GIS APPLICATION

Coastal Erosion and Shoreland Development Regulation

Town of Mosel, Wisconsin


The Lake Michigan shore in northern Sheboygan County consists of steep bluffs approximately 50 feet in height. Long term recession rates of approximately two feet per year have been recorded along this segment of the shore. Storms and high water levels in the Great Lakes accelerate shoreline and bluff erosion, increasing flooding and property damages. During 1985-86, Lake Michigan set new record marks for high water levels in this century, leading to unprecedented property damage.

In order to discourage development in erosion hazard areas, preserve shore cover and natural beauty and meet other public objectives, Sheboygan County adopted a Shoreland-Floodplain Ordinance on October 27, 1970. The ordinance regulates development within 1000 feet of the ordinary high water mark of navigable lakes, ponds, flowages, and specified wetlands; 300 feet of navigable waterways; and within the 500 year floodplain.

Geographic information systems (GIS) may be utilized to more effectively manage development in the coastal zone. This GIS application assesses coastal erosion impacts and explores management issues related to shoreland development in the Town of Mosel in northern Sheboygan County.





This GIS application examines coastal erosion impacts and explores management issues related to shoreland development in the Town of Mosel in northern Sheboygan County.

Download the data sets and detailed instructions for completing this application in ArcView 3.x?

The data sets are archived in .zip format. An evaluation version of the shareware software to extract the data can be obtained from WinZip website.

The instructions are in Adobe Acrobat .pdf format. If you don't have Acrobat Reader, you can download it from the Adobe website. This free software will allow you to read and print the instructions.


The Coastal Erosion and Shoreland Development GIS Application instructions are divided into seven sections:

  1. Inputting and viewing existing databases
  2. Modifying existing themes
  3. Creating a map of the jurisdiction of the shoreland zoning ordinance
  4. Evaluating potential Lake Michigan erosion impacts
  5. Identifying parcels which may be difficult to develop
  6. Identifying potential shoreland permit compliance issues
  7. Informing landowners about septic tank regulations

The instructions are designed to be followed in order. Earlier sections contain descriptions of basic ArcView 3.x operations. They also create themes that will be used in the later sections.




Return to:
Wisconsin Coastal GIS Applications Project Home Page
Land Information and Computer Graphics Facility Home Page
UW Sea Grant Institute Home Page


Developed by the
UW Sea Grant Institute and
Land Information and Computer Graphics Facility

Last updated: August 6, 2003