Westchester Township near Chesterton in Porter County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Daylighting: Getting Dunes Creek Out of the Pipe

Photographed by Daniel Barriball, July 17, 2025

1. Daylighting: Getting Dunes Creek Out of the Pipe Marker

Inscription.

Daylighting: Getting Dunes Creek Out of the Pipe. . , The 650-foot section of Dunes Creek in front of you has been restored to improve habitat, water quality and recreational experiences., Dunes Creek has a watershed that encompasses 7,407 acres of the surrounding landscape. State and national park lands, residential and commercial areas, and farmland are all included in this landscape. Impacts from these various land uses within the watershed affect the water quality in Dunes Creek in different ways. To protect water quality Save the Dunes worked with stakeholders and communities to develop a watershed management plan. The plan was funded and approved by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. It identifies water quality concerns within the watershed and strategies to address these concerns. Today the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and Lake Michigan Coastal Program are working with Save the Dunes to implement those strategies and protect water quality. Restoring this 650-foot section of Dunes Creek was an important step in this process., Daylighting Project , 1. For over 70 years Dunes Creek flowed through a culvert under a parking lot until it was daylighted in 2005., 2. Nearly 3 acres of parking lot and 3,775 cubic yards of fill were removed to restore the Dunes Creek floodplain which now acts as a treatment system for sediment and nutrients., 3. Following excavation of the stream channel and floodplain, disturbed soil surfaces were seeded and covered with erosion control blankets. The restored floodplain and upland slopes were then planted with native plant species., The 650-foot section of reconstructed stream reestablished instream and upland habitat to create healthy aquatic communities and protect water quality., Did You Know? , The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was an agency that hired unemployed young men for public conservation work during the Great Depression. In the 1930s the Civilian Conservation Corps occupied a camp in the parking lot that was removed to restore Dunes Creek in 2005. The men put up trail markers, built a bridge and did other conservation work throughout the State Park., [Captions:] , Photo courtesy of the Westchester Township History Museum , Restoration photos provided by DNR Lake Michigan Coastal Program. Map provided by the Save the Dunes Conservation Fund., This project has been funded in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement C9975482-05 to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.

The 650-foot section of Dunes Creek in front of you has been restored to improve habitat, water quality and recreational experiences.

Dunes Creek has a watershed that encompasses 7,407 acres of the surrounding landscape. State and national park lands, residential and commercial areas, and farmland are all included in this landscape. Impacts from these various land uses within the watershed affect the water quality in Dunes Creek in different ways. To protect water quality Save the Dunes worked with stakeholders and communities to develop a watershed management plan. The plan was funded and approved by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. It identifies water quality concerns within the watershed and strategies to address these concerns. Today the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and Lake Michigan Coastal Program are working with Save the Dunes to implement those strategies and protect water quality. Restoring this 650-foot section of Dunes Creek was an important step in this process.

Daylighting Project
1. For over 70 years Dunes Creek flowed through a culvert under a parking lot until it was daylighted in 2005.

2. Nearly 3 acres of parking lot and 3,775 cubic yards of fill were removed to restore the Dunes Creek floodplain which now acts as a treatment system for sediment

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and nutrients.

3. Following excavation of the stream channel and floodplain, disturbed soil surfaces were seeded and covered with erosion control blankets. The restored floodplain and upland slopes were then planted with native plant species.

The 650-foot section of reconstructed stream reestablished instream and upland habitat to create healthy aquatic communities and protect water quality.

Did You Know?
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was an agency that hired unemployed young men for public conservation work during the Great Depression. In the 1930s the Civilian Conservation Corps occupied a camp in the parking lot that was removed to restore Dunes Creek in 2005. The men put up trail markers, built a bridge and did other conservation work throughout the State Park.

[Captions:]
Photo courtesy of the Westchester Township History Museum
Restoration photos provided by DNR Lake Michigan Coastal Program. Map provided by the Save the Dunes Conservation Fund.

This project has been funded in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement C9975482-05 to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency nor does mention of trade names or commercial

Daylighting: Getting Dunes Creek Out of the Pipe Marker in context image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Daniel Barriball, July 18, 2025

2. Daylighting: Getting Dunes Creek Out of the Pipe Marker in context

The bridge over Dunes Creek is to the left of the marker. The marker looks out over the first phase of daylighting. Any areas without tall trees were once covered by a parking lot. The Le Petit Fort marker can be seen in the background on the other side of the bridge.

products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.

Erected by Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Indiana State Parks, Save the Dunes Conservation Fund.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Environment • Parks & Recreational Areas • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 2005.

Location. 41° 39.635′ N, 87° 3.753′ W. Marker is near Chesterton, Indiana, in Porter County. It is in Westchester Township. It is on North 25 East, on the right when traveling north. This marker is located on the western end of the bridge which carries the beach-campground trail over Dunes Creek in Indiana Dunes State Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1600 N 25 E, Chesterton IN 46304, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Northern Indiana

and specifically on the Indiana Dunes and Lake Michigan Shore.

It is also in the American Midwest,

on the Great Lakes,

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Le Petit Fort (a few steps from this marker); The Wreck of the J.D. Marshall (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); "Squall Causes Lake Disaster" (about 700 feet away); Dune Creek Watershed: What Makes It Special? (about 700 feet away); The Chicago Skyline (about 700 feet away); Indiana State Parks: the First 100 Years 1916-2016

Dunes Creek Daylighting Project image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Daniel Barriball, July 18, 2025

3. Dunes Creek Daylighting Project

This plaque was placed in 2012 after the second phase of the daylighting project was completed. It is on a rock 675 feet (205 m) north of the historical marker. This plaque is next to the J.D. Marshall's propeller.

(approx. 0.3 miles away); Mt. Tom: A View of Ancient Shorelines (approx. 0.4 miles away); Civilian Conservation Corps Flagpole (approx. 0.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chesterton.

Another marker is no longer nearby. The J.D. Marshall (was approx. 0.6 miles away but has been permanently removed).

Regarding Daylighting: Getting Dunes Creek Out of the Pipe. The final 1,200 feet (365 m) of Dunes Creek before it entered Lake Michigan was paved over and channelled through an 84-inch (2.13 m) steel pipe sometime around 1930 to create the pavilion parking lot. This lot was roughly L-shaped. It went south from the Beach Pavilion approximately 700 feet (213 m), then turned east for approximately 500 feet (152 m). Dunes Creek flowed through that pipe under the parking lot for around 75 years.

In 2005-6, the eastern portion of that parking lot was removed and 500 feet (152 m) of the creek was daylighted as described in the marker, restoring the creek's natural habitat.

In September 2008, the remains of Hurricane Ike poured torrential rain for days on the Indiana Dunes region. All the local streams flooded severely, including Dunes Creek. The creek

Second phase of daylighting image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Daniel Barriball, July 18, 2025

4. Second phase of daylighting

Dunes Creek running through the second phase of the daylighting project. The beach pavilion is to the left, as is the remaining portion of the pavilion lot. All areas without tall trees were once covered with concrete.

exceeded the pipe's carrying capacity and began flowing over the remainder of the pavilion parking lot. The flow eroded away the sand under the lot, causing a 20,000 square foot area of it to collapse on September 13, 2008. In order to prevent future flooding and restore natural habitat, the decision was made to daylight the remaining 700 feet (213 m) of Dunes Creek all the way to Lake Michigan. This second phase of daylighting was completed in 2012.

Also see . . . Daylighting Dunes Creek. Troyer Group This was one of the project's engineering firms. It includes a description and photos from before, during, and after the daylighting.

The project restored the creek’s natural flow, improved flood protection, created fish and wildlife habitat, improved water quality and reduced the volume of polluted runoff flowing into Lake Michigan. The project, which included construction of a boardwalk, improved the overall aesthetics of the park and increased pedestrian access to the creek. Daylighting the creek meant fewer parking spaces, but that reduced overcrowding at the park, which has actually increased revenue. In 2005, the park brought in 68 cents for every dollar invested. By 2009, that had soared to $1.20.

(Submitted on July 18, 2025, by Daniel Barriball of Chesterton, Indiana.)

Civilian Conservation Corps Camp S.P.-5 Co. 556 in Chesterton, Indiana, 1934 image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Post Exchange Studio, June 13, 1934

5. Civilian Conservation Corps Camp S.P.-5 Co. 556 in Chesterton, Indiana, 1934

This was the CCC camp built on a part of the pavilion parking lot that in 2005 was removed in the daylighting project. From this point of view, the creek entered the pipe under the lot at the back right corner, traveled under the camp, then curved around the dune in the foreground. It continued out of frame to left and emerged from under the parking lot next to the Beach Pavilion and flowed into Lake Michigan. North is to the left in this photo. Almost all of the parking lot seen in this photo was removed to daylight the creek.

Credits. This page was last revised on May 4, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 17, 2025, by Daniel Barriball of Chesterton, Indiana. This page has been viewed 312 times since then and 78 times this year. Last updated on April 2, 2026, by Daniel Barriball of Chesterton, Indiana. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 17, 2025, by Daniel Barriball of Chesterton, Indiana. 3, 4. submitted on July 18, 2025, by Daniel Barriball of Chesterton, Indiana. 5. submitted on July 23, 2025, by Daniel Barriball of Chesterton, Indiana. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.