Naperville Park District awarded DuPage County Water Quality Grant

Naperville Park District has been awarded a $56,460 grant from the DuPage County Water Quality Improvement Program to assist in stabilizing the shoreline of the West Branch DuPage River at Lincoln Greenway, located at 1052 Edgewater Drive.

In a press release issued by DuPage County, Stormwater Management Committee Chairman Jim Zay said, "We received more grant applications this year than ever before. We're already seeing water quality and flood control benefits from these types of projects."

Naperville Park District is one of five grant recipients for the 2019-2020 grant cycle.

Other projects include the Village of Bloomingdale's permeable paver parking lot, the Village of Downers Grove's St. Joseph Creek stabilization, the Village of Westmont's detention basin retrofit and Wheaton Park District's permeable paver parking lot and native plants.

"We are grateful for this grant that will help support the District's stewardship of the DuPage River, which flows through several of our parks," said Executive Director Ray McGury.

The project at Lincoln Greenway will begin this summer. Invasive plants will be removed, and native plants added, along with coir rolls and rock embankments to prevent further erosion of the river bank.

The project will restore a diverse, natural habitat along 2,000 feet of the West Branch DuPage River, reducing pollution from sediment and urban runoff and improving water quality and fish habitat.

"This grant award is another example of the decades of leadership from DuPage County Stormwater to improve the water quality in our local streams," said Brook McDonald, president and CEO of The Conservation Foundation. "The Naperville Park District has always been a reliable partner and deserves this support."

As the project progresses, updates and information will be posted online at www.napervilleparks.org/planninganddevelopment.