Final phase of Lake in the Hills' Woods Creek restoration project up in air
Lake in the Hills is in the early stages of the third phase of its Woods Creek restoration project, but still has no timeline on when work could start, officials said.
Originally started in 2019, the project is geared toward improving water quality and reducing the need to continuously remove sediment from Woods Creek Lake.
The village board last Thursday approved a task order for the third phase, which means planning and designing of the project can begin, according to village documents.
However, the timeline is still up in the air and will depend on what survey results of the area show, Superintendent of Streets Guy Fehrman said Tuesday.
At a committee-of-the-whole meeting March 7, officials discussed the project briefly, including whether the planned work would cause problems for residents.
"During (the second phase), we acknowledge that we could probably have done a better job as far as resident involvement and notification," Village President Ray Bogdanowski said.
The second leg of the restoration began in May. In addition to preserving water quality, ecology and potential recreation, the work aimed to limit the amount of sediment leaking into Woods Creek Lake.
The second phase is expected to wrap up this spring, Fehrman said. Work included stabilizing the stream bank, removing trees, and seeding native vegetation.
Fehrman said he can't say at this point what kind of work the third phase will include.
The entire project covers an area that starts at Woods Creek Lake near Crystal Lake Road and goes west through Morningside Park. All told, restoration work will span more than 4,400 feet west of Randall Road, starting upstream and working downstream.
When last year's phase began, officials with environment organizations in McHenry County noted the importance of such work, saying it was crucial for government agencies to get involved with preservation projects like this one due to the steep costs and lengthy time that come with them.