Sunrise Beach in Lake Bluff, July 2015; photo by Adrienne Fawcett
Erosion is a big problem for North Shore beaches as Lake Michigan water levels continue to rise. The lake’s water level has increased about four feet since January 2013, according to an article in the Aug. 31 Chicago Tribune.
The erosion could negatively affect the economies of North Shore suburbs, according to the article, which points out that Lake Bluff alone spends $20,000 a year on sand, a line item on the budget that could otherwise be put to use for the other capital expenditures. In 2015, the Park District of Highland Park spent about $2.5 million on Rosewood Beach, renovated in conjunction with the non-profit Alliance for the Great Lakes, which covered the rest of the expenses.
Leaders from northern beach towns are working together on an Illinois North Shore Sand Management Strategy, a regional plan to manage the lakefront from Evanston to the Wisconsin border, according to the Tribune.
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Here are photos from July 2015 of Lake Bluff’s Sunrise Beach on an ordinarily weekend morning, when the lake covered more than half of the beach.
Sunrise Beach in Lake Bluff, July 2015