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Vision for Wolf Lake Shared by Illinois and Indiana Conservationists
Wolf
Lake has long been the promise and concern of many conservationists
in Indiana and Illinois. The 804-acre lake straddles state
lines. The city of Hammond manages Indiana’s side,
with support from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources,
and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources manages
the half that lies within the Chicago city limits. On May
22, following a series of seven bi-state gatherings, the
Association of Friends of Wolf Lake released a vision statement
for the protection and enhancement of Wolf Lake.
Lake
sturgeon, endangered in both Indiana and Illinois, and banded
killifish, threatened in Illinois, both inhabit the waters
of Wolf Lake. The lake and nearby wetlands provide nesting
habitat for four species of endangered birds: little blue
heron, yellow-crowned night heron, black-crowned night heron,
and yellow-headed blackbird. The wetlands also shelter the
threatened marsh speedwell and the endangered sedge, Carex
garberi. Wetlands adjacent to the lake include the 250-acre
Eggers Woods Forest Preserve, 175-acre Powderhorn Lake Prairie,
and 40-acre Hyde Lake Wetland.
While
these urban oases offer renewal and recreation to visitors,
the ecosystems have been weakened by misuse and incompatible
surrounding land use. At the 14th Annual Earth Day Wolf
Lake Cleanup on April 21, more than 350 volunteers, including
Hammond Mayor Duane Dedelow, Jr., helped clean up and remove
an estimated 18 tons of junk and trash. A week later, at
another event sponsored by Friends of Wolf Lake, participants
collected more than 3,000 discarded tires from the lake
and its shoreline and turned them in for 50 cents each as
part of the Chicago tire bounty program. The U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers and the Illinois Water Survey are also studying
ways to halt degradation of the lake and the USDA Forest
Service is helping with a study of public interests in recreation
at Wolf Lake.
"The
vision statement gives the attention to Wolf Lake that it
deserves," said Mike Aniol, spokesperson for Friends of
Wolf Lake. "With the vision in print, we can tackle the
next step of implementing the vision elements through careful
bi-state planning."
For
more information about the Association of Friends of Wolf
Lake or to receive a copy of the Wolf Lake Vision Statement,
contact Michael Boos at (773) 646-6373, melbows@aol.com.
—
Alison Carney Brown
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