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<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nwaves crash against the concrete sea wall hugging the shoreline along chicago\u2019s calumet park. sections of the gray boundary between land and lake are crumbling against the constant pressure of the elements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
with over 25 miles of glistening blue water, chicago\u2019s lakeshore, composed of lake michigan beaches, faces a significant threat. erosion is the shrinking of a shoreline that is slowly worn away by waves, wind, currents and other natural factors, and it is affecting the city\u2019s shoreline at an exacerbated rate due to climate change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
chicago beaches are narrowing at a rate of nearly 100 ft. per year<\/a> along parts of the coastline, meaning less space for recreation and the loss of habitats for shorebirds and other beach animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
erosion causes damage<\/a> to infrastructure (roads, buildings and parking lots) and natural habitats. it can also threaten public health by increasing the risk of algal blooms<\/a>, quick growing areas of algae that can produce harmful toxins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
edgewater environmental coalition (eec) \u2014 a nonprofit organization focused on action, advocacy and education for environmental stewardship \u2014 has a shoreline protection program<\/a> aimed at restoring the natural ecosystems of the lakeshore using nature-based solutions. the organization has used successful strategies of green infrastructure<\/a> like building dunes, planting native plants and removing invasive ones to mitigate erosion. eec, in conjunction with the loyola university student environmentalist alliance, has planted 300 native grasses and 1,500 marram grass stolons that act as anchors that strengthen dunes across the shore.<\/p>\n\n\n
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natural solutions can often be more cost effective, visually in tune with the natural landscape and equally as durable as traditional gray infrastructure<\/a> like the concrete ground and walls that make up most of the chicago shoreline, according to eec advisory board member john laswick. he said the main goal of the organization is to reestablish dunes, which are nature\u2019s original protection system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
natural solutions to erosion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- beach nourishment and restoration: replenishing eroded beaches with sediment like sand to protect against wave energy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- dune restoration and protection: stabilizing dunes with plants and shrubs to help them last longer and protect the land against erosion.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- natural shorelines: adding vegetation, oyster reefs and aquatic vegetation to trap sediment and diminish wave energy effects.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- green infrastructure: adding green infrastructure in urban areas to manage stormwater runoff, like permeable pavement to retain and filter stormwater.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- coastal vegetation management: adding and preserving native grasses, shrubs, and trees to anchor sediment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- integrated coastal zone management: using an integrated approach to coastal management by understanding the interaction of land, water and human activities. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
friends of the parks (fotp), which provided the seed grant that enables eec\u2019s stewardship services along the shore, is a nonprofit organization focused on protecting chicago\u2019s lakefront and ensuring an equitable, ecological park system. they have enacted policy changes \u2014 such as partnering with the state and chicago park district to implement the illinois clean harbors<\/a> program \u2014 and educate local residents on park stewardship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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the blocked off area at kathy osterman beach recovering from high lake levels. (astry rodriguez)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n fotp is closely monitoring the u.s. army corps of engineers\u2019 general reevaluation report<\/a> (grr), a study that will evaluate the risk of flooding, erosion and storm damage along lake michigan\u2019s coast in areas of chicago. the study, cost-shared with the city of chicago and the chicago park district, is set to be completed in 2025, at which time solutions will be shared to combat these issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n