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Wolf Lake Aquatic
Restoration Project
• Ecological Consulting
• Native Plant Nursery
• Restoration Services
• Cultural Resource Management
Location Map
Project Background
• Initiated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Chicago District under
Section 206 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1996
• $6.5 million project cost
• The city of Hammond, IN was a major project collaborator, providing a percentage
of matching funds
Project Background
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Designed by the Chicago ACOE and Tetra Tech as habitat restoration and to
restore portions of the lake to wetlands similar to pre-settlement conditions
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Islands created by hydraulic dredging of sand from lake bottom
Project Features
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20 acres of islands created and ½ mile of shoreline restored
Over 14 acres of native seed installed
115,000 native plants and shrubs planted
Over five miles of goose predation fence constructed
Sand prairie, wet prairie, emergent, and deep aquatic habitats created
Project Challenges: sterile sand substrate
• Newly constructed island surface similar to that of Mars
• Arid sand had no organic matter, soil structure, microorganisms, yet design
called for seeding of species found only in advanced successional stages of
ecological progression
• Nutrient deficiency exhibited as red coloration
Project Challenges: Geese
• Goose predation barriers of chicken wire and string were only marginally effective
Goose Repellants
• Predator silhouettes worked for one
week until geese caught on
Project Challenges: Exotic Species
Including:
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Phragmites
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Purple Loosestrife
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Eurasian Watermilfoil
Project challenges: water levels
• Record rains destroyed
portions of plantings early
planting phase
• Note floating algae a top
strings, evidence of high
water levels
Project Challenges: Water levels
• Beavers plugged
outlets, causing
altered water
levels which
delayed planting
Project Challenges: Erosion
Erosion barriers
• Cabled log barriers
failed after one
winter in high wave
energy zones
Sand Prairie after five months of high winds, heavy rains, and goose
grazing.
Project Successes
Before
After
Project success: emergent zones
Project Success: Sand Prairie
Project Success: Wet Prairie
Lessons Learned
 Design island shapes for greatest area-to-perimeter
ratio…skinny islands can disappear
before stabilization
2007, immediately after construction
2009
Lessons learned: use straw blankets on all
seeded areas
Blanket
No Blanket
Lessons Learned: Protect vulnerable shorelines
during vegetative establishment
Lessons Learned: Focus on vegetative
stabilization above shoreline
Most vegetative stabilization occurred after a dense sod of native grasses,
sedges, and forbs became established in the wet prairie zone adjacent to
waterline. Emergent zone plant mortality was very high.
Lessons Learned: Miscellaneous
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Allow island materials to settle and consolidate before planting
Build islands larger than final desired dimensions to allow for erosive attrition
Limit emergent zone plantings to “pods” and protect them rigorously from
predation by geese, carp, and muskrats
Post-planting maintenance is essential
And, be prepared for Nature to trump your plan!
Direct Additional Questions to:
Tony St. Aubin
Operations Manager
[email protected]
708-932-9306
www.cardnojfnew.com