Evanston aldermen were told Monday that while the city’s dog beach has been swallowed up by Lake Michigan and other beaches have shrunk, it’s all the result of long-term fluctuations in lake levels — and there’s little to do about it except wait for those levels to drop.
Jon Shabica, vice president of the Northfield-based coastal consulting firm Shabica & Associates, said that over the past 30 years the water level in lake Michigan has cycled twice through a range with a variation of about six feet, and after reaching a low point in 2013, it has rapidly risen 4.5 feet to where it is today.
Two images of the dog beach, a little over three years apart.
In a presentation illustrated with charts and photos of the change in lake levels, Shabica also said that because of the complicated approval process, involving six different government agencies, it could take eight to 16 months for the city to win approval for any effort to rebuild the beach or make other changes along the shoreline.
In response to a question, he said that removing the breakwaters that extend out into the lake would only worsen beach erosion problems as the prevailing wind causes sand along the Illinois shore to drift south toward Indiana.
And as for adding sand to the beach, he said that not long ago $80,000 of sand added to Illiois Beach State Park in Zion washed away in 24 hours.
Evanston is actually in one of the better positions among coastal communities now, Shabica said, “You’re not really experiencing damage, you don’t have buildings falling into the water, you’re not going to be closing all the beaches this season.”
Lawrence Hemingway.
Evanston Parks Director Lawrence Hemingway said city staff is preparing the beaches for their scheduled Memorial Day opening, and that the boat storage racks at Dempster will be moved to higher ground to get them out of the water.
He said all six lakefront beaches are smaller today than they were last year, and that in addition to the dog beach, he’s concerned about whether the Greenwood Street beach will be usable.
The committee asked staff for an update on the status of the beaches at its next meeting, scheduled for June 6.
dog beach
Awww, too bad! Evanston will lose a source of revenue and the yuppies will have to find somewhere else for their pampered pooches. Mother nature is a fickle lady. Boo hoo!
“Yuppies”?
What year is this?
I don’t understand
Roger help me understand, what is wrong with people who love their dogs? It is not only “yuppies (is that still used?), there are a lot of families that enjoy taking their dogs to the beach.
Trolls under bridges
Gee, with rising water levels, there's less room under the bridges for trolls.
Just another reason to leave Evanston
Dog beach is closed thanks to fact that city erected the ugly orange fencing (they are in love with) right down middle of the beach. With all construction there is nowhere to run my dog. (Frankly I am REALLY tired of Evanston’s massive noise and air pollution from construction of ugly high rises everywhere)
So Roger, a closed dog beach is just another one of MANY reasons to leave the bankrupt state of Illinois. You can your friends can pay off the debt of over 130 Billion and lost dog beach revenues just means MORE taxes for you!!!
Hopefully it will go back
Hopefully it will go back down soon. One of my favorite places just sitting and watching the dogs enjoy life.
Mmmmmmmm
This quote from a February 18, 2016, Chicago Tribune article headlined (for your own searching pleasure): "Lake Michigan ice down 50 percentage points from two years ago, despite cold weather"
Quote: "Chicagoans could see more of the beach in the coming years, as low lake ice can cause more evaporation during the winter. The ecosystem and shipping industry also could see effects."
My own guess is that the water will recede, but it may take one or two summers for it to happen.
Look forward to its return
Great that the lake levels are up — but still look forward to the beach's return.