Protecting Midwest parks’ historic buildings from storms and floods

In one storm near Lake Superior in 2017, winds and floods flattened two historic buildings in two national parks hundreds of miles apart. That kind of loss is why the National Park Service (NPS) has started a resilience project for cultural resources across several Midwest parks, according to an NPS article dated August 2024. The Midwest, the article says, is not immune to climate change, however little it comes to mind.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, one of many parks hit by damage from increasingly frequent and severe Lake Superior storms. NPS photo.

What the project does

Funding from the Inflation Reduction Act lets the NPS better conserve and restore cultural and historical resources in Midwest parks. Archeological surveys of seven parks, covering archeological sites, historic structures and cultural landscapes, were to be completed by the end of 2025. They will help cultural resource managers write a treatment plan for each park that can ideally serve as a template for other parks with similar problems. The NPS program manager for historic architecture and landscapes who oversees the effort said it is crucial that these resources hold up in the face of climate change, and that protecting them for future generations advances the NPS mission.

Flooding from lakes and rivers threatens structures in Midwest parks. NPS photo.

How historic buildings can be made more resilient

Historic structures may be strengthened or modified to withstand storms and floods. Teams of architects, landscape architects and engineers use their knowledge of suitable materials and methods to respond to flooding, erosion and vegetation, while keeping historic views and landscape character. The project guides park staff in adjusting maintenance and conservation as conditions change. According to the article, the treatment plans lay out issues such as the likelihood of flooding or fire, effects on vegetation and invasive species, and then judge how each affects a historic property and whether it needs fortifying or repairs. At the end the NPS will have a baseline of data and observations from each park, plus a strategy for any issues found.

Modest buildings, large stories

Cabins, boathouses, fisheries and lighthouses show the local history and customs of Midwest communities, and it takes little for falling trees to damage them or floods to sweep them away. The program manager says such modest structures often tell a more relatable story of the country's past than grand estates do.

Many parks have buildings that were once workplaces. NPS photo.

Commercial fishing, for example, has been a livelihood at Isle Royale National Park since the 1830s. The NPS acquired land there in 1931, and some families that previously owned fisheries still return to them under special agreements. The article says fishing was once a major source of employment and a significant part of the economic and cultural history of Michigan and nearby cities, and the park still has evidence of that history thanks to proper care of its cultural resources.

Recent damage

In a single storm, buildings at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore were destroyed. NPS photo.

Record-setting floods during the last decade affected every historic property in Ozark National Scenic Riverways, the article says. The 2017 Lake Superior storm destroyed a boathouse at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and a structure at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The project aims to help the NPS in the Midwest and elsewhere judge which cultural resources are most at risk from climate-driven events and plan their care while keeping their historic integrity.

Sources

• National Park Service article on climate resilience for cultural resources in Midwest parks, dated August 2024 (https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/ira-mwr-culturalresources.htm); the staff member's name and quotations are paraphrased; rewritten in hubnx's own words.