Forest preserve restoring Spring Brook in Blackwell

The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County is continuing work on a large-scale restoration project along Spring Brook - a tributary of the West Branch of the DuPage River - that runs through Blackwell Forest Preserve near Warrenville.

The project, which is expected to be finished by late 2020, includes several steps, including:

• Replacing a straight ditch that was created decades ago with a meandering waterway that will create wetlands.

• Connecting the creek to the floodplain, allowing nutrient-rich floodwaters to flow more easily into the surrounding forest preserve to revitalize the area's ability to temporarily store and filter stormwater.

• Removing a dam to allow fish to swim freely upstream.

• Replacing a deteriorating bridge and moving the West Branch DuPage River Trail out of the floodplain.

Roughly 2,200 feet of new stream channel already has been excavated and roughly 3,300 feet remain.

The project is being funded by the Illinois Tollway to help mitigate impacts from rebuilding I-294.