National Lakeshore Shoreline Restoration Plan Approved

Date: November 10, 2014
Contact: Bruce Rowe, 219-395-1609

Final approval has been given for Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore’s Shoreline Restoration and Management Plan. A Record of Decision (ROD) for the plan and Environmental Impact Statement was signed by Acting Regional Director Patricia S. Trap on October 21, 2014. This allows the National Park Service, in partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers, to begin an annual schedule of beach nourishment to remedy erosion and damage to the dunes and beaches of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.
 
The effected beaches within the National Lakeshore extend from Trail Creek in Michigan City to U.S. Steel in Gary. As described in the final plan the shoreline in this area suffers from erosion that threatens national park resources, recreation opportunities, homes, and businesses. The final plan was prepared to provide scientifically-based alternatives for the restoration of natural sediment movement along the southern shore of Lake Michigan. Beach nourishment is the placing of sand, or sand mixed with small natural stones, onto beaches to replace the sand that would normally occur through natural processes. In places along the shoreline, harbor structures interfere with the natural movement of sand in Lake Michigan.    
 
A copy of the Record of Decision is available online at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/indu or you may request a hard copy of it from:
 
Ms. Florida Harris
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
1100 North Mineral Springs Road
Porter, Indiana 46304-1299
 
www.nps.gov/indu

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is part of the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 401 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.