Shoreline Stabilization of Illinois Beach State Park
Zion, Ill.
Merit Award
Presented by Michels Corp.
Owner: Illinois Capital Development Board
Main design company: Moffatt and Nichol
General contractor: Michels Construction Inc.
Civil Engineering: Smith group
Landscape architect: Living Habitats
An extensive design and construction effort has stabilized Illinois’ last remaining shoreline, which has faced even more damaging impacts recently thanks to storms and record water levels in Lake Michigan.
One of the main design constraints was developing a solution to retain beach sand, which historically had eroded rapidly due to dynamic littoral transport processes along the Lake Michigan shoreline. To do this, the team implemented a multi-faceted system of breakwaters, groins and beach feeders connected to the shore and to the shore, adapted to the unique conditions of each of the three project areas.
More than 325,000 tons of stone and 530,000 cubic meters of sand were placed within a tight 12-month schedule. GPS-guided excavators and bulldozers placed materials to exact specifications, both above and below the water. The integration of habitat features such as tern nests, anchored driftwood, and vegetation blocks further complicated construction, requiring careful coordination between habitat designers and construction crews. Multifunctional breakwaters—structures designed for wave attenuation and sand retention, but also for ecological improvement—were also installed.
