A Homeowner's Guide to Managing and Protecting the Unique Geology,
Ecology, and Other Natural Features of Ravine and Bluff Environs.

This pamphlet was prepared by The City of highland Park Lakefront Task Force and
the Department of Community Development. Partial funding
provided by the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission

Ravine and lakefront properties are fragile lands which require special care if they are to be preserved for current and future residents. This brochure will identify the specific problems that homeowners in ravine and lakefront communities face, explain some of the causes of these problems, and suggest methods that will help homeowners keep their property and their neighbors' properties in the best possible condition. The brochure will also explain how to preserve the integrity of the ravines and lakefront, and what features you should be aware of as a homeowner or prospective homeowner. Please note: In addition to the guidelines presented in this brochure, many communities have adopted ordinances which regulate grading, landscaping and other activities which homeowners may undertake. Be sure to check with your local government to find out if any such regulations apply to your property.

Not many localities in the country enjoy the vast ocean-like panorama of Lake Michigan at one's doorstep, or the wooded and flowering beauty of ravines off one's back yard. Because of this unique beauty, ravine and lakefront properties are desirable locations for homes. Some ravines contain rare and endangered plant species and may be justly considered ecological treasures.

But erosion can destroy anything, and water can erode with startling rapidity. Water erosion is the most threatening force impacting ravine and lakefront property. It is a natural force which can be slowed, but cannot be stopped entirely. Over geologic time, mountains have been thrust up 10,000 feet and then eroded completely away. Even in the last 100 years erosion has, for example, claimed 50 to 100 feet of lakefront land that had at one time been on the bluff in Highland Park but now lies at the bottom of Lake Michigan. The damage is accelerated when additional erosion is caused by human activity; this type of erosion-causing activity can and should be controlled.

This brochure will discuss the potential damage resulting from water erosion and will present methods to prevent this damage to the greatest extent possible.

Water erosion is the most threatening force impacting ravine and lakefront property.