2012 Lake Superior South Shore Recession Rate Study

The South Shore Recession Rate Study for Douglas and Iron Counties was completed in the Winter of 2012. This project was funded by the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program (WCMP). Key objectives and accomplishments of the project include:

  1. Determination of shoreline recession rates by comparison of orthophotos taken at two different times in the past.
  2. Determination of stable slope angles based on bluff material types present.
  3. Identifying appropriate building setbacks based on recession rate and stable slope angle.
  4. Promoting public awareness of bluff erosion.
  5. Providing the framework for the future development of legally-defensible shoreline setback standard.

Download a copy of the FINAL REPORT (PDF)
Download the final Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data for IRON COUNTY (MDB) (ArcGIS 9.3 geodatabase)
Download the final GIS data for DOUGLAS COUNTY (MDB) (ArcGIS 9.3 geodatabase)