1. Short Description
A low stretch of shoreline east of Barcelona Harbor exposes 15–30 ft (5–9 m) high coastal bluffs carved into unconsolidated glacial sediments. The outcrop offers a textbook window into the Ice-Age history of western New York and a chance to observe modern wave-driven erosion in action.
2. Long Description
Glacial origin
During the last (Wisconsin) glaciation, a lobe of the Laurentide Ice Sheet buried this region under hundreds of metres of ice. As the glacier stagnated and melted ~12 000 yr BP, it plastered a mix of clay, silt, sand, gravel and boulders—called till—across the landscape, then dammed pro-glacial lakes whose finer silts and clays drape parts of the till. These deposits compose most of the New York Lake Erie shoreline bluffs.
What you see at the site
From beach level you can usually distinguish (from base upward):
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Wave-cut shale ledge or fallen slabs – resistant Devonian shale sits at or just below lake level and forms the bluff toe in places.
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Dark‐grey massive till – poorly sorted mix of clay through pebble/boulder-size fragments.
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Bedded tan–grey silty sand – glaciolacustrine layers deposited in a melt-water lake.
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Soil & vegetation cap – the modern ground surface.
The contrast between massive till and bedded lake sediments makes an excellent lesson in depositional energy and environment.
Active coastal processes
Lake Erie’s fetch and storm-driven waves undercut the bluff toe, causing block falls and slumps. Average long-term retreat rates along the south-shore bluffs run ~0.15–0.30 m yr-⊃1;, with short-term pulses up to 1 m yr-⊃1; during high-water years.
3. Logging Tasks
To claim a find, email or message me the answers (please do not put them in your log).
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#
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Task
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What to record
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1
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Height estimate
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From shoreline, sight an object of known height (e.g., friend ~1.8 m, or a 2 m beach sign) against the bluff and estimate the total bluff height. How does your value compare with the documented 15–30 ft range?
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2
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Stratigraphy sketch
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Count the number of visually distinct layers you see and list their approximate thicknesses and grain sizes (e.g., “1 m coarse sand; 3 m grey till”).
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3
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Erosion evidence
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Describe two signs of ongoing erosion (examples: fresh slump scar, fallen blocks at toe, water-seeps, tree roots exposed).
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4
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Lake-level link (thought question)
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If Lake Erie water levels were to rise 0.5 m for several years, explain (in one sentence) how that would likely change bluff retreat.
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5 Post a Photo of yourself, GPS device or your GC name with the view in the background.
4. Access & Safety
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The bluffs are reached from the public beach just east of Dan Reed Pier (parking at 8212 US-5). Walk east along the sand; do not climb the bluff face or stand beneath overhangs.
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Visit only in calm to moderate lake conditions—storms can drive waves directly onto the bluff toe.
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Keep at least 2 m back from the bluff crest if you explore the top via the informal path. The edge can fail with little warning.
5. Educational Resources
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New York Sea Grant. “Erosion and Recession of New York’s Coastal Bluffs.” (technical brochure).
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USGS Open-File Report 2009-1042. “Historical Coastal Bluff Retreat in the Great Lakes, Lake Erie.”
Enjoy your time exploring one of western New York’s most accessible glacial records—please leave only footprints and take only observations!