Lake Bluff Stabilization Project

Emergency Bluff Stabilization in Lake Park

The Village of Mount Pleasant is continuing its emergency bluff stabilization project along Lake Michigan in the Lake Park neighborhood. Michels Corporation, the general contractor, has made substantial progress to date with an expected project completion date in August.

The purpose of the project is to provide protection and stabilization of the failing bluffs along Lake Michigan in the project area in order to protect local public infrastructure. The project consists of placing heavy stones at the toe of slope in the water to help absorb wave action along the lake. Stone is placed from the water all the way to the top of bluff at a stable angle to prevent further bluff failures and protect the bluff and adjacent lands from wave action from the lake.

Before the project began: 

The left image shows the state of the bluff before the stabilization project began. The right-hand image shows stakes set out to measure elevation and plan for stabilization.

June, 2018:

The stabilization project gets underway. (left) Dump trucks brought in stone and fill to stabilize the bluff face and create a road, with armor stone. (center) Then, armor stone was built up along the road to protect the road and bluffs from waves. (right)

July, 2018: 

The project advances along affected portions of the shore. (left) Armor stone is carefully positioned along the road to avoid any shifting in the future. (center) The southern-most part of the bluff is pictured completed. (right)