Sanding the lake beach

© Carol Mellema | Dreamstime.com

By Mark H. Stowers

Each foot of lakefront in Michigan holds both personal and monetary value. Whether rugged and natural, untouched, or carefully maintained for water recreation, when it’s time to protect that footage with a bit of love, care and nourishment, there are options. Lake water activities, such as boating and recreational use, can erode a shoreline, washing away sand and sediment. However, lakefront owners have options to replace the lost sand on their land and even add material to the lake floor.

However, all of this must follow the rules and requirements set by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). It’s a process that can take some time to navigate. 

But what exactly is beach sanding? Simply put, it’s the process of adding, redistributing, or smoothing sand along a beach to help reinforce eroded areas or spots showing wear and tear from recreational use or weather effects. Lakefront property owners may want to expand a recreational beach area or create a sand pit for volleyball and other sports. Maintaining a beach and adding sand can potentially boost real estate values. 

For those wishing to enhance their property, beach restoration and expansion are possibilities, as well as making the lake bottom more recreational-friendly through weed and muck removal and adding sand.

Overall, beach sanding on Michigan’s lakes – especially the Great Lakes – is regulated by federal, state and local agencies. These agencies focus on maintaining water quality, protecting habitats, and preventing unintended environmental damage. Some of the permit considerations include having a sand source that is free of contaminants and is similar to the existing beach material. The volume of sand may be restricted to help minimize ecological disruption. Any activities below the ordinary high water mark (OHWM) are heavily regulated and any removal of native plants may require additional review to protect dune and beach ecosystems.

The possibility of federal oversight may include falling under the Clean Water Act, especially if wetlands or protected habitats are involved. Permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers may be required for projects that alter the shoreline or water flow on a larger scale.

While beach sanding offers benefits, environmental risks must be carefully considered. The natural dynamics of coastal Michigan ecosystems are fragile, and human intervention can cause lasting impacts. Many of Michigan’s beaches and dunes are habitats for rare and endangered species, including piping plovers, pitcher’s thistle and lake sturgeon. Beach sanding that changes the topography or removes native vegetation may endanger these species. There is also the risk of invasive species. Imported sand, if not properly vetted and cleaned, may introduce invasive species or pathogens. Even routine grooming can give invasive plants, like Phragmites australis, an opportunity to spread by disturbing native root systems.

Excessive or improper sanding can lead to increased turbidity and nutrient runoff, which reduces water clarity and encourage algal blooms. Regulatory agencies monitor sand placement to prevent these problems. Since Michigan beaches are shaped by wind and wave activity, they undergo erosion and buildup, maintaining a natural balance. Frequent beach sanding can disturb these natural cycles, sometimes accelerating erosion in other parts of the shoreline.

EGLE oversees activities affecting the state’s waters and shorelines. The first requirement for any shoreline work is to apply and obtain permits for any and all beach grooming and sand placement, particularly on the Great Lakes and designated inland lakes.

Sherri Lantinga, owner of Dune Restoration Services, has been in the business for the past five years with a large focus on Lake Michigan properties. Her main advice concerning the process is, “Plan ahead. EGLE takes at least a month to process an application. After that, you have to get township and sometimes HOA and other approvals.”

She noted that working on Lake Michigan properties, sanding can be futile, as the strength of the great lake waves can quickly deplete the added sand, rendering the work ineffective.

“In the short run, sand looks great and you’ve got instant beach. But in the long run that just erodes away,” Lantinga said.

The permit categories for wetlands, inland lakes and streams, the Great Lakes, and floodplains include three types: a $50 general permit , a $100 minor project, and a $500 individual permit. The permit category depends on the type and scope of activities being conducted. These categories generally meet specific best management practices criteria that have been proven to reduce impacts to these resources when followed properly.

Each of these categories is updated at least every five years to incorporate new technologies, scientific advancements, and the evolving needs of the public and program stakeholders. While these categories generally involve activities that require minimal review if criteria are met, they do not necessarily specify projects that will be issued a permit.

General permit categories include activities that are usually the least damaging to resources and follow best management practices for specific actions. These categories outline activities expected to cause no more than minimal impacts and can be processed through a fast-track permit application. If all activities for a project fall under a general permit category, it may be handled accordingly, and no public notice, site visit or mitigation is required for the permit application.

According to the EGLE website, all projects that are not classified as general permit or minor permit are considered individual permits. These projects are also called public notice projects because certain laws require notifying nearby landowners and giving them the chance to comment or request a public hearing. Nearby landowners include any parcels touching the project parcel and those across the street. Projects that only impact floodplains do not need public notice, regardless of permit category. It is important to note that some projects require a more detailed review process, such as major projects defined by EGLE or those needing concurrent federal review, as outlined in the State and Federal Clean Water Act Section 404 Program Memorandum of Agreement. Major projects include activities like dredging more than 10,000 cubic yards, building seawalls and bulkheads longer than 500 feet, filling or draining one acre or more of contiguous coastal land, and constructing 300 feet or more of commercial docks, stream enclosures, or relocations, as well as other large-scale projects. Beach sanding typically qualifies as a minor project.

John Jones from the EGLE Warren district office laid out the steps to take to sand a lakefront property.

“A regulatory summary on beach permits, specifically, for inland lakes, our district office does cover Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie, and the process is generally the same,” Jones said. “Start by applying for a minor project permit. The minor project categories were created to streamline the permit process for certain smaller, less complex projects where the applicant agrees to stay within the limits of the specific minor project conditions. EGLE has a minor project category for beach sanding called Fills for Swim Areas. One important note. The minor project is not an automatic permit. The application is reviewed for resource impacts like any other permit and may be modified or denied by the department. To submit a minor project application, the fee is $100.”

Jones explained an overview of project information.

“Applicants who opt to apply for a beach sanding that does not meet the minor project conditions are bumped up into the individual permit category with a minimum fee of $500 and requiring a 20-day public notice period. A public notice is sent out to the local municipality, DNR Fisheries and Wildlife, adjacent property owners, sometimes HOA’s and lake associations (if we are made aware of them) and other agencies as required by statute. The recipients of the notice are provided 20 days to generate a written response to the proposed project. Those comments are then considered by EGLE in making a permit decision and all permits are good for five years from date of issue.”

Jones further explained, “EGLE’s involvement in a proposed beach sanding project usually comes under Part 301, Inland Lakes or Streams and/or Part 303, Wetlands Protection. It is important to note that not every lakefront property is guaranteed a beach as a riparian right.”

And when considering sanding lakefront property, those owners should weigh out what they need against what they want.

“Regarding wetlands, a lakefront property owner or prospective buyer should have a reasonable expectation of how much impact on the aquatic resource is likely to be approved. EGLE must consider the existing site conditions in our permit decision. For example, a property owner with 75 feet of lake shoreline consisting entirely of emergent wetland should not expect to receive a permit for a 50-foot-wide beach,” Jones said. “Permit decisions are made on a site-specific basis. As such, we often recommend starting the permit process by applying for an on-site pre-application meeting to discuss the proposed project. For a residential property owner considering a beach, the fee for a pre-application meeting is $100.”

Jones dove further into where EGLE has the power to make decisions.

“EGLE’s jurisdiction on a lake starts at the ordinary high water mark (OHWM). Above the OHWM, assuming no wetland impact, EGLE authorization is not required to place sand. We generally don’t need to be involved if someone is just dumping sand up in the mowed yard. However, any amount of beach sanding or beach maintenance below the OHWM is likely to require an EGLE permit,” he said. “We do work with contractors who blow in sand or a sand /pea gravel mix. Installing a temporary “silt curtain” around the entire work area is required to contain the turbid water. EGLE always prefers pea gravel over sand. The pea gravel, being a heavier material, is more stable and less likely to be displaced over time. Placing sand on a frozen lake and waiting for the spring thaw is not an EGLE-approved method for creating a swim area.”

The EGLE joint permit application is managed entirely through the department’s online portal called MiEnviro.

The three main processes for upgrading lakefront property include simple beach sanding to create a soft, sandy, and stable beach area on the shore. Beach restoration is a more in-depth process where sand is replenished or replaced and the shoreline is expanded. The third option is permanent lake bottom restoration, which makes the lake bottom more comfortable for swimming and recreation. 

Chris Trierweiler is a second-generation member of the beach sanding business TT&C Beaches, which was started by his late father, Joe, in the 1980s in Howell. Joe invented and patented the process for creating artificial sandy bottoms for lakefronts. After his passing in 2004, his three sons – Curt, Craig, and Chris – carried on his legacy and now manage the company, which specializes in beach development. The company was originally founded in 1978 as an excavating and gravel business. By 1985, due to increasing demand, TT&C shifted focus toward inland lake restoration and improvements. For years, excavators and skid steers would rut properties while bringing necessary materials to the lakefronts. Joe developed and patented the Sand-Pro System in 1989. This new system – a sand slurry mixture – enabled the company to install and restore beaches in a single day. He explained that the entire process is regulated to protect both the lake and the surrounding environment, and that the project size must be appropriate for the area.

“In the state of Michigan, the only time we can put fill in the water is if we get a permit through the EGLE, so it's basically an approved permit,” Trierweiler said. “They typically restrict that area depending on your frontage size.”

Trierweiler submits the permit, which may take up to two months to process. Once approved, it is added to their schedule. Each beach sanding process only takes a day to complete, depending on the size of the beach area. For the in-water addition of sand, they lay down an approved filter fabric and stake it in place.

“Then we actually pump water out of the lake and use that mix of pea stone and sand and spread it out on the fabric,” Trierweiler explained. “The weight of the sand and pea stone will weigh the fabric down. It’s typically about five to six inches of fill that the state allows us to do. Once we're complete, we remove our anchors, which we use to secure the fabric, and you don't even know we were there. And once we're done, if you were previously knee-deep or waist-deep in muck, now you can walk out and be on a nice, stable sandy lake bottom right when we leave.”

The muck and anything else in the water is not removed but the fabric is placed over the top of and the weight of the sand/pea stone mixture covers it all and compresses it.

“As the weight compresses that muck, because we're putting six inches of sand on top of the filter fabric, you're typically going to be about a similar depth of what the original muck is, so it typically won't come back over. Some lakes are muckier and dirtier than others, so you may have to rake it from time to time, but typically, the best maintenance is just activity and using it. We have a warranty of up to three years as long as it's under one foot of water,” Trierweiler said.

These beach projects may need to be refreshed every decade or so, depending on use.

“It just depends on preference, your lake, how much you use it, your how silty your lake is. However, typically, if you don't use it and let it sit, it'll probably return to its original state after a few years. If you use it and maintain it like a flower bed, it's going to stay very nice,” Trierweiler said.

Any maintenance work or refreshing will need to have an approved EGLE permit as well.

Trierweiler noted, “The on-land is just a little bit different depending on if there has to be any things removed. We're more or less specialized in the in-water because of our system, but if you don't have any access to the lake with a large, uniloader or piece of equipment, we can pump the sand down using our water-sand mixture, and then we actually pump it on top of a filter fabric where we try to contain it on land, and then obviously once it dries out, we'll move it around. That's more land, similar to a traditional beach. The on-land process is a little bit more labor-intensive because there's a lot more shoveling involved. But it still typically takes a day to complete.”

Once the process has finished, Trierweiler offered maintenance tips for the improved area.

“There are two main problems to contend with. The influx of silt and weeds that may settle on your beach and the erosion or loss of sand due to wave action,” Trierweiler said. “Silt and weeds easily become suspended in the water, floating to wherever the current sends them. Any activity on your beach will once again suspend the silt and most weeds in the water. The idea is to disturb the silt on windy days or when wave action is present to carry the silt away. This is why the beach is purposely constructed higher than the surrounding lake bottom so that this cleansing process will happen naturally. Sand, which is a heavy-media, does not move readily. Silt on the other hand, will naturally move from a higher to a lower spot with marginal current. Transplantation weeds will only encroach on your beach from the lack of use.”

Trierweiler recommends using your beach regularly, as constant activity will keep the silt stirred and in motion. Rake the beach with a large landscape rake that has at least a five-pound weight attached to the bottom of the handle. This allows you to drag it without exerting much pressure. Additionally, create water movement and re-plumb the irrigation pump at the lake to serve as a jetting tool. He mentioned that an annual beach cleaning scheduled by TT&C will help extend the investment's longevity.

Tony Hodges with H&H Excavating discussed more about the process he’s been working with the past two decades.

“The first issue is figuring out if the property is a wetland. Every beach is a little bit different,” Hodges said. “We get a half a dozen each year. Right now, the lakes are so low that we aren’t doing any. We have to stay above the high water mark.”

The sand used is a process-washed sand that looks like Lake Michigan beach sand. When adding sand to the water, there is a limit on how much can be used each year. Some lakes don’t permit all of it. If there is muck, sometimes it can’t be added because it would disturb the animals and wildlife in the muck.

Lantinga offered an alternative to sanding to help protect waterfront property.

“Coir logs are made out of coconut fiber and they are about a foot tall and ten feet long. We put those along the shoreline and they help protect the shore from boaters and jet skis and water skis and it creates large waves along the shore, it can degrade the property. The coir logs will gather dirt and grow vegetation in them while they degrade and it builds up the shoreline while protecting it. The first layer goes right in the water and in about two years, you’ve got thick native vegetation – grasses and reeds. And then in about four to five years, you don’t see them at all as they are covered with grass and plants.”

Melissa DeSimone, Executive Director of the Michigan Lakes and Streams Association doesn’t recommend sanding lakefront property.

“We would not encourage beach sanding at all,” DiSimone said. “We all live on beautiful inland lakes but they are not the Great Lakes and cannot be expected to have sandy beaches like the larger lakes or the oceans. The sand can only wash into the lake and slowly contribute to the filling of the lake and the introduction of contaminants. If children want to play in the sand, we suggest a sandbox set away from the shoreline so the sand doesn’t end up in the lake. Also, if you have a sandy beach, then you have a bare shoreline, and we encourage people to have as much of their shoreline planted with native plants as they feel comfortable with to help combat erosion and filter rainwater runoff coming into the lake.”

She offered more educational information for lakefront property owners at www.shorelinepartnership.org.

Eric Diesing, Freshwater Program Coordinator for Oakland County, doesn’t recommend sanding either, especially the process of adding sand in the water.

“This could cause some significant impacts to the waterbody, particularly in the littoral region where there is usually a lot of aquatic plants and other organisms,” Diesing said. “If adding sand, it should be done in the most controlled and maintained way possible to prevent unnecessary sedimentation in the water body. One big item to think about is avian control and managing the runoff from the sanded area. Beaches can add significant amounts of E. coli to lakes if birds are not properly cleaned up after.”

Beach sanding has its benefits and drawbacks but as long as the bigger picture of the environment is kept in focus, the process can enhance the lakefront, bringing generations of recreation and relaxation and communing with nature altogether.