Press Releases

Today, U.S. Representatives Bill Huizenga (MI-02), Fred Upton (MI-06) Jack Bergman (MI-01) released the following statement after meeting on Friday with representatives from FEMA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Detroit District about rising lake levels and erosion along the Great Lakes shoreline.

“On Friday, we had a productive discussion with the Army Corps and representatives from FEMA about an issue that is concerning to all of us and our constituents – the erosion that is happening along our Great Lakes shoreline.  Erosion threatens our beaches, our homes, and our state’s overall well-being. As three members who represent our Great Lakes shoreline, it is an issue that is deeply personal and one that we take incredibly seriously. 

“In our meeting, we asked for tactical assistance, meaning that our communities need the USACE and FEMA’s expertise right now on how to protect our shorelines and our properties. We also asked them for solutions to mitigate damage and alleviate some of the burden on constituents.

“Moving forward, we will keep monitoring the status of our shoreline and the threat of erosion. All parties agreed to remain committed to working on a coordinated response with every level of government to ensure our shoreline can withstand, recover from, and adapt to high lake levels and erosion.”

Water levels across the Great Lakes have broken records this past year. In July, Lake Michigan was just one inch below its record high from 1986, and it was 15 inches above its level from a year ago.