Illinois Beach State Park

Due to a recent shoreline retreat in Illinois of up to one hundred feet in a single year, there was an urgent need to preserve the remaining coastal area, protecting the last remnant of ecologically valuable virgin lakefront shoreline in Illinois. The project combined beach nourishment with strategic, limited use of small offshore island breakwaters to restore strands of recreational beaches and regain lost coastal habitat while still achieving dynamic shore protection. The offshore structures were configured to incorporate both aquatic and avian habitat-enhancing features for added eco-value. As a Principal Engineer at a previous firm, Jack Cox, Edgewater’s Principal and Vice President of Engineering, led the development of the concept and co-authored the conceptual design report on using artificial islands to control shoreline erosion for the Illinois DNR. Subsequently, after joining Edgewater, Jack continued this partnership and conducted and oversaw the physical modeling of the project and plan refinements.