Erosion And Recession Of New York’S Coastal Bluffs

Bluffs are steep, soft cliffs or banks common throughout the coastal areas of New York State. Bluffs can range in height from ten feet to upwards of fifty feet and are composed of loosely compacted sediments varying in size from clays, silts, sand, gravel, up to large boulders. Due to their steep nature and the influence of waves and water level, seepage and runoff, bluffs are susceptible to erosion and episodic failure that may result in large quantities of sudden land movement. Along some shorelines of the Great Lakes, such as along Lake Erie and northeastern Lake Ontario, exposed bedrock can also form steep, rocky cliffs that erode slowly, but are topped with similarly steep, more easily erodible bluffs (reference Figure 1C). Grant no. NA22OAR4170096