Why Our Work Is Needed
Recreational beaches around the Great Lakes have experienced significant erosion due to high water levels, more intense storms, and other conditions. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) recently selected six sites within four municipalities to be eligible for pilot participation and receiving sand for restoring beaches:
- North Chicago – Foss Beach
- Lake Bluff – Sunrise Park Beach
- Glencoe – Glencoe Beach
- Evanston – Dog Beach, Greenwood Street Beach, Lee Street Beach
Under this federal pilot project, each of the municipal park districts must decide whether they wish to receive the dredged sand from the source in the Waukegan Approach Channel and Advanced Maintenance Area. To support the four communities, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Coastal Management Program provided funding to Delta Institute and GEI Consultants. This companion municipal project assists the four municipal park districts in making independent decisions on:
- Independent sand sampling
- Sand placement design
- Coastal habitat design
- Public outreach through each of the above three tasks