North Mill Creek/Dutch Gap Canal Subwatershed
Draft Watershed-Based Plan Available for Viewing, Comment
Public Comment Open Until Feb. 15, 2012
Public Hearing: Feb. 2, 2012, 2-4 p.m.
Lake County Government Center, 18 N. County St.,
10th floor, Waukegan, IL
Submit Comments: Patty Werner, SMC
500 W. Winchester Rd., Suite 201
Libertyville, IL 60048
847.377.7717
pwerner@lakecountyil.gov
Public Information Meeting on the Plan - Jan. 25, 2012
December 15, 2011 Planning Commitee Meeting
Please call if you have any questions. The SMC North Mill Creek planning team:
Patty Werner, Planning Supervisor, 847.377.7717
Mike Prusila, Watershed Planner, 877.377.7713
Draft Watershed-Based Plan
Forest Preserve District Planning in the Watershed
The Lake County Forest Preserve District is in the process of developing a master plan for several new forest preserves in the watershed. (The District is the largest single landowner in the watershed.) A description of the forest preserves and planning schedule copied from the Forest Preserve’s website is included below. Within the description is a link to a quick on-line survey related to equestrian and multi-use trails. You can also sign up for master plan updates. The link for the survey and master plan updates sign-up is included below, but if you can’t reach it from this email, you may go directly to the Forest Preserve website.
Questions related to Forest Preserve master planning should be directed to Susan Hall.
Past Meeting Information
December 15, 2011
June 30, 2011 meeting
Feb. 24, 2011 meeting
If you are interested or concerned about the quality of our lakes and streams in the watershed, you will want to attend this meeting where the Lake County Health Department (LCHD) will be presenting the preliminary results from their water quality and flow monitoring conducted in 2010 for the lakes and streams in the Illinois portion of the North Mill Creek / Dutch Gap Canal watershed. The preliminary data from fish and aquatic macroinvertebrates survey conducted during 2010 in the Illinois portion of the watershed will also provide a view of stream biology and aquatic habitat. The information presented will help us develop watershed action recommendations that will successfully reduce point and non-point source pollution in watershed lakes and streams in the watershed.
In the facilitated discussion portion of the meeting we will continue to develop the plan objectives for the flooding, agriculture, and water quality goals. We will also discuss the information gathered and maps generated by SMC per discussions at the last meeting to finalize the parcel prioritization criteria for the green infrastructure system.
We are currently drafting an agenda for the meeting, so if you have a discussion item or announcement you would like us to include – please get back to Jodi by Thursday February 17th so that we can include it. We will send out the draft agenda along with the last meeting report by February18th.
Jan. 26, 2011 agenda items:
Flooding and flood damage are identified as issues in the watershed and will be the topic of discussion at the meeting. SMC will be looking to the stakeholders and community members for information to help enhance information gathered to date and to recommend action items for inclusion in the plan. We look forward to hearing from you on this topic. If you are unable to attend but still wish to contribute information, please contact Jodi McCarthy or at 847.377.7711. If you wish to stay anonymous but still report a flooding concern, please fill out the Flood Survey and send to SMC via mail.
In the facilitated discussion portion of the meeting we will begin to develop the plan objectives for the goal statements pertaining to flooding and agriculture. We will also discuss the information gathered and maps generated by SMC per discussions at the last meeting in an effort to finalize the parcel prioritization criteria for the green infrastructure plan.
Special thanks to Janice Hill (Kane County Executive Planner) and Bronwyn Weaver (owner of Heritage Prairie Farm) who traveled to give presentations at the December stakeholder meeting on farmland preservation and sustainable agriculture. We were also able to finalize the vision statement, conduct an agricultural BMP survey, review maps of current agricultural uses in the watershed, and discuss the parcel prioritization criteria for the development of a green infrastructure plan.
Note: We ask that any stakeholders that were not in attendance at the meeting please complete the fillable form for the Agricultural BMPs and email to SMC to help enhance the BMPs and site specific recommendations that will be developed into the action plan. We also ask that stakeholders provide comments on the accuracy of the Agricultural Land use map that will be incorporated into the watershed plan. Please contact Jodi or at 847.377.7711 if you have any modifications to the map.
Flood Questionnaire
As part of the watershed planning process, SMC is trying to identify those structures in the watershed that are at risk of flooding so that the watershed plan can recommend reasonable solutions to reduce flood damage.
If you own a property in the North Mill Creek / Dutch Gap Canal watershed, we are requesting that you provide us with information regarding the flood history of your property by way of the attached questionnaire. We would appreciate it if you would complete the questionnaire by either filling out the form electronically and emailing it to Patty Werner, or you can choose to print and mail it to our office at 500 Winchester, Libertyville, IL 60048. If you have not experienced flooding on your property, please let us know by answering questions 1 and 7-14 of the questionnaire. The collective information received from the questionnaires will be summarized (without any address specific data) in the flood damage section of the watershed assessment and action plan.
Completing the questionnaire and taking flood protection steps are voluntary. You are under no obligation to participate in this program. The requested information will help us develop a useful and cost-effective watershed improvement plan that properly addresses flood damage, and will help us provide you with flood damage reduction technical assistance if you so desire such assistance.
If you have any questions about the watershed plan or this questionnaire, feel free to email Patty Werner, Lake County Stormwater Management Commission, or call 847.377.7717.
Dec. 8, 2010 agenda items:
Oct. 27, 2010 agenda items:
Aug. 26, 2010 agenda items:
July 29, 2010 agenda items:
June 30, 2010 agenda items: 
June 3, 2010 agenda items:
April 29, 2010 agenda items:
March 25, 2010 Meeting
Kick Off Meeting - Feb. 25, 2010
About the Watershed Planning Process
North Mill Creek and a number of the lakes in the watershed have been identified as having impaired or poor water quality. In addition flood damage is a significant problem along the Des Plaines River downstream. A watershed plan will address these problems, as well as identify the high quality natural resources that need to be protected in the watershed as the land continues to develop. To do this, the watershed plan will identify practices, projects and programs that can be implemented by watershed residents, farmers, businesses, and community stakeholders to:
- Prevent and reduce flood damage,
- Improve water quality in streams, lakes and wetlands,
- Protect and enhance the watershed’s natural resources,
- Identify desirable green infrastructure areas to maintain open space for flood damage prevention, water quality protection, recreation and education.
