Special Projects
Work will be done to restore the wood wetland including the clearing of undesired and dead woody underbrush. This will be replaced with native and desired woodland and wetland species. The Forestry section, along with highly skilled contractors, plan to start work in January of 2023.
The Mirielle stormwater ponds were created with the construction of the surrounding residential subdivision in the mid-1990s. The ponds and surrounding woodland have been largely ignored due in part to their difficult-to-access location and the amount of resources it will require to make a significant difference towards restoration. Additionally, there was a question of maintenance responsibilities which, for some time, were assigned to the developer.
Native areas generally require less effort to maintain. However, there is still some effort needed to keep native areas from being reclaimed by invasive vegetation which requires a certain level of expertise. Public Work’s Forestry Section has been steadily growing their skills to care for the native landscapes around town.
The Forestry Section have been preparing to take on this project should funding become available. Thanks to a cost-sharing grant recently rewarded to the Village by America In Bloom with funding from CN EcoConnexions From the Ground Up foundation, Public Works is ready to dig in!
FAQs
Working in the dormant season limits mess, generally makes wet ground easier to access, and minimizes exposure to hazards (like ticks and poison ivy) abundant in unkept areas.
Public Works and their authorized contractor will be accessing areas along the north side of Mirielle Park. The goal is to establish a natural area in the more easily accessible portions of the wetland. Forestry employees will remain on the wetland side of the fences and, in most cases, will not actually come near fence lines and yards. There will be some special cases where there is work adjacent to some fences; Public Works staff will notify these residents directly.
There are currently no plans to remove the vegetation immediately adjacent to private backyards. There should not be a noticeable difference to railroad operations.
Woodland wetlands are a rare ecosystem in Illinois. The plants in these habitats (Oak and Hickory trees) are foundational to hundreds of other species. Additionally, the trees, grasses, and other plants help improve water quality and help mitigate the negative effects of heavy storms.
From a maintenance perspective, Public Works staff occasionally need access to maintain infrastructure in the area around the ponds. If a pipe gets blocked or a dead tree needs to be removed, it is very difficult to access. In these cases, Public Works may have to remove fence lines or drive heavy equipment through yards to reach critical infrastructure. By proactively making the area easier to access, Public Works can more easily identify problematic areas before they become an emergency.