Plan Now to Reduce Winter’s Impact on New York Shorelines

OSWEGO COUNTY – This winter’s extreme conditions along New York’s Great Lakes have amplified the natural action of wind, water and ice. Storms can cause significant erosion to the shoreline and economic damage to coastal businesses and personal properties, structures and operations.

New York Sea Grant encourages shoreline property owners to reach out now for free help with identifying and planning the best way to address these issues and reduce the long-term impact of winter weather.

New York Sea Grant Coastal Processes and Hazards Specialist Roy Widrig has significant experience with shoreline erosion management, flooding mitigation, living shorelines and dune or natural habitat restoration. He works with individual property owners, municipalities and community groups to address their location-specific shoreline 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 by documenting winter storm events and shoreline impact from storm surge and wave 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 www.nyseagrant.org/glcoastal to make a preliminary evaluation of the 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, including living shoreline installation, dune restoration, seawall repairs and drainage improvements.

Widrig is the author of the “Working with Nature” guide, which helps match plant species native to New York to specific shoreline restoration needs. Interested property owners can contact him through New York Sea Grant’s Oswego office at 315-234-1916 or [email protected].

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About New York Sea Grant:

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.

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