Aurora launches Mastodon Lake restoration project

Lifelong Aurora resident Rudy Valazquez said the city of Aurora’s project to restore Mastodon Lake means bringing memories back to life.

He remembers growing up on the East Side of Aurora, when he said the lake in Phillips Park was the “place to be,” especially for East Aurora High School students.

He said the water teemed with fish, and he often biked with friends to the lake or went sledding down nearby hills.

“This was the place to hang out,” he said. “Over the years it did get neglected, but for them to be bringing it back and for my son to get the job, it’s just rewarding.”

The city hired Valazquez’s son, Roberto Valazquez, to head the project to restore the lake with his company Semper Fi Land Services Incorporated, and the father-and-son duo joined local and state officials Thursday in a groundbreaking ceremony for the project at the site.

A $4 million state grant will be used to fund a large part of the $5.2 million Mastodon Lake restoration project, according to officials.

The project aims to clear sediment and decaying matter from the bottom of the lake, improve water quality and habitat conditions, reduce erosion and add recreational features and native plants, said city officials.

“We’ll have a much cleaner, clearer, beautiful lake to enjoy, and what I really am looking forward to is seeing children casting their fishing lines in for the first time,” said Aurora Mayor John Laesch at Thursday’s ceremony.

The project also includes adding new access points, fishing piers, canoe launches and more, said Roberto Valazquez.

Residents could be enjoying the lake upgrades as soon as next summer, he said.

Most importantly, Valazquez said, the project aims to improve water quality to build a more successful habitat for aquatic life. He said sediment at the bottom of the lake has built up over time, causing the water level to become shallow, which can more easily be overheated by sunlight.

His father Rudy Valazquez also said improved conditions like deeper basins in the lake can help more fish survive the winter.

“Lesser quality water, warmer water, means less aquatic life,” Roberto Valazquez said. “By dredging it out and creating deeper water, creates cooler water and a better habitat.”

The first step to improving water conditions is to remove the built-up sediment in a process called dredging, he said. His company began the process for dredging a couple weeks ago, he said, and plans to finish later this fall.

After that, he said his company will begin shoreline restoration, with plans to finish that by next summer. City officials said the restoration of the shoreline aims to mitigate erosion and create cleaner, more accessible entry points to the water with stabilized limestone outcroppings.

Semper Fi will also construct a four- to seven-acre urban filter strip, which will assist in filtering stormwater that moves through the area, and improve the lake’s water quality, city officials said.

Additional work at the site is set to involve the creation of emergent wetlands through 10,000 plantings, the development of micro-pools to establish more depth at certain areas of the lake to encourage water flow, and the installation of mechanical aerators, which will move water in the lake to prevent stagnation, city officials said.

Although discussions to improve the site first began in 2019, government interest in the area dates back much farther than that.

During an excavation project for the lake sponsored by the federal government’s Civil Works Administration in 1934, workers found several mastodon bones, city officials said.

These artifacts, which include an 188-pound skull, a six-foot-long tusk and a 92-pound lower jaw, are estimated to be between 10,000 and 20,000 years old and are currently on display at the Mastodon Gallery within the Phillips Park Visitor Center, city officials said.

In 2019, city officials wanted to beautify the lake and promote additional recreational activity. The city engaged HR Green Inc. to develop a master plan for Mastodon Lake, then worked with consultants to formalize the project scope and funding, city officials said.

State Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, helped designate a one-time grant for the project from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

A lifelong resident of Aurora, Hernandez said she remembers picnics and walks at the park growing up. She said officials have waited on this restoration project to happen for a long time.

“I grew up here, so I always want to make sure we can maintain our public parks, our community and so that future generations can enjoy it too,” she said.

awright@chicagotribune.com