Waukegan Harbor Sand Management

Waukegan Harbor

Sand Management

April 15, 2013

Shabica & Associates, Inc.

Sustainable Coastal Solutions

550 Frontage Road, Suite 3735Northfield, IL [email protected]

Quick Recap

� Shabica & Associates (SA) was hired by the City of Waukegan on October 15, 2012 to prepare a site analysis, preliminary designs and engineering, and cost estimates to help reduce the amount of sand accumulating in the outer harbor and entrance channel

� SA led and attended over 16 meetings with the City of Waukegan, individual stakeholders, the Port Authority, local industry, the Waukegan CAG Group, State and Federal Regulators, and others

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Stakeholders� Waukegan Residents

� City of Waukegan

� Waukegan Port District

� National Gypsum

� Larsen Marine

� LaFarge

� EJ&E West Company

� Canadian National Railway

� Gillen Marine Company

� Saint Mary's Cement

� Waukegan Citizens

Advisory Group (CAG)

� Environmental Protection

Agency

� Army Corps of Engineers

� Department of Natural

Resources

� Bombardier Motor Company

of America

� Akzo Nobel Aerospace

Company

� Waukegan Park District

� Midwest Generation

� Commonwealth Edison

� North Shore Sanitary District3

Problem Statement

� The existing harbor structures and the lack of a sand management plan for this section of Illinois shoreline has created a sand management challenge for Waukegan harbor.

We have too much sand

� The Inner Harbor and Entrance Channel are currently being dredged with the purpose of delisting the Harbor as an Area of Concern by 2014

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Sand Problem

� Construction of Waukegan Harbor between 1880 and 1906 interrupted southward migration of the sand plain because the harbor jetties formed a partial to near-total barrier to littoral transport (Chrzastowski and Trask, 1995)

� As a result, the construction of Waukegan Harbor has contributed to the accretion of almost 500 acres of new land north of the harbor since the late 1880s (Foyle and Chrzastowski, 1996)

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Littoral Sand Volume

� It is estimated that the amount of littoral sand transport from Illinois Beach State Park south to Waukegan Harbor averages a least 72,800 cubic yards per year (IDNR report #9643E, 1998)

� Approximately 94 acres of sand have

accumulated north of the harbor breakwater

with an additional 60 acres of underwater

offshore deposits since 1939, or approximately

3 million cubic yards of sand (WAUKEGAN HARBOR

DEPOSITION: Man’s Role in a Changing Landscape. Steve Jansen, May 2012)

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Courtesy Waukegan Historical Society – Jan. 19, 2012

Waukegan Harbor Citizens’ Advisory Group – permission granted

Waterline is

approximately 20’ from

Seahorse Drive

Site History – 1939

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Courtesy Waukegan Historical Society – Jan. 19, 2012

Waukegan Harbor Citizens’ Advisory Group –permission granted 8

Courtesy Waukegan Historical Society – Jan. 19, 2012

Waukegan Harbor Citizens’ Advisory Group –permission granted

1965

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1989

Shabica & Associates, Inc. Aerial Photograph – Waukegan Harbor 10

2012 Shabica & Associates, Inc. Aerial Photograph – Waukegan Harbor

Waterline is

approximately 1,150’ from

Seahorse Drive today

2012

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Coastal Monitoring

� This section of the Illinois shoreline has been studied and monitored by multiple agencies and groups for more than 30 years� Illinois State Geological Survey - Coastal and Wetlands Section

� Illinois Department of Natural Resources - Task Force for Coastal Stewardship

� Illinois and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

� Iowa Institute Of Hydraulic Research for Commonwealth Edison

� Waukegan Citizens Advisory Group

� Army Corps of Engineers

� And more…

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Recommended Maintenance

Almost every coastal study of this section of shoreline has either recommended sand bypassing as a management tool, or a combination of hard and soft stabilization with sand bypassing to:

� Reduce the amount of accretion north of the harbor and erosion to downdrift properties

� Reduce the amount of maintenance dredging required

� Maintain and preserve the last major segments of natural shoreline in the state

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Sand Management Plan

Given the volume of littoral transport in this area, in addition to already impounded sand, SA recommends the development of a sand management plan that includes:

� Small sand impoundment areas immediately north of the harbor breakwaters to reduce the amount of sand accumulating in the approach channel and outer harbor

� Establish a buffer area to the north

� Minimal impact on coastal ecosystems

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Proposed

Buffer Area

(Yellow)

Proposed Sand

Management

Areas (Green)

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Why was this area selected

� It maintains the accreted shoreline profile to the north

� It implements a buffer between the sand-management

area, public beach and higher quality beaches to the north

� It allows for low-cost, land-based sand removal

� It is in-line with a concept plan developed by the Army

Corps of Engineers (SA’s plan recommends a smaller

maintenance area)

� The sand management area represents only ~5% of the

total accreted shoreline owned by the City of Waukegan

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Corps of Engineers beach maintenance concept presented to harbor stakeholders 12/14/2012

Other Potential Areas Explored

� Swimming beach:� Does not improve the sand impeding the approach channel

� Area north of the breakwater will continue to build

� North side adjacent to or north of Midwest Generation:� Will cause the shoreline south to erode

� It will take years for the nearshore system to empty before the

approach channel will improve

� Breakwater extension offshore (hard armoring)� Area north of the breakwater will continue to build

� Cost and timing prohibitive

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Next Steps

� Meet with state, federal and local regulatory

agencies to identify necessary permit approvals

� Submit permits based on feedback

� Meet with the industry stakeholders to establish a

funding body and timetable so that we have an

implementable solution that is “shovel ready”

� Work with downdrift municipalities that could

benefit from receiving sand as part of a more

comprehensive regional management plan

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Questions?

Shabica & Associates, Inc.

Sustainable Coastal Solutions

550 Frontage Road, Suite 3735Northfield, IL [email protected]