ECT supported the West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission (WMSRDC) in developing and prioritizing a portfolio of nature-based solution projects to strengthen coastal resilience along eastern Lake Michigan’s drowned river mouth systems, funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s National Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF). The project focused on identifying, evaluating, and advancing green-design strategies—such as wetland and stream restoration, floodplain reconnection, living shorelines, green stormwater infrastructure, erosion control, fish passage improvements, and enhanced public access—to address escalating climate-related threats including flooding, erosion, fluctuating lake levels, invasive species, and water quality degradation.
To build on that momentum, ECT facilitated several robust stakeholder and community engagement sessions to gather potential projects from the communities, completed a technical feasibility analysis, and assessed integration of ecological, engineering, geography and social considerations for each. A weighted matrix was created to subjectively score, prioritize, and select top priority projects.
The final project list will help WMSRDC align and prioritize implementable restoration projects that reduce coastal hazard risks, enhance habitat for native species, support recreation and local economies, and position the region for future design, permitting, and construction funding while building long-term environmental and community resilience.