Award
Honor Award
Site
Zion, Illinois
Client
Illinois Department of Natural Resources & Illinois Capital Development Board
Landscape Architects
Living Habitats
Project Details
For the Illinois Beach State Park project, the design team created custom habitat elements for six breakwaters, some of which are the first of their kind to be deployed in a Great Lakes shoreline restoration. These include custom and salvaged concrete habitat blocks, sunken driftwood, rock ledges, lakebed rock topper, and concrete blocks covered with growing media and aquatic plants. Following installation, significant plant growth was observed and target native fish species were spotted using the habitat elements. Monitoring will continue to record outcomes that will inform future Great Lakes projects hoping to protect shorelines while increasing valuable habitat. Completed in 2024.
Project Team
Company Name: Living Habitats
Client: Illinois Department of Natural Resources & Illinois Capital Development Board
Engineer: Moffatt & Nichol, Collins Engineers
Contractor: Michels Construction (Design Build Project Lead)
Other Consultant: Illinois Natural History Survey (Hillary Glandon)