Local and state officials celebrated the completion of the $73 million Illinois Beach State Park Shoreline Stabilization Project, which promises to preserve 2.2 miles of shoreline from severe erosion, create new habitat for threatened species and rejuvenate area communities.
During a news conference Monday, Gov. JB Pritzker described the project, consisting of a series of both above- and below-surface breakwaters, as a model for other shorelines around the country.
“This is the most modern and state-of-the-art method of dealing with this challenge,” Pritzker said. Illinois Beach State Park’s shoreline has faced severe erosion in recent years, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, with some areas receding by as much as 100 feet in a year.
The park, part of the broader 4,800-acre complex, known as the Chiwaukee Prairie Illinois Beach Lake Plain, is home to 930 native plant species and 300 animal species, including 63 state and federally protected species, according to Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart.
Funding for the project, which the IDNR said could be its largest capital project ever, comes from the Rebuild Illinois capital plan. The project’s design and construction was overseen by the Illinois Capital Development Board.
Construction on the breakwater project began in early spring of 2023, and included the placing of 300,000 tons of stone and 430,000 cubic yards of sand on the site. The project was the first of its kind to receive Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines verification, a national rating system on the design and conduction of waterfront projects.
Project leaders emphasized its environmental aspects. Bird nests have been installed on a portion of the project for terns. Underwater, logs and repurposed rocks and blocks provide habitat for small fish and mudpuppies, a type of salamander considered a threatened species in Illinois.
State research centers in the area will monitor the environmental aspects of the breakwaters for their own research purposes, including the Illinois State Geological Survey and Illinois Natural History Survey.
Beach Park Mayor John Hucker said the park was vital to the community’s “economic engine,” bringing visitors’ money to the town’s restaurants and businesses. He recalled a storm in 2012 that caused extensive damage to the shore.
“The park was virtually closed during that time, and we felt it,” he said.
The commitment by the state to protect the shoreline had brought a new vibrancy to the area, Hucker said.
“I think we’ve got a treasure here that will continue to be attractive, thanks to the improvements that have been done,” he said. “I thank you all.”
Other area leaders praised the project and the benefits it will bring to their communities.
“This project has sparked a renewed excitement about the development potential in Winthrop Harbor and the region,” Winthrop Harbor Mayor Michael Bruno said. “We’ve seen a notable increase in visitors, particularly the new beach.”
