Chatham-Kent's Rondeau Bay risks exposure to Lake Erie waves as barrier beach erodes

Windsor Morning10:38Rondeau Bay risks exposure to Lake Erie waves because of eroded barrier beach

The placid water of Rondeau Bay in Chatham-Kent, Ont., is at risk of being exposed to the punishing and turbulent waves of Lake Erie. It's because the barrier beach that divides the bodies of water is being eaten away by erosion.

Some people who live in nearby Erieau are noticing the narrow strip of sand nearly two kilometres long washing away. They say it could cause trouble for the bay and potentially jeopardize farmland, marshlandand wildlife.

It's something that's become all too familiar along the north shore of Lake Erie.

Sue Robert is the chair of the Erieau Community Association, who's started an online petition to draw attention to the beach breach.

"Natural erosion is one thing, but the storms that we've been having of late have been more vicious, detaching more of what we call Seagull Island from Rondeau Park," said Robert.

"It's decimating a lot of the wetlands along the shores of Rondeau Bay, and our major concern is the fact that if this breach continues and does get deeper, that the wave action from Lake Erie will go directly into Rondeau Bay."

If that happens, she says, more marshland and wetland will be lost with waves potentially rolling across the bay to the other side, hurting the communities of Shrewsbury and Rondeau Shores.

Robert says they've also identified a number of species at risk that could be jeopardized because of the erosion, including the spotted gar fish. They breed along the shores of Rondeau Bay and in the marshlands. She points to turtles that nest on the beach barrier, too.

"There's numerous at risk in that total area,if it were to disappear."

Jeff Vidler is also part of the Erieau community group, and says the issues the area isfacing are similar to what's happened at Hillman Marsh near Leamington.

"I saw the breach at Hillman Marsh, and that was pretty bad as well. It'd be a good comparison."

Vidler, who's started a Facebook page called Barrier Beach Breaks, says they'd like to see some type of rock formation put in on the north side of the barrier beach.

Robert says she's appealed to all levels of government, but hasn't been satisfied with the responses so far.

"I think being born and raised here, it changes over time. That's one of my big motivations. I don't want to see Rondeau Bay and Erieau and Shrewsbury decimated if nothing is ever done. We feel that the government has a responsibility."

Conservative Chatham-Kent-Leamington MP Dave Epp's office said in a statement that ithas met with the concerned citizens and determined a working group needed to be formed.

"To that end, Mr. Epp has begun liaising with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Small Crafts and Harbour, and Environment Canada to better coordinate the various federal interests into a more community-friendly process in terms of responsibilities, regulations, and any opportunity/programs for remediation."

The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry says it's aware of significant erosion along Great Lakes shorelines, but that it's unaware of any upcoming applications for federal disaster mitigation funding