Volume 2, Issue 16 SEPTEMBER 13, 2024
REFLECTIONS OF OUR COMMUNITY Total Raised: $3,745 Lead this Legacy
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Beachfront Restoration Design Project Underway in Pentwater Public engagement event set for Sept. 16, at Channel Lane Park
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Pentwater Township and other local partners are collaborating with the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative to develop solutions to stabilize sand movement at public parks, roads, walkways, beaches, and dune areas near the mouth of the Pentwater River, which enters Lake Michigan. Key focus areas include the public beach at Mears State Park, ad-
jacent roads, and the pier and walkways on both sides of the river mouth. The project is evaluating solutions to remove safety hazards, improve public access and decrease the financial burden caused by frequent removal of sand that accumulates in the area. The project will generate nature‐based recommendations within a comprehensive restoration design plan and position the community to secure implementation funding. “Managing windblown sand is a significant burden for both the community and the state park,” said Pentwater Township Supervisor Lynne Cavazos. “Sand also accumulates in the channel connecting Pentwater Lake to Lake Michigan, contributing to the need for more frequent and costly dredging to keep the channel open for boats. “It’s critical that we reduce the financial burden to our community, address safety hazards
and ensure the continued economic viability of this vital asset for Pentwater and west Michigan.” Mears State Park Supervisor Manny Valdez, emphasized that “clearing sand from the park’s walkways, parking lot and recreation areas is an ongoing challenge that is only getting worse. We are excited to work with the Cities Initiative, the township and Village of Pentwater and our other partners to advance solutions to lower costs and improve our management of this important resource for residents and visitors.” A public engagement event will take place Monday, Sept. 16, from 4-6 p.m. to present preliminary concepts for managing sand and addressing other challenges. The project sponsors will be on hand along with technical consultants to answer questions and receive input from residents and local officials. The event is at Channel Lane Park, lo-
cated at 200 Channel Lane in Pentwater. The public can attend at any time between 4 and 6 p.m. The Cities Initiative is proud to support the project under its Resilient Coastal Projects Initiative, which is helping cities across the Great Lakes region to protect shorelines and infrastructure. Funding is provided through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s National Coastal Resilience Fund, with support from NOAA under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Additional funding is being provided by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Partnership Match Program, which supports projects in state parks. Preliminary designs will be completed in early 2025, after which funding will be sought for final designs and implementation. A stakeholder team has been convened with representatives from local municipalities,
public agencies, interest groups and community members. The walkway at Mears State Park creates a north‐south tunnel‐effect for wind‐blown sand that accumulates on the pier and in the adjacent channel. The state park also contains an expansive paved parking area, which requires frequent sand removal to maintain access to park amenities. Sand also accumulates at the public access turn‐ around owned by the Village of Pentwater, which requires labor‐intensive removal using tractors and plows to relocate sand from the roadway to ensure access by emergency vehicles. Wind‐ blown sand spills into the Pentwater River channel, causing reduced passage for boat traffic and requiring more frequent dredging. While less acute, similar sand accumulation occurs south of the channel on the publicly accessible beach owned by the Oceana Beach Association. Boat
access between Lake Michigan and Pentwater Lake is extremely important to the local tourism economy. Some of the nature‐ based solutions being considered include installing native vegetation representative of natural dune systems, modifying the location and configuration of paved surfaces, and stabilizing dune areas with native plantings to reduce the movement of sand to roads, walkways and the channel. The primary project partners include the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, Pentwater Township, the Village of Pentwater, Charles Mears State Park and the Pentwater Lake Association. Additional supporting partners include the Oceana Beach Association, Protect Pentwater Channel Citizens Committee and the Oceana Conservation District. Technical Services are being provided by Stantec Consulting Services.