Coastal Erosion

THE LAKE ERIE COASTAL
EROSION PROBLEM IN OHIO

Damage caused by an eroding bluff in Cuyahoga County (1986)

Economic losses exceed tens of millions of dollars per year.
Nearly 2,500 structures are within 50 feet of destruction.
95% of Ohio's Lake Erie shore is eroding.
Erosion rates are as high as 110 feet in one year.
Protection structures often increase erosion rates.
Manmade shoreline structures trap sand supply; 43% of the shore is now beachless.
Effective erosion-control efforts require quantification of the geologic processes that cause erosion.

Ohio Lake Erie Erosion Statistics by County

Long and Short-term Recession Data by County
Long-term: 1877 to 1973 Short-term: 1973 to 1990

County	Long-term Distance (ft.)	Long-term Rate (ft/yr)	Short-term Distance (ft.)	Short-term Rate (ft./yr.)
Ashtabula	82	0.9	28	1.6
Lake	160	1.7	32	1.9
Cuyahoga	60	0.6	8	0.4
Lorain	80	0.8	12	0.7
Erie (lake)	103	1.6	42	2.5
Ottawa (lake)	208	2.0	27	1.6
Lucas	520	5.4	46	2.7
Erie (bay)	241	2.8	32	1.9
Ottawa (Bay)	61	2.0	21	1.2

Last update December 30, 1999
Division of Geological Survey http://dnr/state.oh.us/geosurvey/