Through the National Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF), a partnership between the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Department of Defense (DoD), Shell USA, and Occidental, funds were awarded to Support Resilience Planning in West Michigan to Protect Communities and Drowned River Mouth Systems.

 West Michigan hosts several lakes commonly known as “drowned river mouth lakes.” Formed by glaciers, these lakes are located at the mouths of rivers flowing into Lake Michigan, separated only by short channels. Drowned river mouth lakes provide critical habitat and nursery grounds for native and recreational fish in the Great Lakes. Unfortunately, all watersheds in the project area have known sites of erosion, road stream crossings that are not adequate for fish passage, and stormwater management needs that impact the local economies.

WMSRDC will collaborate with community leaders, stakeholders, and an environmental consulting firm to develop a prioritized list of nature-based projects that benefit community resilience and fish and wildlife habitat along coastal Lake Michigan and its associated drowned river mouth systems in Lake, Mason, Muskegon, Newaygo, and Oceana counties. WMSRDC will host West Michigan Watershed Partners meetings and county level planning meetings to allow participants to provide input on locations in need of protection and the ideal outcomes and benefits from resiliency and restoration efforts. Depending on each project’s scope and budget, two to four of the identified projects will be prepared to flow into the Site Assessment and Preliminary Design phase of the NCRF pipeline. The additional projects recognized in the plan will continue to work through development and community preparedness to be submitted under future years of the NCRF pipeline or through other funding programs.

All future designs will utilize soft engineering solutions influenced by fluctuating water levels seasonally and annually and resilient to site hydrology to reduce any future coastal hazards, while ensuring all projects enhance habitat and benefit native wildlife, leading to improved habitat for native plants and animals, reduced shoreline erosion, improved fish passage, and increased tourism due to improved fishing, boating, wildlife watching, and aesthetics.

Resilience Planning in West Michigan RFP 2025 may be found here.

WMSRDC Project Specific Map for RFP 2025 may be found here.