State Representative Joey Andrews has introduced legislation that would amend state law to let lakeshore property owners install erosion control measures and leave them in, rather than removing them when the erosion crisis has ended.
Andrews testified before the House Natural Resources and Tourism Committee this week about House Bill 4385. Specifically, the bill would allow shoreline property owners to leave in place sandbags that were placed during the record-high Great Lakes water levels of 2020.
Andrews said a lot of shoreline homeowners had to install sandbags to protect their properties, and at a great expense. Now, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy will often require that the sandbags be removed. Andrews says that’s also expensive.
“What we wanted to do is say, look, this is a cyclical system, right? The water levels will go back up. They always do,” Andrews said. “So if we pull these sandbags out now, within the next decade, more than likely, they’re going to have to put them back in. It’s extremely costly.”
Andrews said EGLE often reviews these situations on a case by case basis, but that’s not ideal.
“If we can be responsible with the sandbags, let’s leave them in. Let’s keep the dunes intact. It’s going to protect us in the event of another high water event.”
House Bill 4385 would amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to allow for the sandbags.
Andrews says the legislation “offers a balanced, adaptive approach to shoreline management.” He says it recognizes that, in some cases, emergency interventions like sandbags evolve into long-term stabilizing features.
