Building coastal resilience: a video series for Michigan communities

Michigan’s 3,288 miles of Great Lakes shoreline are shaped by constantly changing forces including water levels, storms, waves, wind, ice, and the movement of sand. These natural processes create the beaches, dunes, wetlands, and bluffs that make our coast so valuable for wildlife, recreation, and local economies.

This video explains how Michigan’s coastal systems work, why shorelines change over time, and how those changes affect coastal communities. It provides a foundation for understanding coastal hazards, shoreline management, and long-term resilience along the Great Lakes.

Great Lakes water levels rise and fall in response to weather, climate, and long-term changes in precipitation, evaporation, and ice cover. When lake levels are high, wind and storms can drive powerful waves that increase erosion, flooding, and damage along the coast.

This video explains how water levels are measured, how the Great Lakes water budget works, and how storms, waves, and changing weather patterns shape Michigan’s shoreline helping communities better understand risk and prepare for future conditions.

Michigan’s Great Lakes shoreline is protected under the Public Trust Doctrine, which ensures the coast is shared and enjoyed by everyone not just shoreline property owners. As lake levels rise and fall, the boundary between public and private land shifts, and the public has the right to walk along the shore below the ordinary high-water mark.

This video explains how public trust law works, why natural beaches and dunes are so important, and how shoreline structures and development can affect both public access and long-term coastal health. It also explores the trade-offs communities face when balancing private property protection with the public's right to the shoreline.

Understanding how water levels, waves, and storms have shaped Michigan’s shoreline over time is critical for making smart coastal decisions. Today, communities have access to powerful mapping and data tools that show how shorelines have moved, where erosion is occurring, and which areas are most vulnerable to flooding and change.

This video introduces key tools including Great Lakes Shorelines Through Time, the Lake Level Viewer, coastal habitat maps, and dune and erosion data and shows how local governments use them to guide planning, zoning, and shoreline protection to support long-term coastal resilience.

As water levels, storms, and erosion reshape Michigan’s shoreline, communities must decide how best to respond. There is no single solution. Some places may protect the shore with structures, others may use natural features like sand and dunes, and in some cases buildings may need to move back from the water.

This video explores three core adaptation strategies protect, accommodate, and retreat and explains the environmental, financial, and planning trade-offs of each. It also shows how local governments, zoning, building codes, and the National Flood Insurance Program support safer, smarter development along Michigan’s coast.

Coastal communities across Michigan use planning and zoning tools to manage growth, reduce risk, and protect the shoreline for future generations. From master plans and zoning ordinances to hazard mitigation plans, these tools help communities understand where flooding and erosion are likely to occur and how development can adapt over time.

This video shows how local governments are using scenario-based planning, setbacks, overlay districts, and hazard mitigation strategies to guide smarter development  giving beaches and dunes room to move naturally while balancing public access, property rights, and long-term coastal resilience.