Ravine Management

Overview of Ravines in Glencoe

Ravines provide a natural waterway for stormwater and its path to the Lake Michigan beachfront.  Improvements to the ravines reduce stormwater costs, improves beach conditions and compliments the natural resources and aesthetics of Glencoe. There are six ravines located entirely within the Village of Glencoe.  Portions of two additional ravines – one partially located in Highland Park and the other partially located in Winnetka – extend into the northern and southern areas of Glencoe.The bluff and ravine systems play an important role in the local ecosystem by providing a natural drainage system into Lake Michigan. There are approximately 171 properties in Glencoe that include ravines.

Ravine Management

In the Village, 100% of the ravines are privately owned, so the Sustainability Task Force reached out to individual homeowners to offer a ravine workshop. Working in partnership with the Alliance for the Great Lakes, the ravine workshop brought ravine residents together and connected them with tools to protect their property and the health of the ravines. 

There can be some difficulty in determing the early signs of erosion and destabilization, and the longer the problem on your property goes untreated, the harder and more expensive it is to fix.  The Alliance and Task Force are able to put property owners in touch with the resources that they need to be proactive - like restoration experts, landscape architects and engineers who can provide expertise and guidance.