The seemingly everlasting erosion along the north shore of Lake Erie is getting some additional attention as the Long Point Biosphere Reserve Foundation has assembled a team of 26 people which is being called the ‘Working Group’. It is being led by Sarah Emons of the Biosphere and a consultant, Peter Zuzek. Their short term goal is to get federal funding for local shoreline erosion research.
Considerable controversy has been raised by Peter Zuzek’s suggestion that the main jetty at Port Burwell be removed with the hope that sand to the west of the jetty will be moved by lake currents to increase the footprint of Long Point. Would it succeed? Might there be unintended consequences?
This website is a collection of Bruce Bolin’s opinions and his selection of information. He and his wife own lakeshore property a few kilometers to the east of Port Burwell, and so he has some selfish interests in the lakeshore and some knowledge and biases about the lakeshore erosion. They purchased their property in 2004 and have first hand knowledge from those nearly twenty years of observations.
This is not just an issue of jetty or no jetty. It is also one of fiscal responsibility for our three or four levels of government – in Norfolk County, three, and four in Elgin County (federal, provincial, county, and municipal). Plus there are their (our) agencies. It has been observed how municipal governments can view grants from the higher level of government as free money, like getting something for nothing. Who would pass up free money? It would be prudent if our municipal representatives would always remember that the people they are supposed to represent are also provincial and federal taxpayers, and that grants from higher levels of government are financed in part with money borrowed against the ability of future taxpayers to make good on the deficits and debts. That is not to suggest there are never good reasons for deficits, but the ever-present elections on the horizon are not among the good reasons.
If there is the taxpayer and political will to fund substantial additional local erosion research, perhaps those funds might achieve more bang for the buck by directing them to Ontario university researchers where the additional expertise would be acquired by graduate students further from retirement than commercial researchers.
If this website was making a prediction, it would be presented as a story with a beginning, middle, and end. It is not a prediction or story, but rather an attempt to introduce what may be overlooked considerations; peripheral, but relevant science; and if one thinks that humans are not part of nature, then also anthropogenic activities. The related information is not intended to be read in any particular sequence. Nor is what is mentioned here considered to be comprehensive. A wiser person would include more.
To the extent the reader is interested, he or she is invited to jump from topic to topic in any order. That may be somewhat confusing, but so is erosion.
Click on any of the topics below to possibly learn more. Each of these topics are believed to be relevant to the erosion processes. A few remain works in progress.
Littoral Cells and Littoral Drift
Agriculture and Changing Flora
11th Annual Long Point Biosphere Research and Conservation Conference
Long Point Littoral Cell Working Group
Caveat
Please note that the opinions expressed on this website, including any errors, are those of the author. Likewise the photos and diagrams on the website, unless otherwise noted, are the works of, and therefore copyright protected by the author. Where there are links provided to sources beyond this website, the author of this website makes no claims. This is a work in progress. There will be updates.
Bruce Bolin
b.bolin@computer.org
someofabeach.ca 