Back to All Events

Lake Superior Water Levels and Options to Address Coastal Hazards

  • Madeline Island Museum 226 Colonel Woods Ave La Pointe, WI 54850 (map)

Free and Open to the Public!

Photo from WI Sea Grant video

Speaker: Adam Bechle, WI Sea Grant, Coastal Engineering Outreach Specialist

Lake Superior’s water level was above average for eight years and set new monthly records in 2019 and 2020.  High water levels combined with large coastal storms have affected beaches, bluffs, coastal homes and critical infrastructure across the Great Lakes. The presentation will provide an update on the current water level conditions on the Great Lakes, discuss the process behind water level changes and coastal erosion, and describe some of the options that coastal landowners can take to address these issues.


Adam Bechle, coastal engineering specialist for WI Sea Grant, helps Great Lakes communities build resilience to coastal hazards by communicating the latest hazard research and data, developing education and outreach products on best management practices, and providing local governments guidance to identify opportunities to better plan and prepare for coastal hazards.

M.S., University of Wisconsin-Madison, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, Civil and Environmental Engineering