AMI is leading a crucial project to address the significant erosion affecting barrier islands in Lake of the Woods – particularly Pine and Curry Islands, and the Sable Islands in the Provincial Nature Reserve. This erosion is reducing the landmass of the islands and adversely impacting the local community, habitat, and wildlife. AMI’s team is working to identify and mitigate the factors contributing to this erosion, thereby protecting these vital ecosystems.

The project requires collaboration with key stakeholders, including the International Joint Commission, Lake of the Woods Water Control Board, International Lake of the Woods Control Board, International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board, and Lake of the Woods Soil and Water Conservation District.

AMI’s scope of services included thorough data collection, extensive site surveying, and detailed coastal modeling. The field phase of the projectemployed advanced technologies like Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP) and undertaking detailed bathymetric and topographic surveys. These efforts are crucial in identifying the underlying causes of island degradation and are key to our mission of ecosystem preservation.

By combining thorough surveys with advanced coastal modeling, the project aims to clarify the probable causes of the islands’ erosion. Identifying these causes is a critical step toward developing effective mitigation strategies and represents a significant advancement in preserving the Lake of the Woods’ barrier islands.