain in place for now, officials said.
State law requires sandbags to be removed when the water level fell below the ordinary high-water mark. Lakes Michigan, Huron, St. Clair, an Erie have all maintained water levels below that level for a significant period.
Lake Superior continued to have elevated water levels, so authorities said sandbags can stay in place along those shorelines.
EGLE officials will begin in the coming weeks to contact landowners who installed sandbags under a state permit. Shoreline owners are encouraged to begin removing sandbags as soon as possible.
Related articles:
The Great Lakes are awash in plastic waste. What can be done about it?
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