Nearshore
Nearshore
Lake Michigan’s Sleeping Bear Dunes named nation’s favorite beauty
|
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
|
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
|
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
Whose (shore)line is it anyway?
|
Can you walk along the shore of Lake Erie in Ohio without owning a piece of it?
Not if the Ohio Supreme Court rules in favor of the property owners who sued the Ohio Department of Natural Resources in 2004.
Nearshore
Dr. Beach to announce top 10 Great Lakes beaches
|
Stephen Leatherman, a.k.a. “Dr. Beach,” this year will begin compiling a list of the top 10 Great Lakes beaches. Letterman has rated national beaches since 1991, but this is the first year that our freshwater beaches will be in the spotlight. Beach managers and representatives nominated roughly 30 beaches. Miami-based Leatherman used the Internet to research the beaches. The rating system is down to a science — Leatherman has 50 criteria to determine the best beaches.
Nearshore
Ontario lawmaker wants to legalize public beachcombing
|
Shoreline property owners in Ontario have privileges right down to the lakes.
Whether you can walk along a Great Lakes beach depends – sometimes to be legal you have to get your feet wet.
Nearshore
Study highlights fragility of Lake Michigan dunes
|
New information about sand dunes along Lake Michigan is expected to improve protection of archeological sites, researchers and planners say.
Nearshore
Nearshore Navigators
|
In the Great Lakes, the area closest to shore is also one of the least understood. This special report explores the innovations scientists use to learn more about the nearshore. Jan. 26
Exploring below the Great Lakes’ surface
Little is known about the currents, fish or bottom of the nearshore area of the Great Lakes.Now, technology is providing researchers a window into what is one of the most productive yet least studied areas of the Lakes. Jan. 27
Triaxus reveals Great Lakes sunken ships and data treasures
One of the Environmental Protection Agency’s newest members uses side-scan sonar to look at the watery depths of Lake Michigan.
Nearshore
Robot week: Remote-controlled Stealth II reveals nearshore landscape
|
Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of stories on how new technology is giving researchers a glimpse of the critical nearshore area of the Great Lakes. With researchers hunched over remote controls, operating the Stealth II looks more like playing a video game than doing science. The Environmental Protection Agency purchased the underwater vehicle in May 2009. Using a hand control, agency scientists can operate the Stealth II as it hovers at various depths of the Great Lakes’ nearshore. The Stealth II’s camera allows scientists to map the bottom of nearshore areas and better understand habitat types.