Coastal Change Potential (CPI) Assessment of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (apis_shore)

A coastal change potential index (CPI) was used to map the relative change potential of the coast to future lake-level change within Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin. The CPI ranks the following in terms of their physical contribution to lake-level change-related coastal change: geomorphology, regional coastal slope, rate of relative lake-level change, historical shoreline change rates, mean annual ice cover and mean significant wave height. The rankings for each input variable were combined and an index value calculated for 1-minute grid cells covering the park. The CPI highlights those regions where the physical effects of lake-level rise might be the greatest. This approach combines the coastal system's susceptibility to change with its natural ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions, yielding a quantitative, although relative, measure of the park's natural succeptibility to the effects of lake-level change. The CPI and the data contained within this dataset provide an objective technique for evaluation and long-term planning by scientists and park managers.