NY Sea Grant Workshop: What to Do When Shoreline Bluffs Slump

Learn Strategies to Manage Unique Shoreline Feature

July 1, 2026. From New York’s Great Lakes to Long Island, there are shoreline bluffs subject to conditions that cause them to degrade – slowly over time or in rapid bursts called slumping. On Friday, July 24, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Wadhams Lodge in Powder Mills Park in Pittsford, NY, New York Sea Grant Coastal Processes and Hazards Specialist Roy Widrig will provide information on bluffs erosion with a focus on protecting and preserving these unique shoreline features along Lake Ontario. This workshop will include information on permitting for bluff projects, and on the New York State Department of State Coastal Compliance Review.

The workshop is free; registration is required by July 22nd at https://nyseagrant.org/glcoastal or call or call 315-234-1916 for assistance.

Bluffs are steep cliffs or banks made of loosely compacted soil, silt, sand, clay, or glacial till. Over time, natural forces of wind and water, waves from weather events, and human activity can cause a bluff to erode at the toe of the bluff or from above. Slumping events can happen due to high water levels or the impact or large waves, or be the result of water flowing over the face of the bluff.

New York Sea Grant provides this assistance with support from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund, in partnership with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Great Lakes Program. al Protection Fund, in partnership with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Great Lakes Program.