News

Chicago Swaps Wetlands at O’Hare

In an attempt to swap one wetland for another, the City of Chicago has given the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County $10.8 million for wetland mitigation in the West Branch Forest Preserve. This restoration money comes as a trade for the 69 acres of wetland surrounding Willow Higgins Creek, which have been taken for development as part of O’Hare Airport’s expansion.

This trade follows federal law, which demands that a new wetland take the place of any that are taken. While it’s never good to lose wetland, the 69-acre site being lost is not considered high quality. In its place, 90.5 acres of healthy, restored wetland could line both sides of the DuPage River.

Recently, this land has been used for farming and grazing horses, which has made life hard for a tiny but tenacious fen there. Farmers’ drain tiles and herds of animals have sent out an open invitation for brush, buckthorn, and box elders to move in.

The restoration process will involve disabling these tiles, installing valves for flood control, leveling the topography to let in more water, and removing invasive species. Sedges and other prairie and wetland plants will replace the flora that is removed.

The Forest Preserve District’s Natural Resources Coordinator Erik Neidy sees a promising future for the site. With the soil intact and possibly carrying native seeds, and with some native plant communities surviving on site, he says the wetland could resurge to a state of high quality.

Soil surveys and a pre-evaluation of the site have been completed. Design work should be finished by the end of 2006, and the actual restoration is slated to begin in 2007.

— Elizabeth Riotto