October 23, 2007 - Shoreline Rip - Rap Protection Project

SHORELINE RIP-RAP Project

The Schutt family, JoAnn, Ken and Barbara, decided it was time to upgrade the shoreline bulkhead on the lake front. The railroad ties, installed more than 20 years ago, were tilting and settling in an uneven fashion.

We selected 8"-12" limestone because the rough edges would lock together to form a more stable wall. The railroad ties were leveled where needed and a 6" trench filled with gravel was made on the land side. The filter fabric was placed in the rock wall in a manner to prevent washout beneath the rock wall.

The Department of Environmental Quality was most supportive of the use of limestone because it is a friendly material to the lake and benefits the fish and plants therein.

Rumor was that processing a permit might take two months; we took our Permit Request to the Kalamazoo office on a Friday and received our Permit Approval the following Tuesday. No on-site inspection was made because we had an adequate plan drawn and pictures.

After hauling and building our 170' seawall with 35 tons of rock, we thank Dussel's Landscaping crew, Cassopolis, for their expertise and services. We are happy to have been able to contribute to the environmental quality of our beautiful lake.