Conclusions

The coastal change-potential index (CPI) provides insight into the susceptibility of coastal change due to future lake-level change. The maps and data presented here can be viewed in at least two ways:,

1. as an indication of where physical changes are most likely to occur as future lake levels rise or fall; and
   
   
2. as a planning tool for managing infrastructure, natural, and cultural resources within Apostle Islands NL, Indiana Dunes NL, and Sleeping Bear Dunes NL.

Apostle Islands NL, Indiana Dunes NL, and Sleeping Bear Dunes NL National Park preserve a dynamic natural environment, and they must be understood in order to be managed properly. The CPI is one way that park managers can assess objectively the natural factors that contribute to the evolution of the lakeshore, and thus how the parks may evolve in the future.