Dec. 15, 2020
Contact: Doug Barry, 517-614-7226
After months of planning, Orchard Beach State Park’s historic shelter building now sits a safe 230 feet back from the eroding Lake Michigan shoreline. The necessary, winding, 1,200-foot journey through this popular park in Manistee, Michigan, wasn’t swift; the entire move took 23 hours over three days, from Thursday, Dec. 10, to Saturday, Dec. 12.
For more than 70 years, the building sat perched high atop a bluff overlooking the Great Lake. However, high water and wave action have made the bluff unstable, requiring that the 850-ton building be relocated within the park to preserve its story, protect public safety and keep the building open for future recreation.
“The DNR proudly preserves and protects both natural and cultural assets,” said Ron Olson, chief of the Parks and Recreation Division within the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. “Investing in this important place is an investment in the story of Michigan and preserves the memories of those who have enjoyed this iconic destination.”
Efforts to stabilize the bluff to protect the building have been in development since 2017. However, ongoing erosion at the toe of the bluff, compounded by rising water levels, and the sloughing of the high, steep slope put the future use and existence of the building at risk.
“I’m proud and excited that this community and the state joined together to save this historic building,” said Doug Barry, unit manager for Orchard Beach State Park. “So many families have held events here over the years because of the unique charm of this park shelter. Now its legacy can continue for many generations into the future.”
The building now will serve as the centerpiece for the 200-acre park’s revitalized day-use area, offering improved accessibility for shelter visitors and, eventually, a new playground.
Park and area history
Orchard Beach was first opened and operated by the Manistee, Filer City and Eastlake Railway Company in 1892. After World War I, when the trolley line ended service to the park, the Manistee Board of Commerce purchased the parcel. The board, in turn, deeded the property to the state in 1921 so Orchard Beach would become part of Michigan’s new state parks system.
Included on the National Register of Historic Places, Orchard Beach State Park is home to buildings designed by Ernest F. Hartwick and built by the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps. The CCC spent several years building the structure, which was completed in 1947. Orchard Beach – and the DNR – will celebrate a centennial anniversary in 2021, along with the successful effort to improve the site and preserve history for future generations.
Orchard Beach State Park is at 2064 N. Lakeshore Road in Manistee. The park entrance is located on M-110, 1 ½ miles north of U.S. 31. The park will remain closed to the public, likely through spring, to complete site investment including restoring the campground along the building’s travel path, a redesign of the park’s stormwater management system to minimize further erosion, and accessibility improvements at the shelter’s new location.
Project stats
- The project cost $3.6 million for the engineering study, design and construction to move the building and protect it for the future.
- The building followed a 1,200-foot route to complete the move and now sits 230 feet from the Lake Michigan shoreline.
Project partners
- Hallack Contracting Inc. (Hart, Michigan).
- Wolfe House & Building Movers, LLC (Bennville, Pennsylvania).
- GEI Consultants (Lansing and Marquette, Michigan, offices).
Project factors and highlights
Data collection and studies began in 2017. It became clear from early evaluations of existing conditions, causes, historical rate of erosion, etc., that the accelerated shoreline erosion was placing several buildings and underground infrastructure at risk. These features, including underground utilities, stairs to the beach and the shelter building, need to be protected so the DNR can continue operating the Orchard Beach State Park campground and day-use amenities. The stairs, closed for more than a year, will remain closed until water levels recede.
Lake Michigan water levels naturally fluctuate from periods of high water to periods of low water; storm frequency and magnitude are other influencing factors. Protection of the park’s features against these natural forces must be carefully considered against what is known as a “managed retreat,” where the most appropriate, cost-effective options have been weighed and decisions are made in the interest of long-term protection and preservation of those amenities.
High water has created the need to stabilize shorelines and historic structures around Michigan, including upcoming work at nearby Big and Little Sable lighthouses. As waters recede statewide, the DNR likely will uncover other necessary infrastructure repairs in public parks, trails and waterways.
NOTE TO EDITORS: For interviews, contact park manager Doug Barry at [email protected] or 517-614-7226.
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“Before I was full-time, I did this for fun on my days off from my other jobs in Michigan,” Dunn said. “Coming out to California is like a big bonus. You get to see the country. You meet a lot of good people from all over.”
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Murphy and Palmgren were then reassigned to the Brattain Fire, eight hours north near Paisley, Oregon. It started Sept. 7 and burned more than 50,000 acres as firefighters worked to cope with extremely dry conditions and high winds.
Paige Gebhardt, a resource analyst with the DNR’s Forest Resources Division, makes maps that include layers of data to help firefighters get to where they’re going and assess what’s happening there.
“There are definitely tight deadlines,” Gebhardt said. “Major stress came in when we couldn’t produce maps fast enough and get them to the people on the ground.”
Several state parks in southern Michigan will host volunteer stewardship workdays in December. Volunteers are needed to help with removing invasive plants that threaten high-quality ecosystems in the parks.
A new segment of Michigan’s Iron Belle Trail currently under development will add about 20 miles to the trail’s planned 828-mile biking route, but project managers also plan to add layers of story to this stretch that connects Higgins Lake Nursery and the Civilian Conservation Corps Museum at North Higgins Lake State Park with Hartwick Pines State Park – and you can help.
Explore Michigan’s winter wonders in December while hunting for ruffed grouse or pheasants. Beginning Tuesday, the late ruffed grouse season and Zone 3 pheasant season will be open through Jan. 1, 2021.
Whether you’re at home or visiting a nearby natural area, wintertime provides plenty of opportunities to observe birds across Michigan. Our open lakes and rivers have turned into a cornucopia of waterfowl and water bird activity. Northern finches, sparrows and owls are descending upon forests and suburbs, and woodlands and grasslands provide winter cover and seeds for birds like the dark-eyed junco, white-throated sparrow and American tree sparrow.
Participate in Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count
A snowy, lantern-lit trail, a cardinal’s crimson plumage, ice-bejeweled berries and more – these scenes, found in the DNR’s collection of virtual videoconferencing backgrounds, can brighten the backdrop for your next virtual call. They’ll add some charm and beauty next time you’re meeting by screen with friends, family or colleagues.
This year marks the 30-year anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The landmark civil rights legislation – which the U.S. Department of Justice said prohibits disability discrimination and guarantees that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to participate in the mainstream of American life – was patterned after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on color, race, sex, religion or national origin.