An Assessment of Coastal Resilience in Great Lakes Communities: Basinwide Resources and Local Efforts in Response to a Changing Coastline

Abstract

As the largest freshwater system in the world, the Laurentian Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River watershed is an essential resource that drives the cultural, ecological, and economic well-being of Central Canada and the Midwestern United States. However, climate change threatens the way of life, ecosystem health, and economic prosperity of the Great Lakes region. Sustained high water levels from 2017 to 2020, unusually low water levels in 2013 and 2014, and a noticeable increase in storm magnitude and frequency have alerted Great Lakes government officials of the high risks for coastal communities due to climate change. High water levels and increased storms have piqued interest and inspired action on shoreline protection and management across the Great Lakes region. While some municipalities began implementing measures, such as improving stormwater management and installing shoreline armoring, many communities face barriers in assessing risk, choosing appropriate projects, obtaining funding, implementing plans, and collaborating with other coastal communities. Resource providers and organizations supporting local coastal efforts also struggle to effectively assist communities. To better understand these challenges we employed two research methods: digital research and interviews. This involved the compilation of two libraries - a resources library with over 1100 sources of resilience-focused information and a funding library with 130 available funding opportunities. We conducted interviews with 41 Great Lakes basin municipalities on the status and challenges of resilience work along their shorelines and 11 interviews and two focus groups with resource providers. This research highlighted existing gaps and identified potential approaches to improve implementation of coastal resiliency measures at a local scale. Municipal interviews revealed the obstacles many communities face. Residents influence their local government's response to changing shoreline conditions by supporting or stifling action depending on the recency of catastrophic events and personal values and experiences. As a result, decision-makers are faced with the possibility of incurring debt and a short window of opportunity before coastal resilience is no longer urgent to community members and the impetus to make change disappears. Confusion over potential climate change impacts and whose responsibility or authority it was to implement shoreline protection was also shared with us. Interviews revealed an equity disconnect; municipal staff could identify the vulnerable members of the community but did not recognize it as an equity issue. Coastal municipalities also struggled to carry out resilience actions due to a lack of staff capacity to identify funding, evaluate resource options, and prepare effective applications. The relationships municipal staff formed with resource providers and funders, other communities, outside contractors, and with other 4 department staff influenced their ability to successfully apply to grants, collaborate with other communities, and develop comprehensive plans and grant proposals. Balancing many responsibilities, municipal staff often do not have the time, energy, nor training required to properly manage coastal projects. Other constraining factors included information overload - municipal staff not knowing what resources to use or who to contact for assistance - and the siloing of information across different agencies in the Great Lakes basin. Both prevented information sharing, which hindered actions or produced redundancies. The resources assembled covered a variety of topics but mostly focused on adaptation planning, flood mitigation, and educational materials on climate impacts on coastal systems. The number of state-specific resources was relative to the length of their coastlines, with Michigan and Wisconsin possessing the most resources. The majority of resources were in English, and only one-fifth of resources mentioned social equity. Federal and state/provincial agencies created over 50 percent of the available resources, which were often for use by elected officials and staff, specifically planners. Due to the variability and unpredictability of climate change, there is an immediate need to address these issues and support binational Great Lakes coastal communities. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to utilize federal infrastructure spending to implement critical shoreline protection measures such as green infrastructure. Various federal and state-level agencies and regional non-profits may be uniquely positioned to provide outreach and aid to local communities through technical knowledge, project management, and financial assistance. Drawing upon this research, we propose recommendations to incorporate equity into projects, conduct long-term planning and monitoring to improve the reactions and responses of decision-makers, utilize a hub to disseminate available resources, and educate communities on coastal processes and solutions. Overall, improving access to funding and information on financing options, educating staff on grant writing, and encouraging the collaboration amongst municipalities on projects would increase successful implementation. Finally, to overcome limitations of capacity, resource providers can improve access to technical assistance and assist in fostering relationships across boundaries and the Great Lakes basin to enhance communication and information sharing.