Nearshore
Beach grooming likely no longer regulated by Michigan; Federal rules still apply
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Michigan lakefront property owners who want to weed their Great Lakes beaches with mechanical devices may soon have one less hurdle to jump.
Nearshore
Pull down lake breakwalls to stop erosion, Michigan officials say
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Environmental experts are urging property owners to get rid of lakefront lawns and stone breakwalls in favor of a new approach to landscaping.
Nearshore
Invasive grass fuels Michigan fires
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The invasive phragmites isn’t just a nuisance because it takes over areas of native grassland. When it dries, it’s just like a tinderbox.
Nearshore
Lake Michigan’s Sleeping Bear Dunes named nation’s favorite beauty
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If it’s a beauty pageant, then Lake Michigan’s Sleeping Bear Dunes is certainly the crowd favorite. Good Morning America voters recently named it one of the most beautiful places in the country. And its 35 miles of sandy beaches and crystal waters earned it a top spot on a beach expert’s best Great Lakes beaches in July. Host Josh Elliott visited Lake Michigan’s best-kept secret and called the dunes “stunning monuments to the passage of time.” They formed when ice sheets melted and formed glacial lakes, pushing rock debris to the shoreline. Now covered in sand, the dunes have captured national attention for their beauty; they are even celebrity chef Mario Batali’s favorite vacation spot.
Nearshore
Beach Conflict
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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.
Nearshore
Public docks spark conflicts where roads end at water
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For most people, docks are a way to enjoy the Great Lakes and inland waters. But for townships trying to calm public-private tensions where roads end at the water, docks are a big headache.
Nearshore
Great Lakes states struggle with unequal federal funding for beaches
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In the midst of summer beach season, some Great Lakes states are having to pick which beaches they’ll monitor for contamination with what critics say is an unfair distribution of federal funds.
Funding predicted for 2011 indicates that states with more beaches aren’t receiving substantially more funding to monitor them.
Nearshore
Great Lakes beach ranking disputed
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Great Lakes states once again dominated the bottom of a beach health and safety list released by the Natural Resources Defense Council before July 4 weekend.
But some Great Lakes beach and health experts say the council’s report inaccurately reflects monitoring methods and unfairly interprets state data.