With more than 10,000 miles of shoreline, the Great Lakes have the most freshwater access in the world – at least, in theory. There are growing conflicts over who can do what where roads meet the water.
AUG. 3:
Are beaches public where roads end?
A western Michigan court case embodies the abiding conflict between private property owners and the public over rights to Great Lakes shorelines at road ends.
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Public docks spark conflicts where roads end at Great Lakes waters
Public docks create murky water for townships trying to calm public-private tensions at road ends.
AUG. 17
Abandoning access: Townships hand over legal rights to road-ends
Lately, legal experts worry about townships indiscriminately abandoning access and about loopholes that make it easier for public beaches at the end of roads to end up in private hands.