Project Highlight: Two Rivers and Sheboygan CRCIP

This summer, LNRP is continuing work along the Lake Michigan shoreline, supporting two communities, Two Rivers and Sheboygan, through a growing partnership with the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative (GLSLCI). This collaboration falls under the Coastal Resiliency Community Impact Project (CRCIP), which provides “staff on loan” to assist small and mid-sized municipalities in navigating shoreline resilience projects.

Through CRCIP, LNRP helps coordinate efforts between city staff, contractors, and funding agencies while also supporting the education, outreach, and grant deliverables. With deep roots in local conservation and long-standing partnerships, LNRP’s role is to help make sure these shoreline improvements are community driven and sustainably designed.

The City of Two Rivers is leading the way. On July 23rd, a joint committee meeting brought together the city’s Environmental Advisory Board, Recreation Board, City Council, and engaged residents. At the meeting, engineering firm Stantec presented multiple alternatives of conceptual designs for improving the shoreline, ranging from beach fills and offshore breakwaters to a jetty at the harbor mouth. They also addressed surface runoff issues and proposed improvements to native vegetation along Mariners Trail, a beloved path for residents and visitors alike. 

The shared goal is to create a shoreline that not only withstands the pressures of erosion, storm surges, and differing lake levels, but also enhances recreational access and ecological value. The conceptual and design phase is expected to wrap up by the end of 2025, with final design, and implementation to follow.

Meanwhile, early planning is underway in Sheboygan with the same collaborators in a new city. A kickoff meeting has laid the groundwork for a similar shoreline restoration effort, but one with its own unique challenges. Unlike Two Rivers, Sheboygan faces significant bluff erosion that puts infrastructure and property at risk. LNRP’s role here will be to help lead community outreach efforts, particularly with bluff-adjacent homeowners and neighborhood associations, once bluff designs are drafted.

Both efforts reflect LNRP’s commitment to place-based solutions, community partnerships, and climate resiliency. By lending capacity and expertise, we are helping our coastal cities prepare for a changing lake, and ensuring the voices of local residents are heard every step of the way.