Wetland Restoration Project
Wetland Restoration Project
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The Illinois Tollway is conducting a wetland restoration project on a 160-acre site owned by the State of Illinois in North Chicago. The site is located just south of Buckley Road (IL Route 137) between IL Route 41 and IL Route 43 and east of the Tri-State Tollway (I-94).
Construction Update (11-23-11)
- Work to remove invasive woody vegetation began in spring 2010 and is 100 percent cleared.
- Currently, crews are applying herbicide treatments to eliminate encroaching invasive vegetation.
- Mowing and controlled burns will be performed bi-annually.
Project Resources
Project Summary
Clearing Brush
Ongoing work includes removal of shrubs and other invasive woody vegetation. The cleared brush will be burned on site. The work involves minimal earth disturbance. Trucks accessing the site will enter off Brompton Avenue or Buckley Road, outside of residential areas to prevent impact on local residents.
Planting and Seeding
Once invasive vegetation is removed, remaining stumps will be treated with herbicide to prevent a re-growth. By removing invasive vegetation, native plants within the existing wetlands will flourish and the surrounding buffer areas will be seeded with prairie plants, grasses, sedges and other native species.
Wetland Restoration
One goal of the restoration effort is to allow high-quality native plants to thrive in the existing wetlands by providing a sustained water source. Existing agricultural drainage tiles will be removed to restore hydrology to the site's wetlands.
Maintenance and Monitoring
The Tollway will monitor and manage the site for a minimum of five years or until the site meets the requirements of federal, state and local environmental laws. Maintenance activities will include a combination of mowing, burning, seeding and herbicide applications.
Purpose
The restoration of this wetland site's natural resources was developed to replace wetlands that were impacted during the recent Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294) Rebuild & Widen Project, as well as the Illinois Department of Transportation's recent work on IL Route 47.
This project was coordinated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the University of Illinois, Lake County Stormwater Management Commission, the Forest Preserve District of Lake County and the City of North Chicago