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Du Page Stream Gets New Life


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Great article here.

I especially like how detailed it gets, even stating some historical facts, etc......

 

Check it out, the link follows this clip:

Creating the shallow, meandering stream in the Springbrook Prairie Forest Preserve is an unusual project for the Chicago area, officials say.

 

When the $2.2 million transformation, which began this month, is completed, the stream will contain excess floodwater during heavy rains by allowing it to spill over the banks and spread out into the preserve. Water quality also will improve, helping support a wider array of life in the preserve, including wading birds, fish, mussels and native marsh grasses, experts say.

 

The new stream will be built on dry earth using natural materials, including sand and gravel and tree roots to hold the base from washing away. Sections of the existing ditch will be blocked off with large metal plates.

 

The plan calls for the new stream to wind back and forth across the old channel, so sections of up to 1,000 feet at a time will be opened up incrementally, with pumps sometimes used to redirect the flow, and some fish and mussels scooped up and relocated as well.

 

"It's a combination of science and art," said Brook McDonald, president of the Naperville-based Conservation Foundation.

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The article mentioned smallmouth as one of the fish that will benefit from this project. This "ditch" flows into Spingbrook Creek. There are largemouth, crappie and bluegill in Springbrook. I'm surprised to hear about the smallmouth. I don't know if the article is saying smallies are present now, or would find the newly restored waterway a suitable home.

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