Protecting the Kenosha Dunes
Exploring a plan to protect a unique natural area in Kenosha, Wisconsin
Chiwaukee Prairie State Natural Area
The Kenosha Dunes are part of the Chiwaukee Prairie State Natural Area, managed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and located along Lake Michigan.
Each section of this quest includes a link with a question about characteristics of the Kenosha Dunes or the greater Chiwaukee Prairie State Natural Area. To complete this quest, you must correctly answer these questions. Correct answers will give you clues that will spell out the name of an important animal in this region.
Proceed if you choose to accept this quest!
Species Richness and Diversity
The Chiwaukee Prairie State Natural Area is home to some specialized plant and animal species that you may not find anywhere else! Pitcher's thistle is an example of a threatened plant unique to the Kenosha Sand Dunes. Here there are also a wide variety of bird species, including some that are threatened or endangered in Wisconsin such as the long-tailed duck , the common tern and the peregrine falcon .
During the spring and summer the air is alive with the sounds of birds. Click the links to hear the songs of these Chiwaukee Prairie State Natural Area birds! Common yellowthroat , sedge wren , red-winged blackbird? Have you ever heard any of these before?
Ridge and Swale Topography
This unique landscape is formed from glacial sand deposits. After the glacier melted, the beaches of Lake Michigan continuously advanced and receded over thousands of years as the water level fluctuated. Each ridge marks where the beach once was. This type of landscape allows for a wide variety of plant life in a relatively small area. The ridges are higher portions of land that are drier, sandier and well-drained. Some plant species that are common on the ridges include stiff goldenrod , fringed gentian , and northern bedstraw . The swales are lower portions that are wetter, with higher clay content and rich in nutrients. Plants that are common in the swales include boneset , cordgrass , and bracken fern .
With more plant diversity comes more species of insects, birds and other animals as well. Next time you're out in nature see if you can notice different types of plants and animals in higher and lower areas!
Kenosha Sand Dunes
The Kenosha Sand Dunes are a special place, because this type of habitat is rare to this area. They contain one of the few remaining Great Lakes dune communities in Wisconsin . The Kenosha dunes are stable meaning they don't drift or migrate over time. If the sand erodes away, it will not be replaced by new sand deposits. The dunes once extended further north, but that land has been developed for industrial, residential and recreational purposes.
This little patch of land is all that remains of the dunes. Do you think it is important to preserve unique habitats like this?
Eroding Shorelines
A revetment was built on the shore of the Kenosha Sand Dunes in the 1970s to protect against erosion. Revetments are sloped structures made of hard, erosion-resistant material. In this case, it was made of large rocks. It has held up for many years, but starting in 2015 rising water levels and severe storms caused some parts of the revetment to fail and fall into the lake, causing the shoreline to erode at an alarming rate of 25 feet per year! In the pictures above you can see the pieces of the old revetment indicating where the shoreline used to be.
If nothing is done to fix this, this unique dune habitat could be permanently damaged, or lost forever. What else would be lost if unique habitats like this disappear?
A New Plan to Preserve the Dunes
Revetments can work well for preventing erosion, but they also create an unnatural barrier between the dunes and the water, disrupting the natural beach ecosystem. There is a proposed plan that involves constructing off-coast underwater sills. These are underwater rock structures designed to “trip” the waves, greatly reducing their energy before they reach the shore. Learn more about this exciting plan here .
Not only does this new design help prevent erosion, it also creates a more natural beach ecosystem. What kind of animals do you think might prefer a natural beach over a revetment?
Benefits of Artificial Reefs
Installing underwater sills near the Kenosha Sand Dunes could provide better habitat for fish and other aquatic life. Artificial reefs have been implemented all over the world and led to increased fish populations - and better fishing opportunities! Do you or someone you know like to fish in Lake Michigan?
Many species such as walleye (pictured in the photo carousel above), yellow perch and herring, have been struggling in the Great Lakes due to over fishing, habitat loss and invasive species. These fish depend on rocky beds to lay their eggs. The best type of reef would be made from piles of rocks, allowing water to flow through them but protecting eggs from strong currents and predators. Artificial reefs have been made from old bricks and chunks of cement, even sunken ships!
Quest completed!
Your clues should spell out a type of fish that lives in Lake Michigan and would benefit from the proposed artificial reef structures. Learn more about this fish here.
Acknowledgments
This story map guided tour was developed by the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute . The Great Lakes Quests are part of the Wisconsin Coastal Guide , an interactive map that supports coastal heritage tourism along the Great Lakes coasts of Wisconsin. The guided tours promote placed-based learning about coastal issues in the state. Enhancement of the Wisconsin Coastal Guide is funded by the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program with support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office for Coastal Management through the Coastal Zone Management Act.