November 17, 2025

Great Lakes Coastal Resilience Study – Lake Superior Visit

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Purpose

US Army logo with yellow 5 pointed star and "U.S. Army" in black block letters below.

The Engineering With Nature® Playbook Project Development Team traveled to Lake Superior to view locations that offer opportunities or serve as examples of nature-based solutions to enhance coastal resiliency throughout the Great Lakes.

Circular logo with a red arc above with "Tribal Nations Technical" in white font, a yellow arc below with "Centers of Expertise" in black font, and a graphic of a mountain sceen with stream, sunset, and birds in the center, all outlined in black.

Objectives

Duluth, MN, shoreline walk with heavy armoring on the Lake Superior side, and a drainage swale vegetated with native plants. The city uses a combination of EWN and gray infrastructure approaches; additional EWN opportunities exist. Credit: GL EWN Playbook Team.
  • Examine sites around Lake Superior that present opportunities and/or examples of nature-based solutions to improve coastal resiliency around the Great Lakes.
  • Engage with tribes of Lake Superior Chippewa to hear their concerns and learn about traditional approaches to coastal protection.

Activities

  • Visited rocky beaches, armored urban shorelines, sand and clay bluffs, and waste rock sites.
  • Examined the erosion and deposition patterns along the shorelines, including the nature of materials being transported, and the types of conventional and natural infrastructure occurring along the coast.
  • Met with representatives from the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and toured their marina, beach, marshes, and encroaching stamp sands.
  • Met with representatives from the Fond du Lac Band and toured their rice lake, historic burial site, and a remediated EPA Area of Concern.

Key Take-Aways

  • Tribes have experienced multiple coastal challenges and emphasize sustainable solutions that offer valuable insights to inform USACE efforts.
  • Valuable information was obtained during the trip that will inform the development of the Playbook.
Natural shoreline of Lake Superior north of L’Anse, MI. This shoreline exhibits many characteristics that could be copied for constructed shoreline protection, such as the inclusion of native plants (even trees), and an undulating shoreline that creates pockets for micro habitat. Credit: GL EWN Playbook Team.
A “sign of the times.” Many shoreline areas along the Great Lakes face on-going erosion issues. EWN can provide sustainable solutions. Credit: GL EWN Playbook Team.
Eroding bluff and riprap stabilized shoreline just west of Saxon Harbor, MI. The clay bluffs along Lake Superior are constantly eroding; erosion has threated the road adjacent to the riprap area. EWN could offer options for including natural habitat in the erosion control; note the driftwood logs that have washed onto the riprap. The woody debris could be incorporated into a stabilized bank, adding habitat value. Credit: GL EWN Playbook Team.
An eroding sandy bluff along the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community land near Baraga, MI is part of a larger destabilized shoreline area. The sand is migrating downdrift and periodically blocks an inlet that supports high value wetlands. EWN options could address the multiple coastal issues that exist along the stretch of shoreline, adding habitat value and protecting sensitive downdrift areas. Credit: GL EWN Playbook Team.
Parker Creek, near Saxon Harbor, MI, is channelized with steel sheet pile in some areas. Stone has been added near the outlet of the lake for erosion control. A more naturalized, meandering stream outlet would add habitat value. The stone and woody debris that has collected in the area could be put to better use creating diverse habitat and a stabilized but more natural stream outlet. Credit: GL EWN Playbook Team.

Research Projects

The Great Lakes Natural And Nature-Based Features Playbook

Recent high lake levels have exposed the widespread vulnerability of the Great Lakes coastline. Increasingly frequent...
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