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Fifteen projects to improve water quality, reduce flooding funded

The Lake County Stormwater Management Commission board has approved $141,112 in annual cost-share grants to local governments, homeowner associations and watershed groups for 15 projects focused on improvements to natural and man-made stormwater systems to reduce flood damage and improve water quality, and for watershed planning.

The project’s total value is estimated at more than $385,000.

Two stakeholder groups in southern Lake County received grants and will provide opportunities for property owners and others to get involved in their watershed. The Buffalo Creek Clean Watershed Partnership is developing a water quality monitoring program to target best stormwater management practices for long-term improvements to watershed wetlands, lakes, Buffalo Creek and the Des Plaines River.

The Partnership includes the municipalities of Buffalo Grove, Deer Park, Kildeer, Long Grove, and Lake Zurich in Lake County.

The Tower Lakes Drain Partnership is a new group working toward the development of a watershed management plan, stormwater improvement projects, and outreach activities. The Partnership includes Lake Barrington, Fox River Grove and Tower Lakes.

Following is a description of the projects and overall cost estimate:

Ÿ Buffalo Creek Clean Watershed Partnership (Des Plaines watershed): $20,000. Scope includes developing an efficient and coordinated water quality monitoring program that will provide the group with accurate and reliable water quality data. All water monitoring shall be supported by land owners and government jurisdictions through written authorization.

Ÿ Tower Lakes Drain Partnership (Fox River watershed): $10,000. Includes preparing regular meetings, workshops and seminars, newsletters, website content and social media content to support the growth and sustainability of the partnership, which is managed and coordinated by the Barrington Area Conservation Trust.

Ÿ Countryside Lake Association (Mundelein) Conservation Area Restoration: $13,400. Includes the restoration of a wetland complex that will include installation of native shrub and tree plantings, a controlled burn for the management of invasive species and trail improvements.

Ÿ Emerald Shores Homeowners Association (Lindenhurst), Crooked Lake shoreline restoration and erosion control improvements: $28,900. Includes erosion control measures, increasing natural vegetation and minimizing nuisance flooding within the subdivision through streambank stabilization and drain tile repairs.

Ÿ Loch Lomond Property Owners Association (Mundelein), Loch Lomond water quality improvements: $10,605. Includes design and construction of a rain garden on public property within Loch Lomond. The rain garden will be constructed to reduce localized road flooding and to improve water quality of stormwater runoff prior to reaching the lake.

Ÿ Summerfields Homeowners Association (Gurnee), invasive species removal: $8,895. Includes the removal of invasive species in the wetland area in an effort to improve the wetland function.

Ÿ Glen Garden Homeowners Estates (Mundelein), detention pond work: $8,300. Includes the removal of debris blocking the detention pond outlet and removal of invasive species from the detention pond.

Ÿ Lakeridge Restoration Association (Long Grove), invasive species management: $9,986. Includes the ongoing effort to remove invasive species in the wetland area in an effort to improve the wetland function. Reseeding of native seed will be performed as well.

Ÿ Lake County Forest Preserve District, Old School slope stabilization (Libertyville): $3,600. Includes the diversion of rooftop runoff in an effort to reduce erosion and trail flooding of the Des Plaines River Trail. Additionally sediment buildup adjacent to the trail will be removed.

Ÿ Moraine Township (Highland Park), Mooney Cemetery permeable roadway and rain garden: $165,750. Includes replacing an asphalt access roadway with permeable pavement and rain garden installation to minimize localized flooding.

Ÿ Village of Round Lake Heights, Arrowhead Pond sediment dredging: $56,950. Includes the design, permitting, and implementation of a dredging project to remove peat, silt, and sediment from and restore the sediment forebay of Arrowhead Pond. Dredged materials will be hauled off site and land filled.

Ÿ Highland Lake Property Owners Association (Round Lake), rain garden No. 3: $20,000. Includes the planning, design, and implementation of a rain garden to reduce stormwater runoff volumes and pollutant loads. The rain garden will treat stormwater runoff from Hainesville Road, as well as properties located along Hainesville Road, before it reaches Highland Lake. This will be the third rain garden implemented by the applicant.

Ÿ Paganica Homeowners Association (Barrington Hills), stormwater management improvements: $13,840. Includes the planning, permitting, and implementation of a wet swale along Paganica Drive to reduce stormwater runoff volumes and pollutant loads. Construction of the wet swale is anticipated to include the removal of turf grass and the installation of two rock checks, native plant seed, erosion control blanket, and native plant plugs. This is the first of a number of stormwater management improvements planned for the project area.

Ÿ Zion 27th Street Tributary Stream Maintenance:$20,000. Includes stream maintenance along approximately 1,550 linear feet of stream between Lewis Avenue and 27th Street. Sediment, debris and woody vegetation will be removed. The City of Zion staff will oversee the clearing.

Ÿ Village of Beach Park, Wilson Avenue Tributary streambank improvements: $15,000. Includes removal of obstructions to the flow of the stream, which will reduce localized flooding. In addition, erosion control measures will be installed at various locations along the stream to reduce erosion and increase water quality.

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