Lake of the Woods - Southern Shore Barrier Island Erosion Investigation

Due to numerous factors, the sediments at Pine, Curry and Sable Islands, located within the International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed, are eroding. This erosion has reduced the size of these islands and without determining the cause(s) of erosion, these islands are at risk of further degradation which negatively impacts the community, water quality, habitat, and wildlife in Lake of the Woods. 

This project aimed to develop a lake-wide circulation model, wave model, and shore evolution model to assess the causes of island and shoreline degradation. Local and state partners were seeking to better understand erosional processes which are occurring, and how they tie in to resiliency, recovery and climactic factors.