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FREP programs are free, open to the public
Reservations are not required, unless so stated
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Wed., June 14, 2023 FREP Noon Network Noon- 1:30 PM
Location: Brewster Creek Forest Preserve (formerly Camp Tu Endie Wei)
Forest Preserve District of Kane County
Barbara Belding Lodge, 6N921 IL Rte. 25, St. Charles, IL
Program: Brewster Creek Dam Removal Project - 20 Years Later
Presenters:
Video and panel discussion with field tour lead by Jeff Mengler, Nancy Williamson, Tim Straub, Steve Pescitelli, Karen Kosky, and Ken Anderson, all of who played roles in the project but now have different and unrelated affiliations.
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The goal of the Brewster Creek Dam Removal & Stream Restoration project was to restore a significant portion of Brewster Creek, a tributary to the Fox River in Illinois, to a natural condition, improving the environment and removing liability from a failing dam structure on the Camp Tu-Endie-Wei property. The 74-year old dam was originally constructed to create a lake for canoeing and boating activities at the YWCA camp. It was designated by the Illinois DNR as a Class I structure, meaning that the dam had a high probability of causing loss of life and/or substantial economic loss in the event of a failure. In addition, the lake had lost much of its depth due to sediment deposition. The dam was lowered incrementally during 2003 and 2004, allowing a naturalized channel to cut through the impounded sediments and opening a large stretch of Brewster Creek to fish passage. The approach used to remove this dam was new to Illinois. An intensive monitoring effort led by the USGS began one year prior to dam removal to collect survey, flow, sediment load, dissolved oxygen, fish population, and mussel population data.
FREP will now revisit that project site almost 20 years later. We will begin by showing some video that was put together at the time of the dam removal project to provide an overall summary and context. Then with many of the folks present who represented various agencies during the project, we will tour the wetland where the lake once was, and the restored Brewster Creek. What does it look like 20 years later under different ownership, and did we achieve our goals?
Photos: Above- 2003 - dam, sediment-filled lake,
Below: notching process, creek created, scene a year later in 2004.
Images courtesy Holly Hudson.
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UPCOMING FREP ACTIVITIES: | |
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Wed., July 12, 2023 FREP Annual Picnic 3 PM
Location: Pingree Grove Forest Preserve
Forest Preserve District of Kane County
14N187 Route 20, Pingree Grove
Program: Habitat & Hydrologic Restoration at Pingree Grove FP
Presenters: Jeff Mengler, Dave Kraft (Hey and Associates, Inc), Bill Graser (KCFPD)
FOOD: FREP will provide grilled meats & buns. Please bring dish to share, your own table service, and non-alcoholic beverages.
For planning purposes, please RSVP to Becky at info@foxriverecosystem.org
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Pingree Grove Forest Preserve contains a large marsh complex that is potential habitat for several state-listed species including the yellow-headed blackbird. The marsh currently lacks significant patches of open water due to dense growth by invasive species (e.g., narrowleaf cattail and common reed). Open water conditions within the marsh are critically important for migratory waterfowl, as well as the state endangered species historically present in the marsh. Water currently exits the marsh through a large culvert controlled by a railroad and therefore Forest Preserve District lacks the ability to manage water levels. In addition, the marsh is a known occurrence location for the state-listed Blanding’s turtle. The closed (vegetation) nature of the marsh is not providing ideal habitat for the turtles. | |
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Wed., August 9, 2023 FREP Noon Network Noon-1:30 PM
Location: Belrose Farm property, near Serena, LaSalle County.
Meeting location to be announced
Program: The Conservation Foundation's tour of new Belrose Farm property
Presenters: Brook McDonald, Dan Lobbes
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Belrose Farm had been in the same family for the last 140 years until the end of 2021, when the family decided the time had come to sell it, and sell it quickly, making a sale at auction their best option. Boasting 183 acres, a mix of productive farmland, forested ravines, scenic St. Peter sandstone bluffs and a mile of frontage along the Fox River near Serena (LaSalle County), the property held appeal for a wide variety of buyers from farmers to developers to sand companies to hunters and outdoor enthusiasts. And having been identified on a 1999 survey by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources as one of the top 20 highest quality natural areas in the Lower Fox River watershed, it most certainly held appeal from a conservation standpoint as well. In fact, our Vice President of Land and Watershed Programs Dan Lobbes has been sending letters of interest to the family for more than 20 years!
The fascinating story with the details of how The Conservation Foundation was able to preserve this property on short notice can be found at https://www.theconservationfoundation.org/belrose-farm-a-land-of-stories/
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President's Message from Jeff | |
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It is hard to believe that FREP has already been around for 27 years. Back in December I wrote a bit about the history of FREP, and our current effort to review our progress and accomplishments over the years. We are engaged in a visioning process to look ahead now and see what our priorities should be going forward. As the Executive Committee has spent time reviewing all of the elements of our old Integrated Watershed Plan that has been our guide, we realized how much has changed in the conservation world since we wrote that plan. In 1998 when we published that plan, we didn’t have comprehensive stormwater ordinances in all of our counties, we didn’t have any regulation of isolated wetlands, and water quality Best Management Practices (BMPs) were new. So, as we seek to discern what is still relevant and appropriate for FREP to focus on, we are seeking your input. Please see the article and information from Lucas King about this process and an online survey in this issue.
FREP has 3 great summer programs planned. For June, in keeping with a look back at our accomplishments, we will visit the almost 20-year-old Brewster Creek dam removal site. What does it look like now and what can we learn from this project 20 years later? Then in July we’ll have our annual picnic and learn about a hydrologic restoration project at Pingree Grove Forest Preserve aimed at helping endangered and threatened species habitat in our suburban context. And finally in August we’ll have an exclusive field tour of the Belrose Farm property recently acquired by our friends at The Conservation Foundation along the lower Fox River. I hope you can join us for all of these great outdoor opportunities.
Get outdoors and be engaged in your watershed!
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Jeff Mengler
FREP President
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Attention all FREP members, partners and collaborators... | |
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Over the past six months the FREP Executive Committee has been engaging in a visioning process to guide our next steps as an organization. In order to begin to bring your voices into this important conversation, we ask that you take this brief survey (15 minutes to complete). Please feel free to share the link and encourage participation by any potential stakeholders.
Link: FREP Visioning Feedback Survey
Your insights and responses will be very valuable as we discern!
Please complete the survey by June 16
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The Core Development Team for the Fabulous Fox! Water Trail (FF!WT) was excited to learn from National Park Service (NPS) staff that our application for designation into the National Water Trails System has been forwarded as a nomination to the Secretary of the Interior, Debra Haaland, after passing staff’s cursory and in-depth reviews. | |
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As the Core Development Team anxiously awaits Secretary of the Interior Debra Haaland’s decision about designation of the Fabulous Fox! Water Trail (FF!WT) into the National Park Service’s National Water Trails System, we were excited to learn on April 7th that Kane County has been awarded a $270,000 grant from the Tourism, Attractions & Festivals program from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to be used to improve infrastructure along the Fox River and market the FF!WT. On April 27th, DCEO awarded Kane County $100,000 through their Route 66 and Local Tourism Program which will be used for marketing the FF!WT.
Please contact Karen Ann Miller for additional information, brochures and stickers.
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If you would like more information or learn how to get involved, please contact
Karen Ann Miller at: millerkaren@co.kane.il.us.
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A Celebration of Life is being planned for Elizabeth Hagen-Moeller on June 25th, at Burnridge Forest Preserve in Elgin. Elizabeth passed away on February 22, 2023. She had served as FREP's president and then treasurer. Elizabeth was the administrative and education coordinator at Kane-DuPage Soil & Water Conservation District for many years and a great environmental educator.
If you would like to attend and participate, please contact Becky Hoag at info@foxriverecosystem.org for more information.
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FREP Membership - FY 2023-24 begins 7/1/23 | |
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Renewal Statements to current FREP members for 2023-24
will be mailed out in mid-June.
Early-bird membership -- join or renew NOW and it will count toward
our FY 2023-24 Membership Year.
Check our Membership Roll at the link below.
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Powerpoint presentation from April 12, 2023
7th Avenue Creek Project, St. Charles
Presenter: Logan Gilbertson, Lead Engineer, HR Green
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The 11th Annual Fox River Summit was held
Thursday, March 16, 2023 at
Veterans Terrace at Echo Park, Burlington, Wisconsin
The presentations are available on YouTube at THIS LINK
Mark your calendar for next year's Summit: Thursday, March 14, 2024
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Video from February 8, 2023
A watershed approach to uncover suitable habitat for vulnerable mussel species in the Fox River Watershed in Wisconsin and Illinois
Presenter: Alison Stodola, Aquatic Biologist, Curator of Malacology, Illinois Natural History Survey Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois
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Powerpoint presentations from January 11, 2023
Updates from our Watershed Partners
Presenters: Friends of the Fox River, Friends of Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge, The Fabulous Fox! Water Trail, The Conservation Foundation, Fox River Study Group.
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November 10, 2021 FREP Presentation by Art Malm:
Freeing Our Fox! - a discussion of dams on the Fox River in Illinois
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Community Recycling Information | | | |
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Becky Hoag, Communications Manager
Fox River Ecosystem Partnership
630-482-9157 info@foxriverecosystem.org
Please email Becky if you have an email to add to our mailing list or content to add to the next monthly Downstream.
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