Latest news with #ForestPreservesofCookCounty
Chicago Tribune
21-04-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Area's ancient landscape and human impact showcased at Orland Grassland
Long before settlers came to the area to farm, the Orland Park area contained creeks, wetlands and sloughs that attracted water birds and other wild creatures. Installation of miles of drain tile more than a century ago by the Army Corps of Engineers dried out the land making it more suitable for farming. But that also destroyed habitats for many wild creatures and native plants. Now, the 960-acre Orland Grassland Land and Water Reserve near Orland Park offers a glimpse of that ancient landscape, thanks to the removal of drain tiles and environmental mitigation work taken on 16 years ago by the Army Corps and Forest Preserves of Cook County. It's one of six such preserves maintained by the Forest Preserves of Cook County. For those wanting to commune with nature on Earth Day, Saturday, April 26, Orland Grassland offers paths for hiking and biking in a variety of grassland and wetland habitats. It also presents special opportunities for adults over age 18 to volunteer. Bounded on the north by 167th Street, on the south by 179th Street, on the east by LaGrange Road, and on the west by 104th Avenue, the grassland's changing terrain ranges in elevation from 699 to 775 feet and sits atop a continental divide. Most of the property drains westerly into the Des Plaines River watershed, though a smaller portion lies within the Calumet River watershed and drains eastward. Now that the drain tiles are gone, more rainwater and snowmelt stays put and the area's natural hydrology functions more like it once did. Wetlands and sloughs have returned along with many native plant species, according to Forest Preserve officials. Among those making a comeback are the scurfy pea, lead plant, hoary puccoon, prairie gentian, purple prairie clover, goldenrod, compass plant, prairie dock and numerous native sedges and grasses. Sandhill cranes and other migratory species now use the reserve for stopovers during spring and fall migrations. Grassland birds such as bobolinks, dickcissels, eastern meadowlarks and Henslow's sparrows consider the reserve a prime breeding area. Native amphibians, reptiles and insects also have returned. Supporting this resurgence of natural flora and fauna for the last 11 years, 40 or so Orland Grassland Volunteers have cleared away encroaching trees and brush, collected and planted seeds of prairie plants, monitored the presence of birds and frogs, rescued wildlife, and kept close watch on threatened and endangered native plants. 'Some do it all, and some just do one particular thing,' said Pat Hayes, volunteer site steward. 'You have to know a lot to do some of these things, but you don't have to know a lot to start. You can get as complex or stay as simple as you want.' For adults 18 or older wanting to join the Orland Grassland volunteers in their efforts, Hayes recommends signing up for an annual Earth Day cleanup, 9 a.m. to noon, at the Orland Grassland pole barn near the parking lot on 167th, a quarter block west of LaGrange Road. Tools, gloves and refreshments will be provided for those registered in advance via the Orland Grassland Volunteers Facebook page, Among Saturday's projects is the continuing effort to remove trash and debris from a portion of Marley Creek just to the north of 167th Street, Hayes said. Previous annual cleanup efforts have yielded plenty of trash and debris but also historic relics from early days of farming – wheels from old tractors, fencing, tires and rusted metal bed springs. During a recent collection, a volunteer recognized a box with two holes as an old air conditioner from a relative's farm, Hayes said. 'Early farmers didn't have trash collection as we know it today,' Hayes said. 'The creeks were as good a place as any to put it. We also want people to know, it's really important to remove the debris but also other obstructions like trees and shrubs.' Beyond farming and household waste, volunteers also have recovered plenty of drain tiles. 'The term tile is misleading,' Hayes said. 'It's really large tubing Earth Day enthusiasts wanting to find out more about the Orland Grassland Land and Water Reserve and related volunteer opportunities can also check out the display at Tinley Park Earth Day Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Tinley Park Village Hall. Or they can visit
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
MWRD, Forest Preserves partner in flood control study focused on southeast suburbs
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and Forest Preserves of Cook County are partnering in a flood relief study in the southeast suburbs that could bring a new reservoir. The two agencies announced a 20-month study to assess the potential for the district and forest preserves coordinating and sharing costs for the planning, design, construction and maintenance of a Deer Creek-Third Creek Reservoir. If feasible, the system would provide naturalized stormwater storage for flood-prone communities in Glenwood, Ford Heights, Lansing, Thornton, South Holland, Calumet City, Dolton and unincorporated areas. The proposed project could cover nearly a square mile area along Deer Creek and Third Creek within the Little Calumet River Watershed near Glenwood and Ford Heights, where stormwater storage can help mitigate increasing flooding concerns, according to the MWRD and forest preserve district. The reservoir would be located roughly near Cottage Grove Avenue between Glenwood Dyer Road and Lincoln Highway within the Deer Creek Watershed in Cook County, according to the MWRD, but many of the specifics will be researched during the study. The district said the reservoir might not be a single water-holding structure but could include adjacent wetlands, creeks, ponds and lakes. The MWRD said new rainfall data published by the Illinois State Water Survey in 2020 shows raised flood elevations along the Little Calumet River in South Holland, Dolton, Calumet City and Lansing. Flood waters from Deer Creek and Third Creek flow into Thorn Creek before reaching the Little Calumet River. Proposed channel improvements along Deer Creek would direct flood water into new flood storage areas adjacent to the creeks. The new stormwater conveyance and storage improvements would give the region more room to accommodate increasing stormwater demands, according to the MWRD and forest preserves district. The land in the project could potentially be larger than one square mile, which would accommodate more than 500 million gallons of naturalized stormwater storage, according to the agencies. In planning stormwater projects, the MWRD has said it looks at the increased frequency of major storm events in the Chicago area, including one-day and multiday storms that can overwhelm sewer systems in older communities. In some suburbs, combined sewer systems carrying both sanitary and storm water lead to a combination of backups of sewage and rainwater. As part of its Tunnel and Reservoir Plan, also referred to as Deep Tunnel, the MWRD built the Thornton Reservoir on the north side of Interstates 80/94 in South Holland. It was designed to divert both sanitary and stormwater flow from Chicago's South Side and south suburbs and has a capacity of just under 8 billion gallons. In September 2022, the district completed work on the Thorn Creek overflow tunnel that diverts stormwater from the creek into the reservoir. Along with the Thornton reservoir, the MWRD operates smaller reservoirs in Ford Heights, Hazel Crest, Lynwood, Markham and Tinley Park that have a combined capacity of just under 1 billion gallons and handle stormwater runoff from the Little Calumet River watershed. The proposed Deer Creek-Third Creek Reservoir has already received grant funding assistance through the American Rescue Plan Act, the federal government's COVID-19 assistance program, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to the MWRD. The committed budget for the 20-month feasibility study is $1.7 million, excluding construction costs, according to the district. Between the resecue plan funds and FEMA, more than $1.2 million has been obligated to fund preliminary work, including the study, according to the district. The MWRD will pay for the remaining costs of the feasibility study, but the overall estimated cost of the project has not yet been determined. The MWRD and forest preserve district said they will continue to pursue additional funding assistance for future phases of the project. Once the feasibility study concludes in the fall of 2026, community meetings will be held to gather public input, according to the MWRD and forest preserve district. In June 2023, the MWRD authorized a negotiation of an intergovernmental agreement with the Forest Preserves to study flood control in the southeast suburbs. The agreement, formalized this past May, calls for the MWRD to pay for concept planning and preliminary engineering design while the Forest Preserves will pay for acquiring property.
Chicago Tribune
09-02-2025
- Climate
- Chicago Tribune
MWRD, Forest Preserves partner in flood control study focused on southeast suburbs
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and Forest Preserves of Cook County are partnering in a flood relief study in the southeast suburbs that could bring a new reservoir. The two agencies announced a 20-month study to assess the potential for the district and forest preserves coordinating and sharing costs for the planning, design, construction and maintenance of a Deer Creek-Third Creek Reservoir. If feasible, the system would provide naturalized stormwater storage for flood-prone communities in Glenwood, Ford Heights, Lansing, Thornton, South Holland, Calumet City, Dolton and unincorporated areas. The proposed project could cover nearly a square mile area along Deer Creek and Third Creek within the Little Calumet River Watershed near Glenwood and Ford Heights, where stormwater storage can help mitigate increasing flooding concerns, according to the MWRD and forest preserve district. The reservoir would be located roughly near Cottage Grove Avenue between Glenwood Dyer Road and Lincoln Highway within the Deer Creek Watershed in Cook County, according to the MWRD, but many of the specifics will be researched during the study. The district said the reservoir might not be a single water-holding structure but could include adjacent wetlands, creeks, ponds and lakes. The MWRD said new rainfall data published by the Illinois State Water Survey in 2020 shows raised flood elevations along the Little Calumet River in South Holland, Dolton, Calumet City and Lansing. Flood waters from Deer Creek and Third Creek flow into Thorn Creek before reaching the Little Calumet River. Proposed channel improvements along Deer Creek would direct flood water into new flood storage areas adjacent to the creeks. The new stormwater conveyance and storage improvements would give the region more room to accommodate increasing stormwater demands, according to the MWRD and forest preserves district. The land in the project could potentially be larger than one square mile, which would accommodate more than 500 million gallons of naturalized stormwater storage, according to the agencies. In planning stormwater projects, the MWRD has said it looks at the increased frequency of major storm events in the Chicago area, including one-day and multiday storms that can overwhelm sewer systems in older communities. In some suburbs, combined sewer systems carrying both sanitary and storm water lead to a combination of backups of sewage and rainwater. As part of its Tunnel and Reservoir Plan, also referred to as Deep Tunnel, the MWRD built the Thornton Reservoir on the north side of Interstates 80/94 in South Holland. It was designed to divert both sanitary and stormwater flow from Chicago's South Side and south suburbs and has a capacity of just under 8 billion gallons. In September 2022, the district completed work on the Thorn Creek overflow tunnel that diverts stormwater from the creek into the reservoir. Along with the Thornton reservoir, the MWRD operates smaller reservoirs in Ford Heights, Hazel Crest, Lynwood, Markham and Tinley Park that have a combined capacity of just under 1 billion gallons and handle stormwater runoff from the Little Calumet River watershed. The proposed Deer Creek-Third Creek Reservoir has already received grant funding assistance through the American Rescue Plan Act, the federal government's COVID-19 assistance program, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to the MWRD. The committed budget for the 20-month feasibility study is $1.7 million, excluding construction costs, according to the district. Between the resecue plan funds and FEMA, more than $1.2 million has been obligated to fund preliminary work, including the study, according to the district. The MWRD will pay for the remaining costs of the feasibility study, but the overall estimated cost of the project has not yet been determined. The MWRD and forest preserve district said they will continue to pursue additional funding assistance for future phases of the project. Once the feasibility study concludes in the fall of 2026, community meetings will be held to gather public input, according to the MWRD and forest preserve district. In June 2023, the MWRD authorized a negotiation of an intergovernmental agreement with the Forest Preserves to study flood control in the southeast suburbs.
