Evanston Dog Beach To Remain Closed Another Year

EVANSTON, IL — Dog owners will go a second consecutive year without a place where their canine companions can run free from leashes on the Evanston lakefront. City officials announced the Evanston Dog Beach will stay closed for the whole of the 2019 season due to high water levels.

The off-leash beach at 1631 Sheridan Road between Church Street harbor and Clark Street Beach was open for more than 15 years, generating tens of thousands of dollars in annual revenue for the city from the roughly 1,000 dog owners who purchased permits for the pooches.

In the spring of 2016, city officials explained rising water levels led to the submerging of the previous dog beach area. In response, the city used sand dredged from the Church Street boat ramp to build a new dog-friendly beach to the south. It warned at the time the solution was temporary, "and mother nature could wash away this location just as it has the original dog beach." In 2017, the dog beach returned to its original location. But it was closed for all of 2018 and has not reopened since.

The 0.6-acre dog beach is one of three Evanston beaches set to receive dredged material from Waukegan Harbor as part of a pilot project with the Army Corps of Engineers. According to the pilot proposal, Evanston needs an estimated 3,000 cubic yards of material to nourish an area of nearly 3.2 acres, including beaches at Greenwood and Lee streets. But those numbers are just estimates, according to the pilot program.

Lawrence Hemingway, Evanston's director of parks, recreation and community services, said the city's beaches were not likely to receive new sand as part of the pilot project until the spring of 2021, and the dog beach may not end up getting any of the dredged materials.

"Depending on the water levels, we go out as far as we can to try to re-establish as much beach as we can. But you have to be smart, because if you put it out in the water, it will all wash away," Hemingway said. "At the time we move forward with receiving sand, if the dog beach is still underwater it makes no sense for us to put sand there."

Unlike some neighboring communities, Hemingway said, Evanston has never purchased and imported sand from inland for beach nourishment and has no money budgeted to do so. The city also currently has no plans for any man-made structures to protect the dog beach. Evanston loses out on about $60,000 in annual revenue by not selling dog beach permits, according to the park director.

Wilmette offers a dog beach on the south end of Gillson Park, which Evanston residents can use at a non-resident rate of $202 for the first dog and $67 for each additional dog, according to the Wilmette Park District. Permits for Evanston's beach were formerly offered for $60 for residents and $120 for nonresidents.

Evanston and the Skokie Park District jointly operate an off-leash dog park in a 2.7-acre fenced portion of Channelside Park, 3220 Oakton St. in Skokie. Permits are available for $45 for the first dog and $10 for each additional dog. Find more information and the rules and regulations of Pooch Park from the Skokie Park District or the City of Evanston.

Humans who want to visit Evanston's public swimming beaches when they open on May 25 can purchase season passes for $26 for residents of Evanston and Skokie and $42 for nonresidents who buy before June 7. The price rises on June 8 to $34 for residents and $58 for nonresidents. Daily admission can be also purchased for $8 for teens and adults, $6 for children aged 1 to 11 and free for infants under a year old. Clark Street Beach will be free for residents on Mondays from July 8 to Aug. 26. Qualifying residents may receive fee assistance or free beach tokens from the city.

Earlier: Evanston Dog Beach To Stay Closed For 2018 Due To Erosion