March Light Rains... Stress West End Drains

[XLFD]

The spring of 2020 will long be remembered for the unprecedented steps taken across America to battle the COVID-19 panic, but it's also the first spring that the completed $600,000 West End Project has experienced.  It was an incredibly mild winter with snowfall about 80% of the average for our area, yet the waters of adjacent Lake Michigan are still unusually high, as they were in 2019.  

You may not need to be told that if you took a walk or drive down to the west end of Ludington Avenue.  When lake levels were high before, the most water you'd see outside the lake would be in a puddle or two on the cracked pavement at the very end of the avenue-- nothing to prevent you from parking in the fifty plus spaces that are closer than the handful of parking spaces currently in existence.

The concrete slab which replaced all those parking spaces overlooking the scenic harbor is currently (no pun intended, as there is no noticeable current) overrun with sand and water.  Just like it was in fall.

That perhaps isn't the most striking feature, as the nearby playground, which never had a flooding issue before the west end project's constructions, has become a fully deluged water playground.  The previous day it was entertaining to see a couple of young girls trying to figure out how to get out to some of the equipment without getting wet.  It's pretty deep in some places. 

Let's hope that they didn't come into contact with bacteria and parasites that standing water is known to be a breeding ground for.  Mosquitos at the beach in 2020?  Thank city hall.

Abnormally high Lake Michigan water levels caused Ludington a lot of problems last year, and it has been forecasted by experts that we should continue having high water levels in 2020 too.  One of the better indicators of water levels is the breakwall, which was closed often last year because moderate sized waves would regularly sweep over the top.  As you can see by this picture, even without much wind, the only waves that are breaking are ones going over the lighthouse breakwall.

City Manager Mitch Foster stated over the winter that in 2020 the City will not utilize the West End as an event site due to the problems arising from the expected high water levels, not because he foresaw the governor's executive order prohibiting gatherings of over ten people.  We can fully expect, however, that the DPW and perhaps even outside contractors may need to spend a lot of time and effort in getting the flooding to abate and the sand back to the beach.  

Just think, less than two years ago we had a low maintenance parking area for five dozen cars for people wanting to look out on the harbor or look over their kids playing in a sanitary and dry playground.  Now, over $600,000 later, we have neither of those, just a lot of sand and water on a high-maintenance concrete slab.

[shinblind]

Careful Du Wright, by calling the esteemed city council ''young punks''' you are coming dangerously close to dating yourself.

If you go to the FEMA site National Flood Hazzard Layer Viewer, it shows a satellite of the former parking lot, the west and north sides of the parking lot in bright blue showing more than the minimal flood area but where the shoreline of Pere Marquette  Lake wants to be.

Pity the Fools at the engineering firm who ignored this, pity the fools on the city council who wanted and trusted the former city manager who was nothing more than an incompetent boob, pity the former city manager who deserved no less than a tar and feathering and being run out of town. Pity the voters in their ignorance. Pity the bent over taxpayers who will ultimately pay to fix this.

The best option long term and short is to turn it back into a parking area.

But no one on the council can admit to their mistake.

https://hazards-fema.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?i...

The link only takes you so far. You have to scroll to find the location.

[Du Wright]

You're right shinblind, I shouldn't have said "punk."  "Fool" is a better title.  The young fool that cut his teeth on the city is gone.  But there are a few that are still following his and other former fools, it doesn't matter if young or old, it's how wise they are, and if they can see past their own two feet and personal glory.  There are a still a few fools wielding that fool's agenda and costing the taxpayers, a lot of money in these stupid, wasteful, failed projects leaving the city in a sad situation.  For what?  Another beer tent?  Thanks for the interesting satellite link.

[Willy]

[Du Wright]

Symbolic X?

[shinblind]

Willy, am glad you remembered.

[Du Wright]

A quick study of that satellite image of 2014 shows that area of Zone AE where the West End is now put at 584 ft. BEFORE the dune was altered, if I'm reading that right.  Forecasted water levels 3/27/20 for Mich/Huron was 581.50 feet.  I wonder how much elevation was cut from the dune?  And how in the greater wonderment of engineering did any engineering firm get away with doing this project?  So who has the oversight for permits?  Were there any permits?  

[shinblind]

Du Wright, if you compare the FEMA  maps with the Google maps satellite view which still shows an overhead view of the parking lot you will be able to discern the previous drainage pattern that was to the west away from the playground. They regraded this area to drain towards the playground.  To mitigate this water a sub pump system would have to be installed pumping water into the storm sewer. Or the playground would have to be located to higher ground. 

If you zoom in from the satellite view to the street view you will see how this area looked in 2016. An interesting retrospective.

[Du Wright]

Thanks again, shinblind. It seems that any idiot engineer or even a child who has dug holes in the summer sand at the beach would have seen what was going to happen if you tried to alter the natural flow and "tide" of Lake Michigan. Probably "punk" engineers from inland Grand Rapids who didn't make any sandcastles along Lake Michigan in their childhood.

I'd still like to say "FIRE all the YOUNG PUNKS who had anything to do with the West End SLAB (love your terminology shinblind).  It is a $600,000 slab and when it is cleaned up I'd be surprised if it doesn't show serious signs of structural compromise.  Don't ya know what happens with a shifting-sand base?  But these young punks think nothing about throwing a $600,000 grant away.  Fire them all.