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Maps of High Risk Erosion Areas

An eroding clay bluff in Manistee County Michigan
Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy

Maps of High Risk Erosion Areas

Currently around 250 miles of shoreline are designated as high risk erosion areas along the shorelines of Lakes Michigan, Superior and Huron. Township maps show the locations and setbacks for each of the areas.

Local townships provided the property tax identification numbers at the time of the high risk erosion area designation.  Due to parcel splits and combinations the property tax identification numbers may change yet the designation runs with the land so the resulting parcels are also designated and will require a permit for regulated structures.

If, after using one of the sites to determine if your property is in a high risk erosion area, there are questions about whether the property is in a high risk erosion area please contact local EGLE staff. 

Contact

Information on specific sites:

District Permit Staff

Sources

High Risk Erosion Area Maps by County and Township

High Risk Erosion Area Maps are organized by county and township in the searchable table below.
County PDF Map/Tax List
Alger Burt Township
Allegan Casco Township
Allegan City of Douglas
Allegan Ganges Township
Allegan Laketown Township
Allegan City of Saugatuck
Allegan Saugatuck Township
Antrim Banks Township

Antrim

City of Elk Rapids

Antrim Elk Rapids Township
Antrim

Milton Township

Antrim

Torch Lake Township

Baraga

Arvon Township

Baraga

Baraga Township

Baraga

L'Anse Township

Bay

Bangor Township

Benzie

Blaine Township

Benzie

Crystal Lake Township

Benzie

Village of Elberta

Benzie

City of Frankfort

Benzie

Gilmore Township

Benzie Lake Township
Berrien

Benton Township

Berrien

City of Bridgman

Berrien

Chikaming Township

Berrien

Village of Grand Beach

Berrien

Hagar Township

Berrien

Lake Township (Berrien)

Berrien Lincoln Township
Berrien

City of New Buffalo

Berrien

New Buffalo Township

Berrien

St. Joseph Township and City of St. Joseph

Berrien

Village of Shoreham

Chippewa

Bay Mills Township

Chippewa

Soo Township

Chippewa

Whitefish Township

Delta

Ford River Township

Emmet

Bear Creek Township

Emmet

Bliss Township

Emmet

Cross Village Township

Emmet

City of Petoskey

Emmet

Readmond Township

Emmet

Resort Township

Emmet

West Traverse Township

Gogebic

Ironwood Township

Grand Traverse

Acme Township

Grand Traverse

Peninsula Township

Grand Traverse

City of Traverse City

Houghton

Calumet Township

Houghton

Hancock Township

Houghton

Schoolcraft Township

Houghton

Stanton Township

Houghton

Torch Lake Township

Huron

Caseville Township

Huron Lake Township
Huron Port Austin Township
Huron Village of Port Austin
Iosco

Alabaster Township

Iosco Baldwin Township
Keweenaw

Grant Township

Keweenaw

Houghton Township

Leelanau Bingham Township
Leelanau Village of Empire
Leelanau Glen Arbor Township
Leelanau Leelanau Township
Leelanau Leland Township
Leelanau Suttons Bay Township
Luce McMillan Township
Mackinac Garfield and Moran Townships
Manistee
Arcadia Township
Manistee Filer Township
Manistee City of Manistee
Manistee Manistee Township
Manistee Onekama Township
Mason Grant Township
Mason Hamlin Township
Mason City of Ludington
Mason Pere Marquette Township
Mason Summit Township
Menominee

Cedarville Township

Menominee

Ingallston Township

Menominee

Menominee Township and City of Menominee

Muskegon

Fruitland Township

Muskegon Laketon Township
Muskegon City of Muskegon
Muskegon City of Norton Shores
Muskegon White River Township
Oceana Benona Township
Oceana Claybanks Township
Oceana Golden Township
Oceana Village of Pentwater
Oceana Pentwater Township
Ottawa City of Ferrysburg
Ottawa City of Grand Haven
Ottawa Grand Haven Township
Ottawa Park Township
Ottawa Port Sheldon Township
Ottawa Spring Lake Township
St. Clair Burtchville Township
St. Clair City of Port Huron
St. Clair Fort Gratiot Township
Sanilac Delaware Township
Sanilac
Forester Township
Sanilac Village of Forestville
Sanilac Village of Lexington
Sanilac Lexington Township
Sanilac Village of Port Sanilac
Sanilac Sanilac Township
Sanilac Worth Township
Van Buren Covert Township
Van Buren City of South Haven
Van Buren South Haven Township
High Risk Erosion state map
MiEnviro Portal words with arrow through a green leaf

MiEnviro

MiEnviro Site Map Explorer is used to view regulatory maps, and documents of past and pending applications and permits in Michigan. Zoom into your area on the map or type in the property address and click Show map. On screen right click on the Layers button. Under Map Layers choose Coastal and then choose High Risk Erosion Zones. Click Done. The high risk erosion areas are shown in light green. If your property is in the light green area, it is in a high risk erosion area. Click on the property to see the 30 and 60 year setbacks. Refer to the guidance for using MiEnviro Site Map Explorer for more help.

 

Open MiEnviro Portal

Logo for Wetlands Map Viewer

Wetlands Map Viewer

Wetlands Map Viewer assists users in identifying regulated zones of high risk erosion. Choose Text Search or Map Search to locate the property. Click on Coastal Data then choose HREA. The high risk erosion areas are shown in light green. If your property is in the light green area, it is in a high risk erosion area.

 

Open Wetlands Map Viewer

Maps & Data webpage banner

GIS

Geographic Information System users can load the shapefile of the high risk erosion zones into their projects from the Michigan Open Data Portal.

 

Open Data Portal

Looking through the forest at a setback measurement

How are HREA's determined?

EGLE staff conduct county wide studies to determine the recession rate of the shoreline. The rates of recession are determined by comparing the location of the erosion hazard line of the shoreline on historic and modern aerial photographs. Additional information from fieldwork, and shoreline photos are used to aid in the determination of the erosion hazard line. Shorelines with a recession rate of 1 foot or more per year over a minimum of 15 years are designated as HREAs. The recession rate data are used to calculate the appropriate setback distances for construction.

Setbacks are determined for the projected recession of the shoreline 30 years and 60 years into the future. The 30 year setback distance (feet) is for those structures considered readily moveable. If the structure was threatened by erosion, it could be moved landward before loss of the structure occurred. The 60 year distance is for non-readily moveable structures such as homes with a foundation greater than 3,500 square feet or a septic system.

Once a recession rate study is complete the property owners, and their local officials, in the proposed high risk erosion areas are notified and given the opportunity to comment on the proposed designations before they become effective.