$73 Million Stabilization Project Shores Up Illinois Beach State Park

ZION, IL — State and local officials gathered Monday at the Illinois Beach Hotel to celebrate the completion of a landmark project to safeguard the shores of Lake Michigan, a $73 million Illinois Beach State Park Shoreline Stabilization Project.

Funded through the Rebuild Illinois capital plan, the stabilization project tackled erosion that had been threatening the state's last fully natural shoreline for years, ultimately preserving a vital ecological and recreational resource. State officials said it was the largest capital investment in the history of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

“Just a few short years ago, the natural lakefront was eroding in some places at more than 100 feet per year. There was a very real possibility that we could lose it forever," Gov. J.B. Pritzker said. "That would have put critical ecosystems at risk and also prevented so many visitors and local residents from enjoying all the beauty and recreation that the state park has to offer."

The project involved the construction of 22 offshore stone breakwaters to protect 2.2 miles of beachfront, restoring sand and installing ecological features like nests and gardens to preserve endangered species and natural habitats.

The park stayed open during construction, which involved bringing in 35,000 truckloads of sand and 4,000 tons of cobblestone.

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Zion Mayor Billy McKinney said the new breakwaters help protect the water supply of several Lake County communities by sheltering the 17th Street water plant.

"That affects the water that's distributed to Winthrop Harbor, to Beach Park, to Zion and the Marina, the North Point Marina, and to Wadsworth, so without that work being done, there was huge potential for our water supply to be disrupted," McKinney said.

"Hosah Park, one of our great treasures in the city, I've watched, over the last 10 years since I've been back, watched the boardwalk get washed out," he said.

Natalie Phelps Finnie, director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, noted the increase in events and visitors to the park, which became the state's first nature preserve just over six decades ago.

"The beach has been restored, and word has already gotten out. The hotel saw an immediate uptick in beach events," Finnie said. "In fact, Friday night, there was a wedding here."

Finnie predicted more campsite bookings, hotel stays and visits to nearby towns as a result of the project.

The effort was the first in the Midwest to achieve Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines, WEDG, verification, and won the 2024 Best Restored Beach Award through the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association.

"I'm always proud of our great state. I especially want us to lead," Pritzker said.

In fact, whenever you see rankings of states for different things and Illinois isn't ranked at the top, I'm always thinking, 'How do we get to the top of that list?'" he said. "I'm a competitive sort, and the idea that we did a project here that has been recognized throughout the United States as the best — I think that's something we should all be proud of."