Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat News
The Newsletter of the Great Lakes
Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund
Volume 10, Number 5 • Winter 2002/2003
Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat NewsThe Newsletter of the Great Lakes
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By: Joel Brammeier
Lake Michigan Federation
The network of ravines that dominates the northern Illinois Lake Michigan shoreline is at times unrecognizable due to the intense development that has drastically changed the region. But at least one community is using this natural feature to its advantage.
The city of Waukegan is built on a ravine landscape. Several small streams gather water that runs down the ravines and channel it into the Waukegan River. The river is one of only two that naturally flow into Lake Michigan from Illinois. While the Waukegan is hardly mighty by Great Lakes standards, the narrow waterway is deep enough to provide habitat for larger lake fish.
Development has hidden much of the Waukegan River system from view. Roadways have been constructed over the water, and the river has been channeled through pipes in several locations. But the Waukegan Park District is making big strides in repairing past damages.
Many of the city's parks contain wetlands that have historically fed the Waukegan River, but some have been filled to create parkland. The district is working in several locations to remove this fill and restore natural wetland function. A current example is the Roosevelt Park project, in which a major outfall will discharge stormwater in a controlled manner into a wetland before feeding into the Waukegan River.
The long-term goal is re-establishing natural character to much of the Waukegan River and its associated ravines and wetlands. This will require continued wetland restoration and removal of the construction that has obscured and channelized the river.
Of course, much of the success will be dependent upon funding and community dedication to the process. The Lake Michigan Federation is working with city agencies and local groups to enhance volunteer involvement and emphasize the need to conserve this unique river.
Beach closures in Illinois skyrocketed again in 2002, according to a recent press release issued by the Federation. The two Illinois Lake Michigan counties had a combined total of 427 closings, up from 339 in 2001.
While that number is startling, it does reflect the impact of one positive change. Lake County, along the northern shore of Illinois, switched to using the U.S. EPA recommended test for E. coli bacteria. The county had been using an older test for fecal coliform bacteria until 2002. Use of the more restrictive test nearly doubled the number of closings, resulting in enhanced public health protection but indicating a serious contamination problem.
Illinois experienced two massive sewer overflows this year, and these seem to be the culprits responsible for approximately half of the closings. In mid-July, a power outage at the North Shore Sanitary District resulted in the discharge of thousands of gallons of raw, untreated sewage that appeared to impact the shoreline for a week after the spill. Then in late August, to deal with high water levels caused by stromwater run-off, rivers that usually flow away from Lake Michigan were reversed, allowing millions of gallons of combined sewage and stormwater into the lake and onto Chicago's beaches.
Coinciding with the Federation's press release, the Great Lakes Recreational Water Quality Association held its Beach Conference 2002 at Chicago's historic South Shore Cultural Center on Lake Michigan in October. The conference brought together over 80 agency officials, beach managers, researchers, and representatives of non-governmental organizations from around the Great Lakes basin.
Joel Brammeier |