90-Min Session 13 Water Law and Natural Shorelines
From Renae Siler
Related Media
- 0:00- Current legal issues impacting inland lakes in Michigan, William Carey, Carey and Jaskowski PLLC and Dane Carey, Kuhn Rodgers PLC
- 48:15- Portage Lake 2,700 foot Natural Shoreline Restoration, Protection and Habitat Improvement through Introduction of Woody Structure, Craig Kivi, Natural Shorelines Forever
The firms of Carey and Jaskowski PLLC (William Carey) and Kuhn Rodgers PLC (Dane Carey) will host a question and answer session on current legal issues impacting inland lakes in Michigan. The scope of the legal questions would not be limited, beyond the focus on inland lakes. However prominent current legal issues would include keyholing, commercial development of lakes via development of lake channels, and judicial overview of the EGLE permitting process. Both speakers have extensive experience on all legal issues impacting inland lakes in Michigan and have presented similar question and answer sessions on these topics in the past.
This project consists of 2700’ of natural shoreline and 11 acres of attached wetlands. The fundamental goals are simple; to stabilize and restore the natural shoreline, prevent further erosion from watercraft and to introduce new habitat by way of wood structure (also known as Coarse Wood Debris (CWD), coarse woody habitat, large woody debris, etc.) This entire process is also known as shoreline “soft”, or “natural” armoring. Portage Lake in Pinckney, Michigan is not unique. Thousands of all sports lakes are experiencing the same severe and rapid degradation of natural shorelines and associated natural habitat due to the exponential increase in size, horsepower and quantity of watercraft, magnified by the high percentage of hard armoring (Portage lake is 85% hard armored). Two approved permits were written with the help of a coalition from Michigan State University, department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, Michigan Natural shoreline Partnership, Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Natural Shorelines Forever and with fast growing support from others. The project is one of the largest inland lake natural shoreline projects in Michigan’s history and considered a model for other interested groups to follow. Per the EGLE permits, giant 8’ stumps, 3,000 pound, 20’ logs and up to 50’ full sized trees, with an estimated total of over 55,000 pounds were transported across the ice and affixed to the shoreline and littoral zones in many various configurations. This project can also be considered an ongoing experiment where scientists, environmental agencies and other organizations are unfettered to experiment with only one condition: the data, lessons learned and any other results from this project be shared statewide, nationwide and beyond.
Find more presentations from the 2022 Michigan Inland Lakes Convention here.
- Tags
-