DuPage County Stormwater Management News & Updates

DuPage County, Illinois sent this bulletin at 07/25/2024 08:41 AM CDT

July 2024                                                                                                                                     View this email in your browser
DuPage County Currents

SWM Operates Flood Control Facilities for Triple Storm Events

quarry

The Elmhurst Quarry Intake Channel diverting water from Salt Creek the day after the first rain event.

Beginning late Saturday night July 13 and continuing through Tuesday night July 16, much of DuPage County received sudden and intense bouts of rainfall from three separate rain events. Rainfall totals across the County ranged from 2.5 inches to 6.3 inches over the course of three days, which triggered the manual operation of the Elmhurst Quarry, Spring Creek Reservoir, and Armstrong Park flood control facilities, as well as many smaller gravity-operated systems. These facilities helped to divert nearly 163 million gallons of stormwater away from residential areas. That’s the equivalent of 2.9 million rain barrels filled! This is the first major facility operation since 2022.

SWM Hosts Wetland Plant ID Course

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Botanist Chris Benda explains the key features of a plant specimen to the class at Eggerman Woods Forest Preserve in Naperville.

SWM recently hosted 25 environmental consultants and ecologists for an advanced Wetland Plant Identification Course. The course was taught by renowned Illinois botanists Chris Benda (The Illinois Botanizer) and Dr. Glenn Adelson (Lake Forest College). Participants visited three of the highest-quality natural areas in northeastern Illinois and successfully identified 122 individual plant species!

SWM Puts St. Joseph Creek Condo Projects Out to Bid

DuPage Stormwater Management has opened a bid for an upcoming flood control project in Lisle, IL. In order to qualify as a bidder, all prospective contractors were required to attend a pre-bid meeting and site visit to discuss the project. The project will consist of a series of walls, gates, pumps, and storm sewer improvements that will provide flood relief to three buildings within the St. Joseph Creek condominium complex. The project, which is funded through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance grants, is expected to be awarded at the August Stormwater Management Committee and County Board meetings.

Around Town

SWM internships are wrapping up next month, and they were able to fit in a lot of useful and interesting experiences during their short time. Interns were taken on tours of various key facilities throughout DuPage County. Interns learned about reuse, recycling and environmental education at SCARCE and Capitol Metals Scrap Recycling. They also went on some brand new tours for our program, including to the Groot Recycling Facility in Elk Grove Village. These tours are a great way to round out their learning while they're with us!

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Interns tour the Groot Recycling Facility in Elk Grove Village.

Upcoming Events

DuPage County Fair STEM-a-Palooza

Thursday, July 25 - Sunday, July 28, 2024, All Day

In partnership with SWM, SCARCE is hosting STEM-a-Palooza at the DuPage County Fair! Check out over 3,700 square feet of fun, hands-on environmental activities and make-and-take crafts that bring science, technology, engineering and math to life. SWM staff will also host an interactive booth for children and adults alike. Located at the DuPage County Fairgrounds (2015 Manchester Rd., Wheaton), access is included with Fair admission.

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Conservation@Home DuPage Garden Tour

Saturday, July 27, 2024, 11:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M.

What do you get when you cross stunning landscapes with sustainable living? The Conservation Foundation’s Conservation@Home Garden Showcase! Join us on this self-guided garden tour and be inspired by our community’s beautiful eco-friendly gardens featuring a wide variety of native plants, water-smart gardening techniques, valuable wildlife habitats — even edible gardens! The Conservation@Home program was developed to help homeowners enhance biodiversity in their own yards which in turn supports our greater ecosystem. Throughout our showcase garden tour, we are specifically featuring DuPage County yards in order to celebrate where the program was born and continues to flourish. Be ready to get motivated to kickstart your own journey towards a greener lifestyle!

Those who register for the showcase will be emailed a detailed map outlining each of our featured yards. You can then choose which gardens you’d like to visit during our designated 11:00am — 2:00pm timeframe.

Register Here

"Heroes & Helicopters" Touch-a-Truck Event

Saturday, August 17, 2024, 10:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.

The heroes in our community of course begin with our first responders but there are so many other organizations that serve our community and are heroes as well.

Join us for a day of exploration hosted by Illinois Senator Laura Ellman and Representative Janet Yang Rohr, beginning with the medical helicopter scheduled to land at 10AM. Enjoy a close up view of trucks and equipment used by our first responders. Engage with all of the organizations that are participating in our event and sharing how they are serving our community.

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Roselle Senior Expo

Tuesday, August 20, 2024, 9:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.

SWM will be tabling at this event for seniors hosted by Illinois Representative Jennifer Sanalitro and Senator Seth Lewis. Attendees will be able to engage a wide variety of organizations offering services for seniors, including everything from health screenings to advice from a master gardener.

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