Ohio’s Coastal Erosion Areas
Coastal erosion continually reshapes  every beach and coast in the world, including the Lake Erie shore. Although we may think of land as permanent, the land making up the shore is not stable—the forces of waves and gravity are always acting upon it.
Since 1988, ODNR has mapped Ohio’s Lake Erie coast to identify coastal erosion areas—land along the coast that is projected to be lost to erosion over the next 30 years if no measures are taken to address it.
The objective of the Coastal Erosion Area (CEA) Program is to identify the hazards and mitigate the economic losses of erosion-related damage.
In 2010, ODNR released updated coastal erosion maps that show the amount of shore recession that occurred between 1990 and 2004. Based on recession between those years, calculations were made to project recession rates for the next 30 years. Areas projected to erode more than 11 feet are included in designated coastal erosion areas and are shown as such on the current coastal erosion maps. The updated maps were finalized in December 2010 and will remain in effect until the next revision, which by law must occur at least every 10 years.
These Web pages provide additional information about the Coastal Erosion Area Program including describing the mapping process, permitting requirements, and some of the professional services and information available at no cost from ODNR. |