A fresh start for cooperation
The Collaborative Action for Lake Michigan (CALM) Coastal Resilience network began in 2025 with a joint site visit to Upper Lake Park in Wisconsin. Its goal is to link municipalities, state agencies and coastal management programs so hazards along the shoreline are detected earlier and responses are implemented in a coordinated way.
Great Lakes, risks similar to the sea
The Great Lakes are sensitive to changing climate patterns. More frequent heavy rainfall, warmer seasons and fluctuating ice dynamics affect water levels and wave action. That intensifies shoreline erosion, promotes bluff failures and leads to flooding of beaches, trails and infrastructure. Unlike many marine coasts, communities often lack room for retreat because recreational and economic uses are concentrated right at the water's edge.
Cooperation instead of isolated solutions
CALM pools technical and organizational capacities across levels of government. The network links hazard analyses, warning systems, grant information and communication strategies. On that basis, preventive measures can be planned more precisely and emergency responses coordinated.
The collaboration includes joint inventories of shoreline segments, exchange of monitoring data on gauges and erosion, coordinated emergency plans and public information offerings. Workshops and on-site visits build trust between agencies, scientists and residents — a prerequisite for decisions on structural protections, land-use changes or property releases.
Focus areas of the work
- Hazard mapping and monitoring: Detailed maps locate unstable bluffs and vulnerable infrastructure; sensors supply data on wave action and water levels. - Nature-based shoreline protections: Vegetated banks, gravel beaches and natural breakwaters ('living shorelines') reduce erosion and increase the ecological value of the littoral zone. - Adapted infrastructure: Rerouted trails, removal of highly vulnerable buildings or elevated construction reduce long-term damage. - Emergency planning and risk communication: Uniform warning levels, clear evacuation routes and targeted messaging speed up responses during extreme events. - Financing and grants: Coordinated applications improve chances for state funding; cost-sharing eases the burden on individual communities.
Depending on the segment, priorities range from restoration to securing critical infrastructure.
Participation and the social dimension
Adaptation is more effective when affected groups are involved early. CALM formats integrate perspectives from fishers, shoreline property owners, the recreation sector and municipal administrations. This helps identify implementation barriers early and avoid unintended consequences.
Climate risks also have social impacts: differing financial means or limited options to relocate property can exacerbate inequalities. Multilevel coordination also creates opportunities for targeted support to particularly vulnerable households.
Long-term benefits and prerequisites
Resilience builds step by step: better data, faster information flow and coordinated investments. Success becomes visible when flood events cause less damage, erosion hotspots are stabilized more effectively and communities respond more quickly to acute risks.
This requires reliable funding and firm institutional anchoring: monitoring must be maintained, hazard maps regularly updated and participation processes continuously sustained.
Outlook
CALM represents a pragmatic approach that links engineering, nature and planning and brings administrative levels together. At Lake Michigan this can reduce both acute and long-term risks. The experiences from Wisconsin can serve as guidance for other Great Lakes regions facing similar challenges.