Portage Lakefront At Indiana Dunes Reopens After Erosion Prevention Project
PORTER, Ind. (CBS) -- Just in time for Memorial Day Weekend, the Portage Lakefront at Indiana Dunes National Park is back open - after undergoing a major project to protect it from further erosion.
In March of 2020, CBS 2 ventured out to Portage Lakefront with Indiana Dunes National Park Supt. Paul Labovitz. He showed us areas that were once sandy beaches and are now underwater.
At one site, a ramp that was once wheelchair-accessible has been completely destroyed.
There were also several signs warning parkgoers to stay out due to dangerous conditions.
"That beach was almost 300 feet, so that's now destroyed," Labovitz said.
We also found several signs warning parkgoers to stay out due to dangerous conditions.
"The northwest winds come right at us," Labovitz said. "We'll see waves from 2 feet to 20 feet. People actually surf here."
Fourteen months later, the riverwalk has been rebuilt and more than a thousand tons of boulders have been put in place to protect the shoreline and nearby pavilion.