Photo by Roy Widrig/New York Sea Grant Erosion due to a seiche impact on a Lake Erie shoreline in Erie County, New York in May.

This winter’s extreme conditions along New York’s Great Lakes are amplifying the natural action of wind, water, ice and storms that can cause significant shoreline erosion and economic damage to coastal businesses and personal properties, structures, and operations. New York Sea Grant is encouraging shoreline property owners to reach out now for free assistance in planning how to identify the best options for remediation and restoration from winter’s impact.

New York Sea Grant Coastal Processes and Hazards Specialist Roy Widrig has expertise with shoreline erosion management, flooding mitigation, living shorelines, and dune and natural habitat restoration. He works with individual property owners, municipalities, and community groups to address their location-specific shoreline erosion issues and options.

Widrig notes, “One-size-fits-all shoreline remediation approaches should be avoided as each property site has its own unique features, stressors, and resulting impact. New York Sea Grant provides both virtual and in-person assessments, considering each site place-by-place.”

Property owners can start now to document winter storm events and shoreline impact from storm surge and save action, seiche events along Lake Erie, or lake effect snow, ice, and wind along Lake Ontario. Widrig initially uses photos and descriptions, uploaded by property owners to New York Sea Grant’s Virtual Visit portal at nyseagrant.org/glcoastal to make a preliminary evaluation of damage. He then contacts property owners to discuss remediation options and, when warranted, schedules in-person site assessments.

When hard structures or construction may be needed to restore or protect a shoreline property, Widrig provides information on best practices; local, state, and federal regulations; and how to select a waterfront project contractor.

Widrig has assisted a wide range of projects in each of New York’s Great Lakes shoreline counties. Recent project have included living shoreline installation, dune restoration, seawall repairs, and drainage improvements.

Widrig is the author of the “Working with Nature Guide” to matching plant species native to New York to specific shoreline restoration needs. He can be reached through New York Sea Grant’s Oswego office at 315-234-1916 or rlw294@cornell.edu.

New York Sea Grant is a statewide, university-based program that connects research, outreach, and education to the needs of New York’s coastal communities, environments, and economies. It is a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York with 14 offices statewide and part of the National Sea Grant College Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.