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Communications from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources' Coastal Management Program
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IDNR Coastal Management Program 
September 2020 Newsletter 
Looking north along Lake Michigan from the South Shore neighborhood, August 2020 (IDNR)

Waukegan Harbor Area of Concern Celebrates Another Milestone
In August, the Waukegan Harbor Area of Concern and Waukegan Harbor Citizens Advisory Group celebrated another milestone in environmental recovery following the clean-up of legacy pollutants in and around the harbor. The Degradation of Phytoplankton and Zooplankton Populations Beneficial Use Impairment was officially removed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) after years of monitoring by project partners. A beneficial use impairment, or BUI, is a human or ecological health hazard caused by changes in the chemical, biological, or physical integrity of a Great Lakes system. BUIs were designated as part of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement which established Areas of Concern throughout the Great Lakes in geographic areas that experienced extensive environmental degradation.

The Waukegan Harbor Area of Concern was designated as a result of contamination from long-lasting chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and heavy metals. This Area of Concern designation led to an increase in federal funding for clean-up and restoration of the site, and in 2013 environmental dredging of Waukegan Harbor was completed. Environmental dredging reduced PCB concentrations in harbor sediments well below the 0.2 parts per million (ppm) target set by the USEPA to be protective of human health, therefore reducing potential negative impacts of sediment contamination on the ecosystem.

Following the completion of environmental dredging, project partners including the Illinois Natural History Survey and the United States Geological Survey began monitoring plankton community response to the clean-up by surveying phytoplankton and zooplankton communities in Waukegan Harbor, non-impaired harbors throughout southwestern Lake Michigan, and nearshore Lake Michigan. The 2017 surveys also included water sampling throughout the Area of Concern and reference sites to analyze water toxicity. Results of the 2013, 2015, and 2017 plankton community surveys demonstrated no significant differences in zooplankton density or species richness between AOC and reference sites. In addition, the 2017 water toxicity tests demonstrated a lack of water toxicity throughout the AOC, reference sites, and nearshore Lake Michigan. The results of the water toxicity tests also showed no trend of poor reproduction in zooplankton in any of the water samples, leading researchers to conclude plankton and zooplankton populations within the AOC are no longer impaired.

The removal of the Degradation of Phytoplankton and Zooplankton BUI marks an important step in the environmental recovery of Waukegan harbor following aggressive clean-up and restoration activities. To date, efforts of multiple federal, state, and local partners have also resulted in the removal of four other BUIs: Beach Closings, Loss of Fish and Wildlife Habitat, Restriction on Dredging Activities, and Degradation of Benthic Invertebrates. Only one BUI remains, Restrictions on Fish and Wildlife Consumption, and CMP continuities to coordinate with IDNR Fisheries to monitor PCB levels in Waukegan Harbor fish to inform progress in the removal of that BUI.
New Story Maps Featuring ISGS Research at Illinois Beach State Park 
Did you know the Illinois State Geological Survey has a dedicated Coastal Geology Group stationed at Illinois Beach State Park? They do, and they’re great! Our program works closely with this group to help guide research and better our understanding of the Illinois coastal system. When COVID kept researchers out of the field in recent months, it provided an opportunity to develop materials on the work they’ve done over the past few years. 

Two new interactive story maps guide you through ISGS’s research at Illinois Beach State Park. Understanding a Dynamic Shoreline investigates long- and short-term shoreline change, and A Vanishing Coast examines habitat loss due to extensive erosion over 80 years. 
Share Comments for Our Program’s NOAA Evaluation
As a part of NOAA’s nationwide Coastal Management Program (federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended), the Illinois Coastal Program will be having its first federal program evaluation by NOAA at the end of October.  As part of the federal evaluation process, NOAA will conduct a virtual public meeting and is seeking any public comments on the Illinois Coastal Program. The virtual public meeting will be held from 1-2 pm on Wednesday, October 28, 2020. To attend, register here (up to two hours before the meeting).

The purpose of the meeting is to receive public comments regarding the operation and implementation of the Illinois Coastal Management Program. You can participate in the virtual public meeting either online or by phone. You can also provide written comments whether you attend the meeting or not. Written comments should be emailed to Ralph.Cantral@noaa.gov no later than November 6, 2020. 
Engage on Great Lakes Issues

Beach Erosion and Climate Change: Increasing Community Resilience
Did you miss the Delta Green Soap Box 2020? You can view a recording of this year’s virtual event, Beach Erosion and Climate Change: Increasing Community Resilience, here!

High Waters on the Great Lakes: Options for Shore Protection and Stabilization
Michigan Sea Grant hosted this webinar July 29 for citizens, tribal and municipal officials, Great Lakes shoreline property owners, and other interested persons to explain wave dynamics and coastal engineering approaches. The webinar received high praise from CMP staff as “one of the most engaging webinars we’ve watched to date on this topic”! Lucky for those of us who missed it, the webinar (which includes lots of great Illinois examples) is available to stream here.

Plant Selection along Shore and Coastlines
Are you having trouble managing invasives and other weeds around shorelines, coastlines, and other aquatic natural areas? Midwest Grows Green’s Lawn and Land Forum has invited two shoreline management professionals to discuss weed management with limited or no glyphosate/herbicides for this webinar on Thursday, September 24 at 12:00 pm. Find more info and register here.

Coastal Erosion Podcast Episode
The most recent episode from the USACE Buffalo District podcast focuses on coastal erosion in the Great Lakes, discussing how erosion happens, how quickly the Great Lakes are eroding, humanity's impact on the coastline, and factors going into a solution. Listen here!
 
Third Coast Disrupted: Artists + Scientists on Climate
A new art exhibition, Third Coast Disrupted, opened September 8th at the Glass Curtain Gallery at Columbia College Chicago. This show grew out of a year’s conversations between artists and scientists exploring climate change impacts and solutions happening in the Chicago area. In partnership with the gallery show, there are several free virtual events meant to continue these conversations (more info and register at link above), including:
Sept. 16: Connecting Global Change to Local Impacts & Solutions
Sept. 17: The Art of Communicating Climate: A Conversation
Oct. 1: Water, Water Everywhere: First-Person Flooding, Impact, and Action
Emerging Resources

Building Community Resilience with Nature-Based Solutions: A guide for local communities
FEMA recently released a new guide to help communities identify and engage staff and resources that can play a role in building resilience through nature-based solutions. The document is not a technical how-to guide for implementation. Instead, it provides information to help local officials make the business case for nature-based solutions; plan for and set policies to support nature-based solutions; mobilize public and private resources for implementation; and understand federal funding opportunities. This new document is the result of exciting and successful collaborations between NOAA and FEMA, and can be found here. 

Weather and Climate Education Toolkit
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) has created a weather and climate education toolkit where educators can find resources on the topics of weather, climate, and climate change. The weather and climate toolkit for educators includes over 60 resources—with more being added—for K-12 teachers, parents and students.
Funding Opportunities

On August 4, 2020, FEMA posted the Fiscal Year 2020 Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) Notification of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) for the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant program and the new Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) pre-disaster mitigation grant program on grants.gov. The application period opens on September 30, 2020. To learn more about these grant programs, view the BRIC Fact Sheet and FMA Fact Sheet..
In the News
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Would you like your event announcement to be included in our next newsletter? Email your submissions to DNR.CMP@illinois.gov
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The IDNR Coastal Management Program is dedicated to protecting and enhancing the environmental, economic, and social value of Illinois’ Great Lakes coast. We invest in building healthy ecosystems and resilient communities by providing expertise, funding, and other resources for community-driven and forward-thinking efforts within our Lake Michigan coastal region.
Copyright © 2020 Illinois Department of Natural Resources' Coastal Management Program, All rights reserved.


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