A four-block stretch through Washington Park, where the Waukegan River winds its way through ravines, is under consideration for a pilot undertaking of the larger proposed Waukegan River Ravines Corridor Improvement Project.
Initiated nearly a year ago, the goal of the project is to initially design strategies to stabilize eroding ravines, remove invasive species, enhance native habitat and improve recreational trails throughout the four-mile waterway.
Melissa Curran is an environmental scientist with Stantec, a global company that deals with environmental engineering among other specialties. She is leading the effort to determine the best way to preserve the ravines and river well into the future. She said it is a long-term effort.
“We want to focus on Washington Park,” Curran said, referring to the pilot project. “We’ll stabilize the banks with rocks and wood. There is already a trail going through it. It connects to other parks.”
The city of Waukegan, the Waukegan Park District, along with the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, introduced the pilot project Tuesday at the College of Lake County’s Lakeshore Campus in Waukegan to get input from members of the public.
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Working with a $400,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Curran said the goal is to develop the necessary information and ideas to move the Washington Park project beyond its current design phase into getting the work underway.
J.T. Taube, the Park District’s manager of planning services, said once the design phase is complete, grant funding will be sought to undertake and complete the Washington Park project. The Park District is eager to participate.
“The ravine system is such a wonderful asset and needs to be preserved,” Taube said. “The Washington Park test case is a good start. It will open the park to increased access for the community. Kids can go through there to get to school.”
Daron Terfehn, the city’s assistant director of economic development, made it clear the project will not be done with taxpayer money. Between the city, the Park District and the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, grants will be obtained.
Starting with Washington Park, where trails already exist and there is good accessibility, is a good first step in what Terfehn said is a long-term project that could take longer than 10 years to complete.
Matt Doss, the project manager of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative’s Resilient Projects Initiative, said the river and ravine system goes beyond Waukegan. The river flows into Lake Michigan, where the impact goes through the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River and eventually into the Atlantic Ocean.
“With each part of this project we are helping the entire ecosystem,” Doss said. “We’re starting with a small part of the ravine and river ecosystem in Washington Park, and we’ll eventually take care of other parts.”
Plans currently include regrading eroded banks with large boulders, revegetating stream banks, a potential outdoor classroom for environmental education, a pedestrian bridge, trail access from Belvidere Road, installation of rock check dams and making the river more suitable for fish passage, according to materials distributed at the meeting.
The public also had the opportunity to offer ideas by placing notes on several posters around the room. There were more than 100 ideas posted by the end of the event.