Project Description and Background
This project will address significant coastal storm damage experienced along at-risk reaches of the shoreline of Lake Michigan. The study will reevaluate the remaining unconstructed components of the authorized project and other coastal storm damage risk including portions of Lake Shore Drive, Sheridan Road, South Water Purification Plant, and La Rabida Children’s Hospital.
The study objective will be to evaluate and recommend further investment to protect Lake Shore Drive, a major causeway for Chicago, and other infrastructure from coastal storm damage and lakefront erosion in the face of changing climate.
The Chicago Shoreline project was authorized by Congress in 1996. Since then, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and our cost-sharing partners the City of Chicago, and the Chicago Park District, have invested over $500 million to rehabilitate and improve the coastal structures protecting Chicago’s lakefront. Additional information can be found at:
Current Status
A U.S. Army Corps study General Reevaluation Report (GRR) is an U.S. Army Corps of Engineers feasibility study that will evaluate the risk of flooding, erosion and damage from coastal storms along the coast of Lake Michigan within areas of the City of Chicago. The study will investigate coastal storm risk, formulate and evaluate potential alternative plans to manage risk and potentially recommend projects for implementation.
The study is cost-shared with the City of Chicago and the Chicago Park District and is estimated to be completed in 2025 and will focus on areas of the lakefront that were not included in the original project and any underperforming segments of the constructed project.
The study is currently undergoing a public scoping period through April 30, 2023 under the National Environmental Policy Act. Please see the attached documents for more detail. Comments can be provided to chicagoshoreline@usace.army.mil
Project Authorization
Sec 101, Water Resources Development Act of 1996, as amended
Related Studies
There are other ongoing studies along the Chicago lakefront that are being performed by other agencies. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be coordinating with these studies throughout the GRR study process. These include:
- North DuSable Lake Shore Drive - The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) have begun a study to improve North Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable Lake Shore Drive. The study encompasses the area between Grand Avenue and Hollywood Avenue along North DuSable Lake Shore Drive. See https://northdusablelakeshoredrive.org/ for more information.
- Chicago South Shore Plan - With support from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Delta Institute and Sierra Club are working with local and regional stakeholder groups to develop a community-driven resilience plan for the South Shore neighborhood that identifies actionable solutions to coastal erosion and flooding issues. The plan will include stakeholder-driven strategies, priorities, project concepts, and investment models for increasing resiliency in South Shore.
Crowd Source Tool
The Corps of Engineers has developed a crowd source tool that the public can use to help identify potential problem areas relating to coastal erosion and flooding. The tool can be accessed at: Chicago Shoreline GRR (arcgis.com).
This tool allows the user to submit location-based comments pertaining to the upcoming Master Plan update. The user can submit new ideas, questions, or concerns in the categories to the right. Click one of the categories to get started.
An instructional video for how to use the tool can be found here.
Instructions: For best results, use Google Chrome. Once you open the tool, click on Proceed as Guest to open a map of the shoreline, click the X to close the help pop-up message. You can then navigate and zoom in to a specific location. To submit a comment, click on the map to add a location and fill out the comment form on the right side of the page. Click the Report It button to add your comment when it is complete. You can also view previous comments and like or add additional information to the comment.
Let’s keep it civil. We ask that comments be pertinent to the study and appropriate for reading by all. We reserve the right to hide or delete inappropriate comments.
Application Disclaimer
All comments will be part of the public record and can be released under the Freedom of Information Act.
Maps are for graphical purposes only. They do not represent a legal survey. While every effort has been made to ensure that these data are accurate and reliable, within the limits of the current state of the art, USACE - Chicago District cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in the data, nor as a result of the failure of the data to function on a particular system. USACE - Chicago District makes no warranty, expressed or implied, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such warranty.