This drone image captures the finished condition of the Area 2 breakwaters and beach nourishment during late summer 2024.
Late spring 2024, an excavator lowers one of the freshly planted and uncaged vegetated blocks into position on the lee side of breakwater 2.4, with unfinished steel tern nests visible in the background.
Single season of submerged aquatic plant growth originating from vegetated blocks following spring installation.
Early fall, submerged aquatic vegetation infilling around rock topper on the lakebed. All aquatic monitoring photos courtesy of Hillary Glandon.
Aquatic vegetation from the installed vegetated blocks begins to spread along the lakebed surface spreading out from the vegetated blocks.
Smallmouth Bass observed swimming near new rock ledge habitat.
Illinois Natural History Survey biologists sampling for fish larvae in Area 2.
Armor stone has been nestled around the ten custom tern nests on Breakwater 2.4. The stone will limit open cavities and serve as fledgling landing zones, providing the birds with a connected route linking the ten nests.
Salvaged driftwood and vegetated blocks are submerged in their final locations on the lee side of Breakwater 2.6. A portion of the vegetated blocks were submerged without protective herbivory screens to test aquatic vegetation longevity and growth preferences.
A spud barge moves towards the newly constructed breakwaters to finish placement of habitat elements, including limestone ledges and vegetated blocks. The sand in the foreground delineates the extent of the beach nourishment for Area 2.
Natrx Adaptive Infrastructure’s custom concrete habitat blocks were designed, fabricated & installed along the lee sides of the breakwaters to provide ledge habitat for fish and mudpuppies. Living Habitats worked with Natrx Adaptive Infrastructure to design and produce the 3D printed habitat blocks for this project.
Living Habitats assisted with the installation of aquatic plant species for the vegetated blocks.
Species were kept moist throughout installation and planted into the coir logs and secured.
The vegetated blocks were kept under tents during installation to prevent the plants and coir logs from drying out.
All five of the exposed sides of the vegetated blocks were planted with aquatic species.
Using a GPS device, Living Habitats catalogued all salvageable materials for reuse on the project, including driftwood and trees to be removed and used as windrows and fish habitat. The salvaged driftwood was utilized for windrows along the crest of the beach dune and also submerged for fish habitat.
The Living Habitats team work to weave coir logs around salvaged concrete blocks, which will eventually become the planting media for aquatic vegetation in the vegetated block assemblies.
Prior to installation, the aquatic plant species selected were trialed over the course of a year to test viability when paired with the coir growing media. Living Habitats staff planted coir logs with a range of species in large tanks that were monitored for growth and compatibility prior to selection.
Illustrative section through Breakwater 2.4 highlighting all aquatic and avian habitat elements.
Summary of habitat elements.
Rendering of vegetated block.
Illinois Capital Development Board & Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Illinois Beach State Park Shoreline Stabilization
Illinois Beach State Park (IBSP) is the last contiguous six miles of natural shoreline along Lake Michigan remaining in the state of Illinois. It includes a unique combination of climate, topography, and soil conditions that have resulted in a diversity of natural habitats recognized as globally important. In recent years, dramatic fluctuations in the lake level threaten the park with severe shoreline erosion and associated flooding impacts. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) initiated a project that will protect nearly 2.2 miles of the IBSP shoreline to combat the significant loss of shoreline and rare habitats. The goal is to apply a nature-based stabilization strategy that is compatible with preserving the park’s unique ecological resources and natural character.
Rather than stopping erosion by building hard barriers along the shoreline, the design for IBSP seeks to guide and direct the movement of sand in ways that conform with the natural littoral processes of historic beach sand migration and replenishment. The approach uses creatively shaped and formulated habitat islands in the form of breakwaters and submerged reef structures, positioned out in the lake rather than built directly along the shore. Given the sensitivity and ecological value of this location, a thoughtful analysis of construction methods aimed at a reduction in potential impacts to the delicate ecosystems both onshore and offshore has been part of the planning from the onset.
Living Habitats is part of the design-build team tasked with the final design, permitting and execution of the shoreline stabilization structures. The project goals also include addressing specific avian and aquatic habitat creation and enhancement through targeted amendments. The park attracts three coastal bird species of special importance to the IDNR that have potential to be supported as part of this project: The Piping Plover, the Common Tern, and the Caspian Tern. The project’s beach nourishment activities will restore valuable habitat for the Piping Plover. Additionally, the breakwater structures hold the right lake position for Tern habitat and when amended with nest structures, the breakwaters have the potential to provide important new breeding locations for the Terns.
Most of the Great Lakes suffer due to human impacts and invasive species. Despite this reality, Mudpuppies and Yellow Perch have been identified by the IDNR as species that have the potential to be offered additional habitat support as part of the project. Additionally, the project offers the opportunity to trial a variety of adequate habitat amendments that could support a range of desirable aquatic species, with planned monitoring aimed at recording outcomes that can inform future Great Lakes projects. A range of innovative habitat structures have been designed and installed on and around the breakwaters.
Location:
Northeast Illinois, Village of Zion
Date:
October 2021 – August 2024
Client:
Illinois Capital Development Board
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Design Build Team:
MICHELS CORPORTATION: Lead Contractor
MOFFAT & NICHOL: Coastal Engineering
LIVING HABITATS: Ecological Services and Landscape Architecture
COLLINS ENGINEERS, INC.: Construction Inspection
Awards:
2024 WEDG® (Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines) Verification
2024 ASBPA (American Shore and Beach Preservation Association) Best Restored Beaches
2024 Chicagoland AGC (Associated General Contractors) Excellence in Environmental Design-Build
