The Chicago Metropolitan
Agency for Planning (CMAP) received Clean Water Act funds
from Illinois EPA to facilitate
the development of a
watershed-based plan for the “9
Lakes Planning Area” in
southwestern Lake and
southeastern McHenry Counties.
The plan will utilize data and
information that an ongoing TMDL
(Total Maximum Daily Load)
analysis will provide.
A TMDL (Total Maximum Daily
Load) is a calculation of the
maximum amount of a pollutant
that a waterbody can receive and
still meet water quality
standards, and an allocation of
that load among the various
sources of that pollutant.
The
new planning process follows the
completion of the
Upper Fox
River-Flint Creek Watershed TMDL
Stage 1 Report.
Through the assessment of
physical, chemical, and
biological data collected by
Illinois EPA and the Lake County
Health Department – Lakes
Management Unit, nine of the
lakes in the planning area (as
well as the section of the Fox
River to which the planning area
drains) have been found to not
support certain of their
designated uses (e.g., aquatic
life, primary contact
recreation) due to various
causes of impairment including
total phosphorus, total
suspended solids, and fecal
coliform. (See the
9 Lakes TMDL Implementation
Planning – Fact Sheet)
The Stage 3 TMDL report, which
is under development, will
provide the load, or quantity,
of the identified causes of
pollution that can be allowed in
each of the nine lakes and still
meet water quality standards. |
The
ultimate goal of the planning
process is to determine where
and which best management
practices (BMPs) can best be
implemented in order to reduce
pollutant loads to the following
nine lakes as well as the Fox
River:
A. Cotton-Mutton Creek Watershed:
Island Lake, Woodland Lake, Lake Napa Suwe, Ozaukee
Lake
B. Slocum Lake Drain
- Fiddle Creek Watershed:
Slocum Lake
C. Tower Lake Drain:
Tower Lake, Lake Fairview, Timber Lake, Lake Barrington
Planning partners include the
Lake County Stormwater
Management Commission, Lake
County Health Department – Lakes
Management Unit, FREP, and the 4
Lakes Initiative. All community
members who live, work, or play
in these watersheds are invited
to attend and participate in
this unique planning
opportunity. |
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| For
more information about what a
watershed is and general
information about this planning
process, please click on this
link: |
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